Computer Science Partnerships
Increasing computer science learning opportunities
The Computer Science Partnerships project aims to develop computer science teachers for rural Georgia. The project seeks to build evidence-based understandings about the challenges associated with increasing the number and diversity of grades 6 through 12 computer science teachers and their leadership potential for rural school systems.
This project includes partnerships with Ben Hill County Schools, Bleckley County Schools, Coastal Plains Regional Education Service Agency, Evans County Schools, Heart of Georgia Regional Education Service Agency, Jeff Davis County Schools, Okefenokee Regional Education Service Agency, Tattnall County Schools, Treutlen County Schools, Wheeler County Schools, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.
Our goals include:
- Conduct a needs assessment to determine the infrastructure needed to support computer science instruction in rural school systems and interest among exemplary and certified grades 6 through 12 STEM teachers to pursue computer science teaching and leadership opportunities
- Investigate recruitment, preparation, and support processes pertinent to computer science teaching and leadership
- Implement a computer science master teacher endorsement track within the College of Education that is based on understandings of computer science teaching and leadership and the needs of rural schools developed through activities aligned with the project’s first two goals.
The intellectual merit of the project resides in the process of evidence-based decision making that will be utilized to design a model computer science teacher endorsement track to support the computer science knowledge and leadership development of teachers from other STEM teaching fields. The project’s broader impact is its potential to increase computer science learning opportunities for students in South Georgia’s rural, high-need school systems by utilizing well-prepared teachers.