February 3, 2012
The California Computing Education Advocacy Network (CCEAN) released a report today entitled In Need of Repair: The State of K-12 Computer Science Education in California as an initial response to a “call-for-action” by the Computer Science Teachers Association. CCEAN consists of computer science education leaders from the K-12, community college and university level including teachers, administrators, professors and researchers, along with California educational policy staff, including from the California Department of Education. CCEAN is working to address the need for educational policy changes and educational reform regarding computer science education in California.
The report describes the general K-12 education landscape in California as a foundation and provides details related to the current computer science education landscape, including but not limited to: computer science courses available to students, credentialing of computer science teachers, professional development opportunities for educators, and funding opportunities related to the support of computer science education.
This effort represents a remarkable collaboration between educators working together in the K-20 public school system to transform computer science instruction. The initial success of members of CCEAN is apparent in the award-winning Exploring Computer Science (ECS) course that was developed in partnership with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Los Angeles Unified School District. ECS offers high schools a “college and career solution” to engage underrepresented populations. ECS is a year-long course, consisting of six units. ECS is designed to introduce students to the foundational, creative, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and problem-solving nature of computer science.
ECS is a perfect “foundational” course for all students to prepare for college and careers by learning 21st Century skills. It provides engaging activities to foster project and team collaboration, and has the rigor to prepare students for advanced placement computer science instruction. It is an excellent “gateway” course for students who are interested in the high-paying careers found in the Information and Communications Technologies Sector. Teachers report they enjoy this course and find the daily lesson plans helpful. The full curriculum is free.
Gail Chapman, UCLA, is the ECS Director of National Outreach and co-author of the ECS curriculum. Gail is presenting at the Educating for Careers Conference in Sacramento on February 14th from 1:15pm – 2:30pm in room 306. The presentation title: Swimming in the Deep Water is a reflection of the progress that has been made after research found the number of African Americans and Latino/as receiving undergraduate and advanced degrees in computer science is disproportionately low. Stuck in the Shallow End is a story of how inequality is reproduced in America and how students and teachers, given the necessary tools, can change the system. This book was the recipient of the 2009 American Association of Publishers Prose Award in Education.