Lien Diaz

CS principles: development and evolution of a course and a community

The Computer Science Principles project is in the fourth year of a roughly eight year project to develop a new Advanced Placement course that broadens participation in computer science while providing a rigorous yet engaging academic experience that will earn college credit and/or placement. In this special session we discuss new developments in the project and share student work and instructor perspectives from those pilot programs that have been part of the project for the past two years. In previous SIGCSE special sessions we have reported on the development of the project and its relationship to a national initiative (CS10K) to broaden participation in high school computing while expanding the number of teachers educating students in high school computing and computer science. [1-3] In this session we report on the conclusion of a second year of pilots that included nine high schools partnered with eight colleges (2011-2012) and a third pilot using a new portfolio exam (2012-2013) being conducted at six schools. The second pilot included new pedagogies and a prototype exam delivered to all students in the pilot. In this session we report on results this second round of piloting; on how the pilots succeeded in reaching goals of broadening participation and delivering a course that maintained fidelity to the curricular framework of the CS Principles project.

Re-imagining the first year of computing

1. Summary The Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science program is intended to reflect enough of a common core of a first semester or year of university-level computer science so that placement or credit can be awarded for work done before college. The SIGCSE symposia have a long history of providing forums for discussing the evolution of the AP program from its inception [1] to the transition in languages from Pascal to C++ to Java [2,3,5,7,8,9]. In [15] a report on the beginning of the project we report on here was presented. This proposed special session is a report on a new direction, with the potential for widespread adoption, for a new course in computer science for high schools and colleges; a course with the potential to be a new AP course attracting a larger and more diverse audience than typical introductory programming courses. In this session we will report on the process that has led to this new direction, the potential for piloting the new course, and the need for complete disclosure and dialog that will be part of this session.

Advanced placement computer science: the future of tracking the first year of instruction

The Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science program is intended to reflect enough of a common core of a first semester or year of university-level computer science so that placement or credit can be awarded for work done before college. The SIGCSE symposia have a long history of providing forums for discussing the evolution of the AP program from its inception [1] to the transition from Pascal to C++ [3] to the transition from C++ to Java [2,5,7,8,9]. Panels related to how credit and placement are awarded have also been part of the SIGCSE conferences [4,6]. This special session is a report of the ongoing process of developing new and possible wide-ranging changes to the AP program.

Update on the CS Principles project

The CS Principles Project is a collaborative effort to develop a new introductory course in computer science, accessible to all students. Computer Science educators at all levels have worked together on the development of the new curriculum under the direction of the College Board with support from the National Science Foundation. This special session provides an opportunity for the CS Principles project leaders to report on recent updates and new directions, and to engage in discussion on all aspects of the project with SIGCSE participants

Achieving a shared goal with AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles

College Board has joined national efforts to improve the state of STEM education, in particular to address the challenge of increasing participation with a diverse population of computer scientists to meet the growing demands of the field of computing. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is pleased to endeavor in enhancing AP Computer Science offerings by maintaining college level integrity and addressing issues of equity and access for students and teachers. In addition to the established AP Computer Science A course, the AP Program is engaged in the development of a forthcoming AP Computer Science Principles course. The additional option for high school students to study college level computing will provide more students with an opportunity to be introduced to important computer science concepts, gain a broader perspective of the field of study, and have access to a larger pathway into computing. This session will review information regarding the AP Computer Science A course and will discuss plans for collecting feedback from college faculty regarding course content and approaches to programming techniques and languages. It will then discuss the new Computer Science Principles course and plans for the development and launch of the course and exam. The session will conclude with a Q&A session addressing questions regarding both courses. The session will be moderated by Lien Diaz from the AP Program at the College Board.

Social Justice and Equity in CS Education: Inaugural Launch of AP Computer Science Principles

The inaugural launch of the College Boards Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) course coincided within the same year of the announcement of CS For All, a bold national initiative that seeks to support the expansion of computer science education in America, and to empower students to learn computer science and obtain the computational thinking skills needed to thrive in todays transforming digital world. The intent of the AP CSP course supports this initiative as it aims to promote social justice and equity in computer science education. The course is designed to be appealing to a broader audience, including females and minority students, who are underrepresented in computer science, thus providing increased access and opportunity for students to study computer science at the secondary level.

The Internet, Creativity and Global Impact: Curriculum Modules for the New AP Computer Science Principles Course (Abstract Only)

This workshop focuses on content in two curriculum modules for AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) developed by the College Board. They highlight instructional approaches for teaching concepts about 1) the Internet and 2) the interplay between creative aspects of computing and impact of computing on society. The Internet module activities allow students to construct their own solutions to problems similar to some that the builders of the Internet faced. The topics in the Creativity and Global Impact module were chosen because they have rich potential for increasing interest with students, especially those from underrepresented demographics, and because they present instructional challenges for instructors new to AP CSP. Participants will learn detailed concepts addressed in the AP CSP course and will receive classroom materials from in each of the curriculum modules. These modules serve as exemplary resources for teachers.

Computer Science Principles: Expanding the Community (Abstract Only)

Computer Science Principles will become an Advanced Placement course in AY 2016-2017, with the launch of the first APCSP exam in May of 2017, with through-course assessments/performance tasks being completed by students starting at the beginning of that academic year. In this BOF we will hear from participants about their questions and concerns in anticipation of the launch of the course and exam. The BOF will be part of launching a community of practice for teachers and educators who are not part of a formal NSF project, Project Lead the Way, or Code.org whose participants may have a community of practice.

Advanced placement computer science: AP computer science a and AP computer science principles

College Board has joined national efforts to improve the state of STEM education, in particular to address the challenge of increasing participation with a diverse population of computer scientists to meet the growing demands of the field of computing. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is pleased to endeavor in enhancing AP Computer Science offerings by maintaining college level integrity and addressing issues of equity and access for students and teachers. In addition to the established AP Computer Science A course, the AP Program is engaged in the development of a forthcoming AP Computer Science Principles course. The additional option for high school students to study college level computing will provide more students with an opportunity to be introduced to important computer science concepts, gain a broader perspective of the field of study, and have access to a larger pathway into computing. This session will review information regarding the AP Computer Science A course and will discuss updated course content and exam development. It will then discuss the new Computer Science Principles course and plans for the development and launch of the course. The session will conclude with a Q&A session addressing questions regarding both courses. The session will be moderated by members of the Computer Science A and Principles Development Committees.

How AP CS A matches college courses

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program provides a framework for high school students to obtain college credit and/or placement for work done in high school. Toward this end, the College Board outlines course descriptions and organizes examinations in several dozen disciplines, including computer science. To meet its goals, each AP course must align with college courses, so students taking an AP course will master needed content Several approaches are used to monitor this connection between AP courses and college-level courses. This session will review these approaches, considering how the AP CS A course matches introductory college computer science courses.