Increasing Participation and Achievement in AP Computer Science Principles   

Computer science is the fastest-growing subject in the US, yet English learners are dramatically under-represented in these courses. We know that English Learners fare far better linguistically and academically when they have opportunities to engage with rigorous academic content. The CSforEL Project is a new 4-year research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, designed to attract, retain, and engage English learners (EL) in AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, San Diego, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.   
 
CSTA will soon select school districts and teachers to participate in its second PD cohort during the 2023-2024 school year. 

CSforEL Benefits for Participating Districts

Participating districts and schools will receive:
 
  • Increased enrollment of English learners in AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP)
  • Increased number of qualifying scores by English learners in AP CSP
  • 40+ hours of professional development over the summer and throughout the school year per cohort
  • 10+ hours of professional development throughout the school year for at least one principal and counselor per participating school  

CSforEL Benefits for Teachers

Participating AP CSP teachers will receive:
 
  • Expert-led CS Course Placement Review to understand current access to CS courses for EL students and develop strategies to attend to barriers to course placement  
  • 40+ hours of professional development over the summer and throughout the year for with stipends included, paid directly to selected teachers by CSTA   
  • Access to cutting edge resources and guidance around supporting ELs in AP CSP
  • Local facilitator development to ensure professional development can continue sustainably beyond the life of the grant
  • There will also be the option of participating in professional learning communities (PLCs)
  • Regular formative evaluation feedback from leading educational researchers and other incentives
  • A summative workshop at the conclusion of the project                                                 

Partnering Districts and Teacher Commitments

For this project to be successful, we ask that participating districts and teachers commit to:   
 
  • Participating in the CS Course Placement Review, with engagement from the district and school leadership  
  • Ensuring all participating teachers have at least one section of AP CS Principles, deliberately scheduled to ensure possible participation by EL students  
  • Ensuring participating teachers, principals, and counselors attend all professional development 
  • Participating in program evaluation 

Program Evaluation Details  

As part of the program evaluation, partner districts will:  
 
  • Participate in teacher/administrator interviews, teacher surveys, CSP classroom observation student focus groups.  
  • Provide data needed to evaluate the effects of the program annually: 
  • Longitudinal student-level data will be requested from grade 6 forward for all students in both treatment and control schools to help the team to match students by their predicted likelihood of taking a computer science course
  • Demographic data for students in, or projected to be in, the graduating classes of 2016 and later through the class of 2027[1].                                                                       
  • [1] The class of 2027 would be in grade 9 in 2023-2024, the final year of our project.              
For more information, contact Larae Butcher, CSforEL Project Manager

Partners

Lockheed Martin