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Calling on Math Teachers to Teach Computer Science

2024 TCMEA Annual Conference

Suffern High School

March 2, 2024

Ellen Falk, North Salem High School

Jessica Guthrie, Middletown High School

Jim Matthews, Siena College

Robin Flatland, Siena College

Work supported by NSF Grant #1923378

Siena CSforAll Website

bit.ly/SienaCSforAll

View this Slide Deck

https://bit.ly/49P6MzW

Slide deck for Ten County on March 2.

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Why is it important to teach CS in high school?

Who will teach CS?

What are the NYS CS & DF Learning Standards?

When does the state expect the standards to be met?

How can the standards be met?

Where can you get support?

Questions For Today

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Please fill out the yellow pages for us to collect!

You and Your High School

(School Capacity Questions)

Page 1

Questions 1-7

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Please fill out the yellow pages for YOU to review!

Your Students and their Future

(Capacity, Access, and Participation)

Page 2

Q 8-15

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CS in High School

(Page 2)

What percent of students take a HS math course?

100%

What percent of students take a HS science course?

100%

What percent of students take a HS CS course?

4.7%

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Only half of all US high schools offer computer science

Accessed 10/22/2022, Source

Only

51%

of US high schools offer computer science

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64% of NY high school students attend a school that offers a foundational CS course.

Only 3.4% of NY high school students are enrolled in a foundational CS course

Accessed 9/26/22, Source

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8

Accessed 10/22/2022, Image Source, Data Source

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Why is it important to teach CS in high school?

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Accessed 09/26/2022, Source

Growing Job Market

Accessed 10/22/22, Image Source

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We need to get our high school curriculum into the 1990s!

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A Fermi problem: How many CS teachers are needed in NYS?

How many K-12 students are there in NYS?

~2,600,000

How many students per grade?

200,000

If each student takes 1 CS course in HS, how many students is that per year?

200,000

How many courses are needed per year if there are 20 students per class?

10,000

How many CS teachers are needed if each one teaches 5 classes?

2000

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A Fermi problem: How many CS teachers are needed in NYS?

How many CS teachers are needed?

~2,000

How many CS certified teachers are there in NYS?

~0

How many NYS universities have Math certification programs?

~90

How many NYS universities have CS certification programs?

~7

Nationally in a recent 2 year period, how many have been certified in Math? CS?

~11,000 math certified ~120 CS certified

Who will teach CS classes for our students for the next 1 to 20 years?

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Who will teach CS?

Advanced Local Capacity

(Advanced NYS Capacity Questions)

Page 3

Q 16-26

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Who Will Be Our Leaders?

What subject is most closely aligned with CS?

Math

CS relies on numerous applications of what subject?

Math

Which teachers should uphold standards for CS courses that satisfy mathematics graduation requirements?

Math

Teachers from what subject area will most enjoy teaching CS?

Math

SO, WHO WILL LEAD?

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“Teaching CS has led me to become an advocate for creating a collaborative classroom space”

DREAM BIG!

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Scheduling

Staffing

Curriculum

Major Challenges

(Questions 22-23)

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Middletown’s Story

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What are the NYS Learning Standards for Computer Science?

When does the state expect the standards to be met?

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Five Key Concepts

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Accessed 10/22/22, Source

Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards, K-12

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When Will Students Be Required to Meet These Standards?

NYSED Implementation Timeline & Implementation Roadmap

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How can the standards be met?

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Discovering CS Course

High school credit course for all students grades 9-12

No experience required
Elective credit, 3rd year math or science credit

Creativity, self expression, collaboration
Course materials, optional activities, teacher’s guide
Currently offered in 22 school districts

Hands-on lab and project based

Block-based, web, and Python programming
Unplugged CS fundamentals and special topics
Career exploration; individual, community, and societal impacts
Diversity and Laws & Regulations Special Projects
Course long, reflective web-based portfolio

Striving to meet all NY CS 9-12 Learning Standards by 9/1/2024

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Discovering CS: Block Programming Sample Work

Kaleidoscope Lab

Playing with Polygons Lab

Cultural Expression Reflective Work

Sound and Animation Lab

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Discovering CS: Web Programming Sample Work

Idea Book Unit Project

Custom Calculator

Wallpaper Designs

All About Me Unit Project

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Discovering CS: Python Programming Sample Work

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CSIS110 - Intro To CS with Python & Multimedia

Has been offered since Fall 2009 at Siena
Currently being offered at 25 high schools
Curriculum map
Covers both concepts and programming
Similar in spirit to the AP CS Principles course
$200 for 3 credits, fee waived for students qualifying for free/reduced lunch

� (Siena Dual-Enrollment Course)

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CSIS110 - Intro To CS with Python & Multimedia

Conceptual Topics

Algorithms
History, Societal Impact
Data representation
Boolean logic & circuits
Hardware
Assembly & machine languages
Operating systems
Artificial intelligence

Python Programming

JES multimedia library
Images
Sounds
Animations

� (Siena Dual-Enrollment Course)

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Sample Student Work

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Logistics

Full year course
Computer (or Chromebook) for each student
Uses Replit.com Teams
Labs and programming projects done primarily in class
Curriculum materials

Robin

At the college, this course is taught in 1 semester and meets 2 hours a week for lecture and 2 hours for lab.

At the HSs, it is spread over a full year and has been taught using both daily and block scheduling.

About 5 years ago, we tried teaching this course at a HSs in half a year, but we found that that is not enough time, just like it is not enough time for AP science courses. Students were completing their programming projects outside of class time, which is a problem for beginner programmers because they have frequent questions.

With a full year, students can do their labs and the majority of their programming projects during class time, which means they have their teacher there when they have questions.

The full year also allows us to do some fun extracurricular things like preparing teams to participate in Siena’s annual high school programming contest.

Because students are doing homework during class time which is individual work, they each need their own computer.

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College Credit Details

Students can take for college credit or just high school credit
Students register after first marking period
$200 tuition fee for 3 credits
Tuition fee waived for students qualifying for free/reduced lunch

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CSIS120 - Introduction to Java Programming

Siena College CSIS120 Intro to Software Development
Similar to the AP CS A Java course
Originally piloted at Mohonasen High School; this year offered at 5 high schools
Lab and project based

� (Dual-Enrollment Course)

Robin & Maureen & Jess

The third course we offer is an introduction to Java programming, similar to the AP CS A course. We are in the process of getting this one off the ground. Mauren piloted it at her high school last year, and this year we have 5 schools offering it. It is lab and projected based, and like our other dual-enrollment course, we provide curriculum materials that teachers can use or adapt for their class.

Different from AP course in following ways (adapted from an email from Pauline):

Of the 10 AP CS A units, CSIS-120 does not address units 9 (inheritance) or 10 (recursion). However, units 9 and 10 are only covered on part 1 of the exam (multiple choice). This means that students only know how to read and evaluate code in these units; students do not have to be able to write or design their own code.

Siena’s CSIS-120 course addresses units 1-8 (i.e., primatives, objects, conditionals, iteration, classes, array, arraylist, & 2D array). Students need to be able to read, write, and design using concepts from all 8 units. Students will do 11 labs and several assignments using these concepts, which is far above the minimum 20 lab hours requirement for AP-CS-A. The CSIS-120 course also addresses these topics not covered in the AP CS-A course.

Use of constants (I couldn't find this in the exam description, but it may be there.)
Evaluating the char datatype
Number bases
Formatted printing
switch statements
Test case creation and driver classes
Enumerated types
Non-square arrays
Basic use of try-catch; throws; throw
More extensive use of the String class, Math class, wrapper classes, and ArrayList class
StringTokenizer, Random, Scanner including keyboard and file processing, PrintWriter, classes

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CSIS180 - Web Design

Design fundamentals for user friendly sites
Students build web pages with HTML/CSS
Piloted last year (22-23) at Middletown and Berlin High Schools
Lab and project based

� (Dual-Enrollment Course)

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Where Can Teachers/Schools Get Support?

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Computer Science

Preparing our scholars with 21st Century skills to find their place in a competitive economy.

CS iS Life!

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36 Current High School Partners

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Siena’s Comprehensive Support for High School CS

Developed over 10 years and supported by three NSF grants
Leverages strong college/high school partnerships
Extensive PD & full curriculum support for 4 courses:

Discovering CS (high school level)
Intro to CS with Multimedia and Python (dual-enrollment)
Intro to Java Programming (dual-enrollment)
Web Design (dual-enrollment)

Tuition scholarships for in-service teachers taking CS courses for certification
Vibrant professional learning community

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Vibrant Professional Learning Community

Teachers engage regularly through:

Shared CS curriculums
PD meetings
Taking CS courses at Siena
CS Teacher Association NY - Capital District Chapter
Annual high school programming contest

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A Few Words About Teacher Certification

CS Teacher Certification

Siena College - first approved to certify K-12 CS Teachers (October 2019)
Siena College applying to NYSED for Certificate Program for In-Service Teachers
Applications for the Statement of Continued Eligibility (SOCE)

File with SED on or before 09/01/24

Professional or Permanent Certified Teachers only
Must have taught at least one course coded as CS (BEDS PMF or SIRS) between 9/1/17 and 9/1/24
Must complete Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, Dignity for All Students Act, and School Violence Intervention and Prevention training if not previously completed
Must complete fingerprint clearance if not previously completed

Applies for 10 years from date of issuance only in the district where you worked when you applied
TEACH system started accepting applications this week!

NYSED Teacher Certification Exam Framework Draft

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New High School Partners

Welcomes all high schools
Teacher qualities

Enthusiastic
Enjoys problem solving
Loves to learn
Willing to take risks and learn along with students
CS knowledge???

Talk with us today or anytime if you are interested

Robin Flatland (flatland@siena.edu)
Jim Matthews (matthews@siena.edu)
Pauline White (pwhite@siena.edu)

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Questions?

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Contact Information

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Jim Matthews	matthews@siena.edu
Elizabeth Pegarella	pegarellae@chatham.k12.ny.us
Robin Flatland	flatland@siena.edu
Pauline White	pwhite@siena.edu