Computer Science for All: Developing a Computer Science Endorsement Program for Teachers

With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Capacity Building project at DePaul University aims to serve the local need for computer science (CS) teachers. It will do so by building capacity to develop a CS endorsement program that can provide teachers with formal CS teaching credentials. Recognizing the importance of computer skills to prepare students for career opportunities, Chicago Public Schools, a project partner, has developed an ambitious Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative. CS4All requires that all students in Chicago Public Schools complete a year-long CS course as a high school graduation requirement. Currently, it is estimated that 75% of CS instructors are teaching out-of-subject. As a result, Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third largest school district, does not have enough qualified CS teachers to meet the CS4All goals. DePaul University, which has two of the most prominent CS and education programs in the state of Illinois, will partner with Chicago Public Schools to enable the school system to meet the pressing need for qualified CS teachers. In an increasingly technological, computer-driven world, the United States needs more people who enter the workforce with the skills needed for twenty-first century careers. This project expects to contribute to filling this need by ensuring that high school graduates from Chicago Public Schools have the foundational computer science skills that will prepare them for these careers. The central goal of this project is to establish the infrastructure for a computer science program that has the potential to prepare hundreds of teachers. Those teachers, in turn, will work with thousands of students in Chicago Public Schools and those students will graduate from high school better prepared for college and with the tools necessary for twenty-first century careers. To accomplish these goals, this project will work to develop a CS teacher endorsement program at DePaul University that will prepare teachers with formal CS qualifications to educate students in Chicago Public Schools. CS officials at Chicago Public Schools will partner with Education and CS faculty at DePaul to develop the courses and overall framework for the endorsement program. To inform this effort, project personnel will conduct online and face-to-face interviews with DePaul students and CS professionals in the Chicago area to determine critical components that must be included in a state-of-the-art CS curriculum. Project personnel will also obtain input about the needs of students from Chicago Public School teachers who, despite the barriers, have obtained a CS endorsement. With its established online learning infrastructure, DePaul will investigate the possibility of developing an online curriculum, that could increase access to the endorsement program by removing the barrier of commuting to campus. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.