Review and

Recommendation for PUSD K-

12 Computer Science
Education
January 2014
Today's Agenda- Computer Science/Education
Technology Review
1. Sign- In: http://goo.gl/7Xsm6x
2. Background/History
3. Computer Science Review Process
4. Next Steps
5. CS Crisis and Current Status at PHS
6. The Standards
7. Current Scope and Sequence
8. Review and Suggestions from Staff
9. Gallery Responses
10.Next Steps


Back Channel:

https://todaysmeet.com/dtac


Background/History
2001- Logo classes taught as part of first grade math curriculum at Beach
discontinued

2010/11- AP Comp Science cancelled at PHS due to low enrollment

2011- Parent passes on Association of Computing Machinery's Model Curriculum for K-12
Computer Science

2011- PHS proposes and gets approved new CS class, Joy of Computing

2012- PHS offers Joy of Computing working with UCB, to attract students to CS

2012/13- Instructional Technology Plan rewritten, includes review of K-12 scope and sequence



Background/History
June 2013 - Parent group shares "Thoughts on Computer Science" deck with Assistant Sup and Instructional
Technology Coordinator

Sum/Fall 2013 - Major infrastructure improvements in technology applied district wide. Improve
instructional environment for all, and provide foundation for implementing 1-1
learning model.

2013/14- Female enrollment in AP Computer Science up 58% from previous year.

2013/14- District begins review of technology instruction K-12

Nov 1 Computer Science Teachers Assoc. (CSTA) standards distributed and analysis of current practice
to standards begins





Computer Science Review Process
Nov 13- Instructors of technology, CS and Ed Tech, gathered to review program(s). First
gathering in at least 16 years (no recollection of mtg in institutional knowledge)

Dec 9- David Ragones presents slide deck on CS trends in the US to PUSD staff, students, school
board members and Parent Club liaisons, and discussion follows.

Dec 9-15- Hour of Code Week, over 1250 students in district participate.

Dec 11- Technology Coordinators reviewed DTAC discussion

Jan 6- Technology Coordinators, participating CS teachers, & PHS principal review
computer program to develop recommendations for further discussion






Process and Next Steps
Jan 21- Review and discuss Computer Science instruction at DTAC

Feb 5- "Tech Summit" with community, staff and administration

Spring '14 Present Computer Science review process and outcomes to School Board

Ongoing Support professional development and material (hw/sw/curriculum) needs to
implement decisions

Ongoing As part of annual Instructional Technology Plan review, gather data on any initiative's
impact on student learning
Code.org and others
Concerned about a decline in Computer Science in high schools
in the US, while demand for computer scientists increases...


http://code.org/images/cs-stats/2012-hs-ap-enrollment.png
National Data









26%

15%
Comp Sci-
26% Female!
National average
15% female

PHS AP enrollment
numbers do not
follow national
trends
PHS Data
2013 enrollment
National Trends for CS AP Exam Low
National Trend matches data in California

In California, less than 1 percent of all advanced placement exams
taken in 2011 were in computer science.
http://www.exploringcs.org/resources/cs-statistics

~10% of all PHS
test takers take CS
AP exam

vs US 0.69%

PHS does not reflect US/CA Trends
PHS Female Enrollment
Upward
numbers in
female
enrollment


Smaller smaples

Not 50/50 at PMS

Developmental
age when many
girls "check out"
of
math/science/
technology etc
PMS Female Enrollment
PHS began reworking CS in 2010-11
partnered with UC Berkeley and National Science
Foundation to design and pilot new CS course to address
CSTA standards.
o Joy of Computing class, addressing concepts of CS in an object-
oriented environment
o replaced Intro to Programming
o explicit goal of class to address gender/minorities enrollments by
addressing CSTA standards beyond semantics of coding
hired female teacher in computer department
In Summary
Piedmont is currently above
national average in:
AP exams attempts
AP exam attempts in relation
to other subjects
female enrollment
percentage in CS courses
addressing model CS
curriculum endorsed by
CSTA and NSF


And we have work to do to
attract more female students,
and meet all students' needs
in computer literacy.



Goal
Ultimately our goal is to prepare
students for college and career
in the 21st century.

21st century shift well summed up by Marc
Andreessen (the inventor of Netscape)

"The spread of computers and the Internet will
put jobs in two categories: People who tell
computers what to do, and people who are
told by computers what to do."
ISTE Standards (formerly NETS)
current guideline standards in
PUSD Instructional Technology
Plan
International Society for
Technology in Education: ISTE
National Educational Technology
Standards NETS
revised 2007
use tech as a tool skills-
transferable skills


http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/iste-standards.jpg
CSTA Standards
Computer Science Teachers Association
Focus
o Elementary and Middle school- problem solving &
computational thinking
o High school- computing & computer science
o College- enrollment & transition
o Industry- engagement & preparation
2011 Standards address:
o an approach to, and the principles of, the computer
science discipline
o the specific content and skills of computer science
o contend that understanding of principles of CS will benefit
all students in the future
http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/K12Standards.htm
l
Other Models?
ITEEA Standards (International Technology and
Engineering Educators Association)

Standards for Technological Literacy
more aligned with design, industry, and STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math)
Engineering by Design

Will review as conversation on STEM and
development of Next Gen Science Standards

http://www.iteea.org/TAA/Publications/TAA_Pub_Im
ages/STL_180w_231h_NoMar.jpg
Standards Compared
ISTE CSTA
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and
Decision Making
Creativity and Innovation
Computational Thinking
Communication and Collaboration Collaboration
Digital Citizenship Community, Global and Ethical Impacts
Technology Operations and Concepts Computing Practice and Programming
Computer and Communication Devices
Research and Information Fluency
CSTA Standards
CSTA created K-12 Model Curriculum:
"The Model Curriculum was a response to the view that computer science education is
not clearly defined or well-established at the K-12 level. A national computer science
curriculum which stabilizes the objectives and content of high school CS"

Developed curriculum pathways based on 3 grade levels bands, with some
interpretations as how the grade levels should group


Two Models with Grade Levels
CSTA Model Curriculum, 2003. pg 7 CSTA K-12 Standards, 2011. pg 8
Level 1 K-6 (or sometimes K-8)
Level I (recommended for grades K6) provides elementary school students with
foundational concepts in computer science by integrating basic skills in
technology with simple ideas about algorithmic thinking.

The Level I standards largely paraphrase the International Society for Technology in
Educations National Education Technology Standards but have been augmented
to include computational/algorithmic thinking concepts at lower grades to help
provide the foundation for further study of computer science in secondary
education.

These standards can be addressed either in discrete computing courses or by
adding short modules to existing science, mathematics, and social studies
courses.




CSTA suggested course progression/PUSD
Computer Lab and
embedded classroom
Parent club sponsored
after school enrichment
classes in CS topics
More aligned with CS Standards

More aligned with educational technology needs
Level 2 6-9 (or sometimes 9-10)
Level 2 curriculum standards assume students have already
been introduced to computational thinking concepts of data representation,
algorithms, and problem solving;
had experience using technology tools and resources for learning, creating digital
artifacts, and collaborating.
learned about the many careers that use computing and technology, standard
input/output devices and computers, basic computer terminology, and the
principles of acting responsibly and ethically when using computers
independently and working with others.
Level 2 6-9 (or sometimes 9-10)
Level 2 Middle school students begin using computational thinking as a problem-
solving tool. Students begin to experience computational thinking as a means of
addressing issues relevant, not just to them, but to the world around them. The
learning experiences should:
be relevant to the students
promote their perceptions of themselves as proactive and empowered problem
solvers.
be designed with a focus on active learning and exploration.
include collaborative learning experiences to prepare students to work in teams
and to build supportive partnerships.




CSTA suggested course progression/PUSD
Computer Lab and
embedded classroom
6th gr
wheel,
req., 18
days

7th/8th sem.
electives
Computer Arts
& Graphics,
Animation
Parent club sponsored
after school enrichment
classes in CS topics
More aligned with CS Standards

More aligned with educational technology needs
Level 3 9-12
Level 3 is divided into three discrete courses. Students will learn advanced computer
science concepts and apply those concepts to develop virtual and real-world
artifacts.
The learning experiences created from these standards should focus on
the exploration of real-world problems,
the application of computational thinking to the development of problem
solutions,
and the interconnections between computer science and other academic
subjects.


Level 3 9-12
Level 3 includes the following course levels:

3A: Computer Science in the Modern World (MW)
3B: Computer Science Principles (CP)
3C: Topics in Computer Science (TO)


CSTA suggests course 3A Computer Science in the Modern World
as a prerequisite to the other courses.
is built around the essential skills that all high school students should
have upon graduation
be required of all students
CSTA suggested course progression/PUSD
Joy of Computing
AP Computer Sci
Web Design/Prog.
Computer Lab and
embedded classroom
6th gr
wheel
req. 18
days

7th/8th sem.
electives
Computer Arts
& Graphics,
Animation
Parent club sponsored
after school enrichment
classes in CS topics
Computer Applications
More aligned with CS Standards

More aligned with educational technology needs
Review & Suggestions from Computer Teachers
On January 6th a group of computer teachers and
administrators met to review Computer Science in PUSD.
Nathan Mattix, Jana Branisa, Brent Daniels, Stephanie Griffin, Karma Roberts,
Adam Saville, Louisa Cheung, Val Jew,

Began discussing district data and the
current offerings and scope in technology
CSTA standards
current K-12 technology lessons and benchmarks, vis vis CSTA Standards
PHS computer requirement
impact of planned 1:1 implementation on edtech and CS


Staff Recommendations/Findings for K-12
adopt the CSTA Computer Science standards as
content guidelines K-12 to ensure all students gain
foundational CS understandings as a subject area

continue to use ISTE-NETS as performance
standards (what kids should be able to do) across all
subjects, using digital tools and working in a digital
world




K-12 Recommendations
Advocate for computational thinking
by adopting
"critical and computational thinking"
descriptor instead of just critical
thinking

computational
thinking is a
method of problem
solving using
higher order
thinking skills such
as abstraction,
patterns,
algorithms, and
decomposition,
which can be aided
by computing
devices
K-5 Recommendations
adopt CSTA Level I Standards as
computer content standards
add lessons that address standards
identified from ISTE/CSTA gap analysis
refine current lessons to reflect academic
language of CSTA and Common Core
coordinate with parent clubs to support
after school offerings in CS and
computational thinking topics









CSTA Computer Science Standards (Revised 2011) pg. 10 The CSTA
Standards Task Force
http://www.csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/CSTA_K-
12_CSS.pdf




K-5 Recommendations
http://www.bee-
bot.us/media/catalog/product/cache/2/image/650x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/c/l/
class_bundle.jpg

Add CS lessons addressing standards identified from gap
analysis

K-2
o hands-on- bee-bots
o tablet apps - bee-bot app, Daisy the Dinosaur,
o lab/online - turtle pond, CS unplugged
o classroom- Computational Thinking, CS unplugged








CSTA Computer Science Standards (Revised 2011) pg. 10 The CSTA Standards Task Force
http://www.csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/CSTA_K-12_CSS.pdf




K-5 Recommendations
Add CS lessons addressing standards
identified from gap analysis
3-5
o hands-on - robotics and virtual robotics,
Pro-bots, Green City Lego Mindstorm sets,
o lab/online - code.org, Tynker, Scratch,
Sketch-up
o classroom- Computational Thinking, CS
Unplugged










CSTA Computer Science Standards (Revised 2011) pg. 10 The CSTA Standards
Task Force http://www.csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/CSTA_K-
12_CSS.pdf




6-8 Recommendations
Review and realign offerings to better address CSTA
and ISTE standards
work towards increased gender balance in 7th/8th
grade electives
Work closely with administration and faculty at PMS,
MHS and PHS to identify needs, possible solutions, and
articulation between schools
investigate a capstone activity
o science fair, innovation day, makers' fair, etc






6-8 Recommendations
change 6th grade wheel from productivity/keyboarding skills to more CS
aligned sessions
o digital citizenship in the tween/teen years (Ignition from Everfi)
o computing hardware and troubleshooting
o visual programming language (Tynker, Scratch)
o database and large data in Excel
o robotic activity
o game design
Consider other scheduling options
goal
o to expose all students to CS concepts and missing ISTE skills
o build interest in continuing in a CS related elective in 7th/8th
6-8 Recommendations
further analyse 7th/8th grade electives options as part of Computer
Science scope and sequence
o are they feeder classes into high school computer science or art
program?
visit other school programs
attend conferences on middle school computer science topics
work with curriculum leaders to address role of electives in STEM/STEAM
planning
Ideas for Improving CS Outcomes 9-12
outreach at incoming 9th grade parent orientation meeting
o currently CS is represented by math dept.
o CS should present on their own and be their own advocate
counseling recruitment - tactic identified in case study*
direct recruitment - tactic identified in case study*
build gender balance experiences at PMS
build interest in K-8 program


*Cultivating a Computer Science Community: A Case Study. SIGCSE13, March 69, 2013, Denver, Colorado, USA. Copyright 2013




9-12 Goals
continue building gender balance with the goal of 50/50
gender balance in AP Computer Science in three years (2017)

Adapt/develop course(s) that would fulfill meaningful
criterions for a computer graduation requirement
9-12 Goal
continue to adapt CS course offerings at PHS
o include options in Level 3 Topics in CS
o consider offering Joy of Computing as a semester to funnel students into a
CS option to fulfill computer requirement (and attract more girls)
o consider requiring 10 units of computer/technology for HS graduation to
encourage more breadth and CS
o consider offering a "Computers and in the Modern World" survey course as
grad requirement type course
o continue to discussion/review the course offerings to improve gender
balance





In Summary
We will use the CSTA Model Curriculum to shape the K-12
experience so that every student will:
have a foundation in the principles of Computer Science and
Computational Thinking
be able to transfer CS skills and knowledge to other pursuits as citizens in
the 21st century
dispel misconceptions about CS and illuminate career paths that use CS
have a options to pursue CS pathways at the secondary school level

Next Steps
Review stakeholder input
Feb 5th- Digital Learning Day Tech Summit
Site visits?
Los Altos School District
The Girls' Middle School
The Harker School
Continued curriculum review
Community Action