CS Ed in US: Five Challenges and Call to Action

The UChicago OS4CS study is now finished, and they have now summarized across all the components.  The main five challenges are:

1. There is no shared understanding of what Computer Science is.

2. More comprehensive, quality, instructional resources are needed.

3. Computer science is not prioritized in schools. (An issue that I considered when explaining the lack of CS Ed in the US.)

4. There is a need for more CS teachers.

5. CS teachers are isolated.

THE “BUILDING AN OPERATING SYSTEM FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE” (OS4CS) STUDY

was designed as a collaborative research and communication effort to establish a more comprehensive understanding of our nation’s current high school computer science (CS) teaching population, the support they have, and contexts in which they teach. The OS4CS study has five major components: (1) the Professional Development (PD) Landscape Study; (2) the Teacher Capacity Study; (3) Stories from the Field; (4) the CS in Schools Study; and (5) the Design Studio. While each component of the study can be examined independently, when considered together they complement each other, providing a broad view of the issues affecting CS education as viewed through the lenses of different stakeholders. The study includes perspectives from teachers, PD providers, school administrators, community leaders, and others.

via Computer Science – Five Challenges and Call to Action – The Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education.