Organizing Policy Enhances Computer Science Education Movement in NYC and Beyond

with CSforALL’s Executive Director, Dr. Leigh Ann DeLyser

Computer Science for ALL’s (CSforALL) work started in New York City in 2012, when a high school teacher and a venture capitalist, Fred Wilson, envisioned a non-selective public high school of software engineering. The school, Academy for Software Engineering, became a proof of concept that computer science could and should be a fundamental literacy for all students. From just that one high school, 20 additional programs were launched in the surrounding area, leading to a professional development program that touched 12,000 students across the city. Today, the program is serving 160,000 students in New York with computer science courses. 

“Computer Science education needs to be recognized as a fundamental component  of the education system. It can bring in resources from vast and diverse organizations, experts, and researchers,” said Dr. DeLyser.

In 2016, CSforALL had the opportunity to join the national computer science conversation. They submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund the CSforALL Consortium, an organization focused on building a national community and movement around computer science education in which thousands of individuals and organizations working to grow the computer science footprint could learn from each other, set high quality standards, hold each other accountable, and celebrate progress. The $300,000 NSF grant, allowed CSforALL to build the technical infrastructure and human project management for the community’s mission to build high quality computer science education. 

Policymaking at the Forefront

As CSforALL looks ahead to their 2030 goals, they are focusing on the major challenges the CS education community will face over the next 10 years, including the fact that, in the previous decade, CS education has focused on students and teachers, and not on the whole ecosystem. 

“While that works well in an environment of early adopters, if we are really going to impact every student, we need to get the systems on board. We need the policy changes,” said Dr. DeLyser, “We need to help school districts to see CS not as an elective, but as a critical part of every child's education is a priority.” The organization is also looking at ways to encourage schools of education to prepare educators who can teach computer science, whether in an interdisciplinary classroom or as a standalone class. Over the next five years, the CSforALL team will focus on building energy in the education systems to support these efforts.

Leverage Existing Policy for New Programs

Solving the policy challenge is no easy feat, given the entrenchment of current systems. But Dr. DeLyser says leveraging existing education policy to support computer science education projects has been a successful strategy.

One example that CSforALL’s connection-making work is an initiative called JROTC-CS Demonstration Project. It’s a collaboration between US Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) HQ and CSforALL that aims to connect computer science education around cyber security to JROTC programs across the United States. 

JROTC Cadets

“We tied a policy priority of the US military to increase the cyber security talent, both for military and civilian applications, to JROTC programs in a way that will give access to students who are participating in the program.” Participating students, Dr. DeLyser says, will take computer science courses, get credit for those courses within their program, and be able to either do internships or compete in cyber security competitions as a way to further learning. “This program expands the way that these JROTC cadets could serve in the military, if they choose to do so, while giving them a highly desirable skill if they choose to pursue college and private industry instead.” 

Another example in CSforALL’s work with school districts is their work to leverage the fact that every single school district has requirements for teachers around ongoing professional learning. The organization has helped school districts use those policies to ensure teachers can explore computer science professional learning. 

Computer Science Prepares the Solvers

“We don't think the goal is to only make more software engineers,” Dr. DeLyser explains, acknowledging that, though it’s a likely byproduct of CSforALL’s work, the organization’s true goal is to think about preparing the solvers, students, who are going to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

“In a modern society, these solvers need to consider the role of technology in solutions, they should know what technology can and cannot do. They might have ideas for an app that can help track homeless people in the city, thereby giving resources a better understanding of how to concentrate their efforts.” The idea of computer science for all, Dr. DeLyser emphasizes, isn't about software engineering for all. It is about understanding CS as a fundamental tool of society, and a tool to address problems and challenges. 

“We believe CS is a fundamental literacy. In the modern day workforce if you don't have a fundamental understanding of computers, and how they impact the world, business, and society it's going to be very difficult to compete against others who do. We know that the students who have been traditionally left behind in education or even further behind in computer science education, and it's on us to help close that gap.”

Empowering All Teachers to be CS Educators

For a teacher, Dr. DeLyser says, it can be tempting to leave computer science in the “technology box,” to silo it and leave it to teachers and classrooms where it’s the specific focus. But she argues that practice does a disservice to students. 

“The whole justification of a liberal arts education is to get a well-rounded education that allows the ability to participate in society meaningfully. And without computer science as a component, our education system is not creating those well-rounded individuals. Dr. DeLyser says CSforALL hear’s teachers say, “it's too hard. It’s not what I can do. I can't do computer science,” which has led to a greater focus on targeting appropriate grade level standards for computer science education. 

CS for All also works to create spaces for teachers and other stakeholders to meet and collaborate on the difficult CS education issues. The organization is continually working to find ways to lift up examples from the CS community by engaging voices through the national CSforALL Summit, or through  CSforALL hosted community communication outlets, or through research.