The X Factor:
STEM + Computer Science =
An Equity-Based District Partnership
CSLNet Summit, Los Angeles
March 16, 2015
Nicole Reitz-Larsen, Code.org
Julie Flapan, ECS and ACCESS
ACCESS: Alliance for California Computing
Education for Students and Schools
• K-12 administrators and teachers
• CS higher education: community colleges universities
• Education schools/teacher training programs
• California educational policy staff
• California CS&IT industry leaders
• Relevant non-profits/policy organizations:
CSTA, Computing in the Core, Code.org
ACCESS Goals
• Elevate the status of computer science education
• Ensure equitable access to computer science education
for all California students
• Establish a computer science certification pathway for K12 teachers in California
• Update state standards for computer science education
• Advocate for CS counts for core credit in high school
graduation and UC/CSU eligibility and admissions
• Streamline computer science education pathways for
students entering community college and preparing for
careers in computer science and/or transition to fouryear colleges and universities
Key Partnerships
• Code.org
• Computer Science Teachers
Association
• Exploring Computer Science
• Computer Science Principals
• Researchers/Practitioners in K12,
Higher Ed, and Industry
What is Computer Science?
“Computer Science (CS) is the study of computers and algorithmic
processes, including their principles, their hardware
and software designs, their applications, and their impact on
society.”
• CS is not Educational Technology, Computing Literacy, Information
Technology (IT or ICT) nor is it simply coding/programming.
• CS builds students’ computational and critical thinking skills,
which enables them to create—not simply use—the
next generation of computing technology innovations
• CS provides fundamental knowledge needed to prepare students
for the 21st Century and equips them with lifelong skills they can
use in a wide variety of fields of study and occupations
Source: CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards,
https://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/ CurrFiles/CSTA_K-12_CSS.pdf
STEM Employment Projections in U.S.
1.4M
Computing will create 1.4 million new jobs
in the U.S. between 2010 and 2020 – more
than all other STEM fields combined
526K
Computing
Engineering
155K
122K
106K
Physical
Sciences
Life Sciences
Mathematics
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Employment Projections 2010-2020
Jobs vs. Graduates
1.4M
The projected number of U.S.
college graduates in computing
between 2010 and 2020 will meet
less than one-third of the demand
400K
29%
Jobs
Graduates
Source: NCWIT, By the Numbers
Reduced Access and Opportunity
1 979 678
From 2000 to 2012,
California high school
enrollment increased
16% from 1.7 to 2.0
million,
1 707 952
2 667
No Data
1 766
while the number of
sections of computer
science & programming
courses fell 34% from
2,667 to 1,766.
Source: Dataquest,
California Department of Education
2013 California AP Test Takers
47403
California has one of the
lowest CS AP participation
rates in the United States.
33935
25900
17668
20867
19916
14871
4964
5801
2050
Source: College Board
http://research.collegeboard.org/programs/ap/data/participation/2013
Underrepresentation in CS
California AP CS A Exam Participation (2012-13)
Under-Represented
Minority
% of HS
Students
% of AP CS
Test Takers
AP CS
Pass Rate
Female
49%
22%
72%
African American
6.7%
1.5%
57%
Hispanic / Latino
51%
7.9%
47%
Average pass rate for all students taking AP CS 76%
Source: CDE Dataquest and The
College Board
Ensuring equal access to learn computer science
California CS Legislation 2014
• AB 1764 (Olson/Buchanan): allows computer science to count
toward advanced math credit in districts that require >2 math
for graduation
• SB 1200 (Padilla): requests UC/CSU to establish guidelines for
CS classes that satisfy college admission requirements
• AB 1539 (Hagman): recommends IQC (Instructional Quality
Commission) to develop K12 CS content standards 6 for
adoption by SBE (State Board of Education)
Challenges
• Scaling up CS education curriculum while scaling up teacher
preparation
Alignment with Standards
NGSS, Common Core, CS
Getting CS to Really Count
And for Whom?
Exposure to Computer Science Matters
 Students who take high school computer science
are 8 times more likely to major in CS in college
 California needs quality K-12 CS education
to fill the state’s employment gap and to address
the digital divide
Democratizing Computer Science
Broadening Participation in Computing
Local and Statewide
Informs
Policy
ACCESS
EQUITY
Exploring
Computer
Science
Supports Local
Implementation
Inquiry Based
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•
•
•
•
•
Human Computer Interaction
Problem Solving
Web Design
Programming
Computing and Data Analysis
Robotics
Broadening Participation in Computing
 2,000+ students each year in LAUSD,
 45% enrolled students are girls
Los Angeles ECS and School Enrollment by Ethnicity
Bringing Computer Science to
Your school
Our Vision:
every school
every student
opportunity
Code.org Curriculum Overview
 Grades K-5
 4 (20 hours each) courses, blended Learning, online “games”, with video lectures
 Computer Science in Math
 8 Units of Study (Modules) to fit in an Algebra course, using functional programming to create an
interactive video game driven by algebraic functions, approx. 25-30 hours
 Computer Science in Algebra
 4 Modules to fit into existing Science Courses, 5 hours each using modeling and simulation tools to
connect CS and Science
 Exploring Computer Science
 6 Units of Study, exploring foundational computer science concepts and computational practices through
inquiry, year long course
 Computer Science Principles
 5 Units of Study, year long course, exploring computing and how it transforms the world we live in, AP
exam in 2016-2017
 Free professional development workshops nationwide
Grades K-5
 Short courses for elementary school
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Free / open-source
Online “games” on any modern browser/tablet
Video lectures by Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Bosh, Bill Gates
Deeply aligned to Common Core Math + ELA, NGSS
Free professional development workshops nationwide
99% approval by teachers
 Any district, school, or teacher can participate
K-5 Curriculum
K-5 PD
 Code.org trained affiliates provide full day PD workshops free
of charge to interested teachers.
 Workshops focus on “unplugged” lessons
 Moderated online forums for support throughout the year
 Separate workshops for K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 grade bands
 We will ensure space with a local affiliate for teachers from
our district partners
 http://code.org/educate/k5
Middle School Math Overview
 Students use algebraic and geometric concepts to help them
solve relevant programming problems that they can apply to
the real world.
 Students write algebraic functions to generate art, animations,
and video games that can be shared.
 Using the Design Recipe, students will learn to
programmatically analyze and write functions to solve word
problems.
 Modules are integrated into an existing Algebra course
Inspired by
MSM Curriculum Overview
 9 Areas of focus
 Videogames and Coordinate Planes
 Contracts, Strings and Images
 Function Definition
 The Design Recipe
 Game Animation
 Boolean Operators and Comparison
 Conditionals Piecewise Functions
 The Distance Formula
 Project Presentation and Celebration
http://code.org/curriculum/msm
Middle School Science
Overview
 Introduction of computer science practices and
concepts to be implemented into existing science
courses in the context of life, physical, and earth
science
 Uses computer science as a tool to more deeply
explore STEM concepts while addressing course
standards
 Lesson resources are aligned to the Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS)
Curriculum Overview
 4 Modules, each consisting of five or more lessons
 Computer Modeling and Simulations
 Earth Science
 Life Science
 Physical Science
http://code.org/curriculum/mss
MS Blended PD: 3 phases, 12 months
 Spring:
Online knowledge building and pedagogy
reflection up to ~ 2 hours
 Summer: In-person workshop (Math 3 days, Science 3 days)
 School Year: Online community and in-person
workshops (~ 10 hours online , 2 days in person)
Exploring Computer
Science
 Introductory computer science course
 3 Strands
 Equity
 Inquiry
 Computer Science Concepts
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Uses Computational Practices and Problem Solving
6 Units of Study
Year long course
Mapped to national academic standards NGSS & CCS ,
national computing standards CSTA & ISTE and
California and Illinois state standards (Math/ELA/CTE)
Computational Practices gained
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Analyze the effects of developments in computing
Design and implement creative solutions and artifacts
Apply abstractions and models
Analyze their computational work and the work of others
Communication computational thought processes,
procedures, and results to others
 Collaborate with peers on computing activities
ECS Curriculum Overview
 Six Units of Study, six weeks each
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Unit 1 Human Computer Interaction
Unit 2 Problem Solving
Unit 3 Web Design
Unit 4 Introduction to Programming
Unit 5 Computing Data Analysis
Unit 6 Robotics
www.exploringcs.org
Computer Science
Principles
 AP Computer Science course
 Rigorous, engaging and approachable
 Explores the big, foundational ideas of computing
 7 Big Ideas
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Creativity
Abstraction
Data
Algorithms
Programming
Internet
Impact
 Uses a Connecting Theme: Internet and Innovation to
provide a narrative arc for the course
 Official Exam is set for 2016-2017 with an exam and
portfolio-based assessment
 http://code.org/educate/curriculum
HS Blended PD: 4 phases, 15 months
 Spring:
Online knowledge building and pedagogy
reflection (~2 hours)
 Summer: In-person workshop (5 days in-person)
 School: Online community and in-person workshops
(~ 12 hours online, 4 days in-person)
 Summer: In-person reflection and follow-up (3 days in-person)
Celebrate - Hour of Code
• Started with a simple idea: Can we get every school in
the US to at least try one hour of code for their
students?
• External Call to Action: 10 million students to take an
Hour of Code online
• Internal Goal: 3 million will actually do it.
Participate in the Hour of Code
The website is http://hourofcode.com
December 7-13, 2015
Plugged lesson http://studio.code.org/hoc/1
Unplugged lesson
Contact Information
Nicole Reitz-Larsen - Code.org
nicole@code.org
Jane Margolis – ECS
margolis@ucla.edu
Julie Flapan – ACCESS and ECS
flapan@gseis.ucla.edu
Alliance for California Computing Education
for Students and Schools