Expanding Computer Science Access by Studying the Impact of AP CS Principles Curriculum

This lightning talk describes the effort to expand access to computer science at IDEA Public Schools, with a goal of 33% of students enrolling in computer science before graduation. The primary driver of this effort is a 30-school randomized control trial (RCT) that is studying the impact of Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles curriculum from Code.org and The Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC). Each school has each been assigned, at random, either Code.org or BJC and will use the assigned curriculum for a period of 3 years while the impact is evaluated. The 2021-2022 school year is the first year of this program. As a means of providing support to teachers and schools, a district-level computer science manager is creating and curating resources, including pacing guides, unit plans, exam reviews, and topic videos. In addition to the provider-facilitated summer trainings, the district provides a 3-day new-teacher content training, quarterly full-day course collaboration sessions, and bi-weekly one-hour support webinars, all focusing on AP Computer Science Principles. Further, four course leaders, current teachers with proven track records of success have been assigned to facilitate professional development and provide informal coaching to our cohort. The need for schools to competently implement the Code.org or BJC curriculum as part of the 30-school RCT has been the key factor in deciding the depth of support to provide for the AP CS Principles program.