COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION REPORT FOR ACM’s SIGS

1. COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION REPORT FOR ACM’s SIGS John White ACM CEO

2. Crisis in High School CS • Shrinking pipeline • Underrepresented populations • No national curriculum standards • States are decertifying CS teachers • Teachers feel isolated and in need of community • No opportunities for skills upgrading • No strong voice that can educate administrators, legislators, and congressional committees about issues affecting the growth of IT • 18,000 high school computing teachers in US alone with no discipline-based representation John White

3. The ACM K-12 Task Force • ACM formed the K-12 Task Force in 1999 to identify and address pressing needs within K-12 computer science education • The success of its projects built credibility with K-12 educators, but also underscored the complexity and depth of the challenges • It became clear that a national organization that would speak explicitly to K-12 CS education was required John White

4. CSTA In Gestation • In January 2004, ACM provided funding to begin the organizational work for CSTA with the goal of being member-ready by January 2005 • In September ACM Council voted to establish CSTA as a limited liability company of ACM • Many existing projects (from the K-12 Task Force) are being transitioned to the new organization • Both project-based and sustainability funding are being sought from multiple sources John White

5. Current Status of CSTA • Steering Committee: • A Steering committee of CS educators from all levels has been formed and has met twice to begin the work of forming the association • Committees: • Standing committees have been formed and are already working on major initiatives in essential areas including: membership, curriculum, research, and professional development • Bylaws: • By-laws have been drafted and have been accepted by ACM Council John White

6. Status of CSTA continued • Planning: • A draft five-year plan has been written • Presence: • Logo has been designed • Website has been designed • Promotion: • Several presentations have been held or are planned for major educational conferences (NECC, SIGCSE, TCEA, MACUL) • Corporate funding kit has been developed • Several proposals are now under consideration by potential corporate sponsors John White

7. CSTA Mission Statement The Computer Science Teachers Association is a membership organization that supports and promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines by providing opportunities for teachers and students to better understand the computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare themselves to teach and to learn. John White

8. CSTA Scope • High schools (all aspects of computer science and the computing disciplines) • K-8 (introducing problem solving and algorithmic thinking) • College/university (improving transition and increasing mentorship opportunities) • Business and industry (pipeline and career issues) John White

9. Ongoing Projects • ACM K-12 Computer Science Curriculum • JETT • CSTA Research Initiative • CS & IT Symposia • Partnership Initiatives John White

10. K-12 CS CURRICULUM • Document in print after multiple feedback loops and endorsement by ACM’s Education Board • Major conference presentations (SIGCSE, NECC) • Articles published (Learning & Leading with Technology, AP Central) • Cooperative work on grants (NJIT, UNB) John White

11. JETT (Java Engagement for Teacher Training) • By Christmas, there will have been over 40 Java workshops for local high school teachers hosted by university sites and involving College Board consultants, faculty, and ACM student chapters • A part time organizer manages site recruitment and promotion, registration, evaluation • A volunteer steering committee reviews every formal application • A comprehensive web page serves as a highly effective organizational and promotional tool • A new evaluation tool and process that will improve data collection is under development John White

12. Research Initiative • CSTA is now conducting a national survey of high school CS educators focusing on key issues such as: • Curriculum standards • Teacher certification • Course availability • Enrollment patterns • Gender equity John White

13. CS & IT Symposia • For the last five years this one-day symposium has been presented in conjunction with a major educational computing conference • It provides professional development for 100 teachers each year, attracting the highest caliber of presenters and educators • It has been hosted in partnership by ACM and ISTE and funded by Microsoft for 4 years • In 2005 there will be two Symposia held in conjunction with SIGSCE and NECC • CSTA is also working with the SIGCSE conference committee John White

14. Partnership Projects • CSTA is working with the following organizations: • SIGCSE conference chairs to ensure that we can enrich all aspects of the teachers’ experience at SIGCSE • College Board on the JETT project • NCWIT on gender equity initiatives • New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University of Nebraska on grant initiatives to develop curriculum materials • ISTE on the CS & IT Symposia John White

15. Funding • Discussions are underway with several corporations but there are several challenges. Corporations: • do not provide sustainability funding • want to fund projects that support their own product or marketing initiatives • Several partnership and grant opportunities are being explored but there are several challenges. Grant organizations: • Have little interest in supporting computer science education • Require significant staff time (research, writing) up front • Want organizations to prove sustainability beyond funding • Take a very long time to make a decision John White

16. What Can the SIGS Do? • Provide funding to help us sustain the emergence of CSTA • Help promote CSTA in SIG publications and at SIG events John White

17. How Would This Benefit SIGS? • Everyone in ACM understands the importance of supporting computer science education and supporting this organization will go a long way toward addressing essential educational issues • CSTA provides ACM with a chance to be the national voice of the discipline for high schools • Working with CSTA can provide greater visibility for the SIGS among an important audience • It will make you feel good John White