Curriculum and PD providers in particular have a lot of power to influence what’s viewed as “normal” in the CS classroom. The relatively few people who write curriculum or design PD have an outsized impact. We need to learn, grow, ask questions, and build community in order to live up to responsibilities of that impact. Also, meeting other curriculum and PD nerds is fun!
If you design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale, we welcome you to join our community, led by volunteers from this community. We will focus on supporting teacher development of equitable and inclusive teaching practices. Goals include building community, sharing best practices, solving collective challenges, and exchanging ideas. This will enable us to collectively improve as a community and make more a substantial impact on the field.
Save the Dates!
In 2024-25, virtual PD Provider Summits will be held on the following Fridays from noon to 2pm ET:
November 1, 2024January 17, 2025- April 18, 2025
Plus, we’ll meet in person at the CSTA Annual Conference in Cleveland, OH:
- July 11, 2025
Next Virtual Summit on April 18
Shifting Landscapes
The evolving educational landscape across the United States has presented new considerations for curriculum and professional development (PD) . While the Standards for CS Teachers and CSTA’s core values continue to underscore the importance of equity and inclusion for effective computer science educators, recent shifts in educational policies are impacting how these topics can be addressed in PD. This discussion-based summit offers a timely opportunity for PD providers to share their immediate experiences and emerging strategies for navigating these recent changes while upholding a commitment to equitable practices. We will dedicate time to discuss how providers are adapting their approaches in response to the latest developments. Additionally, we encourage you to contribute suggestions for birds-of-a-feather breakout sessions on the registration form, including any other pressing topics arising from the most recent shifts in our field.
Details
- Date: Friday, April 18, 2025
- Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual) – link will be shared directly with registrants
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 2a. Examine issues of equity in CS; 2b. Minimize threats to inclusion; 4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 12:00 – 12:30 pm | Welcome and Kickoff |
| 12:30 – 1:00 pm | Birds of a Feather Session 1 (breakouts) |
| 1:00 – 1:05 pm | Quick Break |
| 1:05 – 1:10 pm | Flash Talk: State Standards Comparison |
| 1:10 – 1:40 pm | Birds of a Feather Session 2 (breakouts) |
| 1:40 – 1:55 pm | Share-out from Moderators |
| 1:55 – 2:00 pm | Close-out |
Resources from Prior Summits
Teaching Impacts and Ethics of Computing
Join us online to hear how professional development providers around the country have taught the ethics and impacts of computing to CS educators and students. We’ll share challenges and successes and exchange ideas for increasing participation and engaging educators.Details
Details
- Date: Friday, January 17, 2025
- Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual) – link will be shared directly with registrants
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 1f. Analyze impacts of computing; 4a. Analyze CS curricula; 4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 12:00 – 12:05 pm | Welcome and Kickoff |
| 12:05 – 12:20 pm | Warmup and Networking |
| 12:20 – 12:55 pm | Flash Talks: Teaching Impacts and Ethics of Computing |
| 12:55 – 1:00 pm | Quick Break |
| 1:00 – 1:20 pm | Breakouts Hosted by Flash Talk Speakers |
| 1:20 – 1:30 pm | Share-out |
| 1:30 – 1:55 pm | Birds of a Feather Discussions — ASICS literature review — high school CS graduation requirements — elementary CS — teacher recruitment — additional topics based on challenges surfaced in warm-up |
| 1:55 – 2:00 pm | Close-out |
Slides & Notes
Recording
Computing: The Shifting Landscape
Join us online to discuss Computing: The Shifting Landscape as we explore the most recent State of CS Report and investigate updates to CS standards and priorities. We’ll share challenges and successes and exchange ideas for increasing participation and engaging educators.
Details
- Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
- Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual) – link will be shared directly with registrants
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 4c. Design inclusive learning experiences
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 12:00 – 12:05 pm | Welcome and Kickoff |
| 12:05 – 12:20 pm | Warmup and Networking |
| 12:20 – 12:35 pm | 2024 State of CS Report |
| 12:35 – 1:00 pm | Breakout Discussions |
| 1:00 – 1:15 pm | Share-out |
| 1:15 – 1:40 pm | Birds of a Feather (BoF) Discussions |
| 1:40 – 1:50 pm | CSTA K-12 Standards Update |
| 1:50 – 2:00 pm | Close-out |
Slides & Notes
Recording
Beyond CS Knowledge and Skills
We will meet at the CSTA Annual Conference in Las Vegas on July 16-19, 2024 for a longer, in-person summit. Join us for Beyond Computer Science Knowledge and Skills as we move beyond traditional computer science skill-building in teacher PD. We’ll delve into the critical aspects of teacher identity, equity and inclusion, classroom practice, and professional growth, which are often overlooked keys to unlocking greater professional learning.
Provide networking opportunities to connect, share ideas, and collaborate on initiatives aimed at advancing equity, inclusion, and excellence in education.
Details
- Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2024
- Time: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm PT
- Location: Summit 211, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, NV
- Cost: Free, including lunch!
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment:
- 2 – Equity and Inclusion
- 3 – Professional Growth & Identity
- 4 – Instructional Design
- 5 – Classroom Practice
- Objectives:
- Engage in interactive sessions featuring expert presenters to gain valuable insights, strategies, and best practices to enhance teacher professional development initiatives.
- Join collaborative discussions and reflective exercises, fostering the application of summit insights to their respective professional development programs.
- Reflect on how identity-inclusive computing tenets are incorporated within teacher PD.
- Develop familiarity with the CSTA’s Standards for CS Teachers and the CSTA PD Alignment Rubric, with emphasis on how teacher standards 4 and 5 improve outcomes for both teachers and students.
Agenda
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 11:00 – 11:30 am | Welcome, Kickoff, and Community Building |
| 11:30 am – 12:15 pm | Panel – Improving Teaching and Learning through Teacher PD |
| 12:15 – 1:00 pm | Lunch (provided) |
| 1:00 – 2:30 pm | Interactive Presentation with Breakouts – Leading Effective Teacher PD |
| 2:30 – 3:30 pm | Stations – Birds of a Feather (BoF) Discussions |
| 3:30 – 4:00 pm | Conclusion and Next Steps |
Slides & Notes
Resources
- Playlist
- Session Resources
- Leading Effective PD (Slides)
- Effective Teacher PD (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017)
- AiiCE PD Tenets
- CSTeacher Standards
- Reimagining CS Pathways (published Wed, 7/17)
- From PD Committee:
- CSTA’s PD accreditation process
- Centralized PD Feedback Form (share with teachers)
- Summit Feedback Form
Incorporating UDL and HLPs in CS Teacher PD – Part 2
In our next CS PD Provider summit on Friday, April 12, we will continue conversations from our January summit, where Dr. Maya Israel presented on applying universal design for learning (UDL) and high-leverage practices (HLPs) to CS teacher PD. (You can catch up by watching the recording or viewing resources from this summit.)
A panel of PD providers will share their range of experiences with planning, developing, and implementing UDL and HLPs specifically in their CS teacher PD programs. Dr. Israel will facilitate a discussion to help us understand their best practices, processes, and next steps for making PD more accessible and effective. We will challenge you to consider how you can take one action to incorporate UDL and HLPs in your upcoming PD.
As always, we’ll end with an open-ended birds of a feather (BOF) session, and incorporate lots of time to meet and greet with fellow providers. We hope to see you there!
Details
- Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
- Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual) – link will be shared directly with registrants
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 4c. Design inclusive learning experiences
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 12:00 – 12:05 | Kickoff |
| 12:05 – 12:55 | Panel Discussion with CS PD Providers, facilitated by Dr. Maya Israel |
| 12:55 – 1:15 | Breakout Discussions + Action Planning |
| 1:15 – 1:25 | Share-out |
| 1:25 – 1:50 | Birds of a Feather Discussions (breakouts selected based on interest) |
| 1:50 – 2:00 | Close-out |
Slides & Notes
Recording
Incorporating UDL and HLPs in CS Teacher PD – Part 1
As PD and curriculum providers, you may already be well versed in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and High Leverage Practices (HLPs) as ways to support the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities*. However, have you thought carefully about how you use these strategies within teacher professional development? Doing so is important to both support learner variability among the diverse teacher audience in PD and to model the instruction practices that they should in turn implement in their classrooms.
Please join our next CSTA PD Provider Summit on Friday, January 19, 2024, where Dr. Maya Israel from the University of Florida will present on incorporating UDL and HLPs in your CS teacher PD. She will share her team’s vast experience and resources and prompt conversation among providers to share the strategies they already use and discuss new ideas they have.
As always, we’ll end with an open-ended birds of a feather (BOF) session, and incorporate lots of time to meet and greet with fellow providers. We hope to see you there!
Details
- Date: Friday, January 19, 2024
- Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual) – link will be shared directly with registrants
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 4c. Design inclusive learning experiences
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Introductions & Kickoff |
| 2:15 – 2:35 2:35 – 3:00 3:00 – 3:10 | Incorporating UDL and HLPs in CS Teacher PD with Dr. Maya Israel Breakout Discussions Debrief |
| 3:10 – 3:15 | Dance Break |
| 3:15 – 3:45 | Birds of a Feather Discussions (breakouts selected based on interest) |
| 3:45 – 4:00 | Close-out |
Resources
Suggested Pre-Work
Slides & Notes
Recording
Hosting Equity-focused PD in the Current Political Climate
The last few years have seen many parts of the United States pass laws limiting or outlawing curriculum and PD that include DEI topics. Yet, equity and inclusion are essential to the knowledge and skills of effective CS teachers, as delineated in the Standards for CS Teachers and in one of CSTA’s core values. This has created a complicated landscape in which providers must decide how to create PD aligned to their current political landscape. In this summit, several PD providers will share their own experiences and strategies navigating the current context while maintaining a focus on equity. As always, we will have plenty of time for discussion with other providers, including on other topics of interest, so please add your suggestions for birds-of-a-feather breakouts in the registration form.
Details
- Date: Friday, October 6, 2023
- Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual) – link will be shared directly with registrants
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 2a. Examine issues of equity in CS; 2b. Minimize threats to inclusion; 3e. Leverage community resources; 3f. Participate in CS professional learning communities
Agenda
Resources
Slides & Notes
Recording
Evolving with Changing Times
Details
- Date: Friday, July 14, 2023, following the 2023 CSTA Annual Conference
- Time: 11:00 to 2:30 pm ET (8:00 to 11:30am PT)
- Location: Zoom (virtual)
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development and curriculum at scale
- Goals: Build community, share best practices, solve collective challenges, and exchange ideas.
- CS Teacher Standards Alignment: 4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences, 4c. Design inclusive learning experiences, 3e. Leverage community resources, 3f. Participate in CS professional learning communities, 3a. Pursue targeted professional development
Agenda
Slides & Notes
Recording
Responsible Provider-ing in the Face of AI Hype
The last several months of excitement around AI technology has us providers facing many questions from teachers, education leaders, students, and parents. Should the education system be evolving (or rapidly pivoting?) to incorporate AI? Where do these topics belong in the already overpacked curriculum? Should newly-developed tools be rapidly ushered into classrooms, and is this even feasible? As curriculum and PD providers, you have the opportunity and responsibility to help influence these conversations in ways that help bring exciting new topics to classrooms while thinking critically about the technical, ethical, and logistical concerns that come with introducing any new topic. Join us for a presentation on how other providers have approached these questions before and have an open conversation with other providers about how they’re reacting to AI hype. As always we’ll end with an open-ended BOF and incorporate lots of time to meet and greet with fellow providers. We hope to see you there!
Details
- Date: Friday, April 21, 2023
- Time: 2:00 to 4:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual)
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale
- Goals: Build community, share best practices, solve collective challenges, and exchange ideas.
- Focus: Responsible Provider-ing in the Face of AI Hype
- CS Teacher Standards Connections: 1e. Develop programs and interpret algorithms, 1f. Analyze impacts of computing
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Introductions & Opening with Dianne O’Grady-Cunniff |
| 2:15 – 2:35 2:35 – 3:00 3:00 – 3:10 | Responsible Provider-ing in the Face of AI Hype with Sarah Judd & Charlotte Dungan Breakout Discussions Debrief |
| 3:10 – 3:15 | Dance Break |
| 3:15 – 3:45 | Birds of a Feather Discussions (breakouts selected based on interest) |
| 3:45 – 4:00 | Close-out |
Resources
Slides
Recording
Responding to Results from the CS Teacher Landscape Survey
Details
- Date: Friday, February 3, 2023
- Time: 2:00 to 4:00 pm ET
- Location: Zoom (virtual)
- Cost: Free
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale
- Goals: Build community, share best practices, solve collective challenges, and exchange ideas.
- Focus: What can we learn from the results of a landscape survey of PreK-12 CS teachers? How might we use data from this landscape survey to best support teachers in our programs?
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Introductions & Opening |
| 2:15 – 2:35 2:35 – 2:55 2:55 – 3:05 | CS Teacher Landscape Survey Results with Dr. Sonia Koshy and Bryan Twarek Breakout Discussions Debrief |
| 3:05 – 3:10 | Dance Break |
| 3:10 – 3:45 | Birds of a Feather Discussions (breakouts selected based on interest) – Accommodating teacher disabilities – Ongoing training – Supporting culturally responsive-sustaining CS education – Reflecting on how your PD aligns with identity-inclusive computing – [other participant-suggested topics] |
| 3:45 – 4:00 | Close-out |
Resources
Slides
Recording
Better Integrating Identity-Inclusive Computing in PD
Details
- Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022
- Time: 12:30 to 4:30 pm CT
- Location: McCormick Place West, Chicago, IL (room W184bc)
- Cost: Free, with lunch provided!
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale
- Goals: Build community, share best practices, solve collective challenges, and exchange ideas.
- Focus: Standard 2. Equity & Inclusion: How do we better integrate tenets of identity-inclusive computing education in our (curriculum + PD) programs?
Agenda
| Time (CT) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 12:30 – 1:00 | Lunch & Networking |
| 1:00 – 1:15 | Summit Kickoff, Framing, and Introductions |
| 1:15 – 2:25 | Better Integrating Equitable and Identity-Inclusive Computing Practices in Our PD Programs – facilitated by Joanna Goode & Gail Chapman |
| 2:25 – 2:40 | Coffee & Snack Break |
| 2:40 – 3:25 | Moving Things Forward: From Theory to Practice – An Interactive Panel featuring Briana Blaser, Faythe Brannon, Leon Tynes, Quiana Bannerman |
| 3:25 – 3:30 | Quick Break |
| 3:30 – 4:15 | Birds of a Feather Discussions |
| 4:15 – 4:30 | Close-out |
Resources
- Slide Deck (embedded below)
- Graphic Organizer (AiiCE Tenets)
- BOF Discussion Sign-up
- Alliance for Identity Inclusive Computing Education (AiiCE)
- State of CS Report (Code.org, CSTA, and ECEP)
- CS Teacher Landscape (Kapor Center and CSTA)
- CSTA Guidelines for Accessibility of PD & Meetings
- AccessComputing
Slides
Designing for Accessibility
As a community, we have an important need to improve accessibility in K-12 CS education, and curriculum PD providers play a critical role in enabling teachers to meet their students’ needs. Come learn about designing for accessibility from a leading expert, UW Professor Emeritus Dr. Richard Ladner, and then engage in breakouts to discuss and learn from each other on this topic. We will also organize Birds of a Feather (BOF) sessions for informal conversation about common areas of interest. This event will be held in Zoom, is free to attend, and is completely virtual. See the agenda below for more information.
Details
- Date: Friday, May 13, 2022
- Time: 2:00 to 4:00pm ET (11:00am to 1:00pm PT)
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale
- Goals: Build community, share best practices, solve collective challenges, and exchange ideas.
- Focus: Indicator 2e. Use accessible instructional materials from the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers: Evaluate tools and curricula and leverage resources to improve accessibility for all students.
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Introductions & Opening |
| 2:15 – 3:05 | Designing for Accessibility with Dr. Richard Ladner |
| 3:05 – 3:10 | Stretch Break |
| 3:10 – 3:45 | Birds of a Feather Discussions (breakouts selected based on interest) |
| 3:45 – 4:00 | Close-out |
Resources
- Slide Deck and Collaborative Notes (embedded below)
- Teacher to Teacher accessibility in CS video series:
Slides
Recording
Empowering Teachers as Instructional Designers
Details
- Date: Friday, January 14, 2022
- Time: 2:00 to 4:00pm ET (11:00am to 1:00pm PT)
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale
- Goals: Build community, share best practices, solve collective challenges, and exchange ideas.
- Focus: Standard 4. Instructional Design from the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers.
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Introductions & Opening |
| 2:15 – 3:05 | Balancing Teacher Support with Empowerment as Instructional Designers – facilitated by Jon Stapleton and Perry Shank (CodeVA) |
| 3:05 – 3:10 | Stretch Break |
| 3:10 – 3:45 | Birds of a Feather Discussions (breakouts selected based on interest) |
| 3:45 – 4:00 | Close-out – facilitated by Dr. Abigail Joseph & James Koontz |
Resources
- Slide Deck and Collaborative Notes (embedded below)
- CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
Standard 4. Instructional Design: Effective CS teachers design learning experiences that engage students in problem solving and creative expression through CS, using pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). They plan to meet the varied learning, cultural, linguistic, and motivational needs of individual students in order to build student self-efficacy and capacity in CS.Effective CS teachers:- 4a. Analyze CS curricula for implementation in their classrooms in terms of CS standards alignment, accuracy, completeness of content, cultural relevance, and accessibility.
- 4b. Design and adapt learning experiences that align to comprehensive K-12 CS standards.
- 4c. Use Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP), and other techniques to support all students in successfully accessing and engaging with content.
- 4d. Design learning experiences that make connections to other disciplines and real-world contexts.
- 4e. Plan opportunities for students to create and share open-ended and personally meaningful projects.
- 4f. Plan activities that use evidence-based, CS-specific teaching strategies to develop students’ conceptual understanding and proactively address student misconceptions in CS.
- 4g. Develop multiple forms and modalities of assessment to provide feedback and support. Use resulting data for instructional decision-making and differentiation.
Slides
Recording
Aligning to CS Teacher Standards & Incorporating Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Practices
Details
- Date: Friday, July 16, 2021
- Time: 2:00 to 5:00pm ET (11:00am to 2:00pm PT), directly following the CSTA Conference
- Audience: People who design PK-12 computer science professional development at scale, including but not limited to those programs accredited by the CSTA PD Committee
- Goals: Build community, learn best practices, and exchange ideas, to collectively improve as PD providers
- Focus: CSTA Standards for CS Teachers + related resources for PD Providers, Kapor Center’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining CS Education Framework, and learning from one another
Agenda
| Time (ET) | Topic | Facilitators |
|---|---|---|
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Introductions & Opening | Dr. Michelle Friend and GT Wrobel |
| 2:15 – 3:05 | Standards for CS Teachers Introduction & Self-Assessment Rubrics + Exemplars | Dianne O’Grady-Cunniff, GT Wrobel, and Jared O’Leary |
| 3:05 – 3:10 | Stretch Break | |
| 3:10 – 4:00 | Culturally Responsive-Sustaining CS Education Framework, with a focus on the core components | Shana V. White and Kalisha Davis |
| 4:00 – 4:10 | Stretch Break | |
| 4:10 – 4:45 | Birds of a Feather Discussions | Unfacilitated breakout discussions by interest |
| 4:45 – 5:00 | Close-out | Dr. Abigail Joseph & Dr. Michelle Friend |
Resources
- Slide Deck and Collaborative Notes (also embedded below)
- Main Session Recording (also embedded below)
- CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
- Kapor Center’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining CS Education Framework
- Application to join the CSTA PD Committee (select committees, then PD)
Slides
Recording
Community Directory
Please email Dr. Amanda Bell to add or update your listing in this directory.
This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2118453. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.