The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports ECEP through its Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance (BPC-A) program. The ECEP Alliance seeks to increase the number and diversity of students in the pipeline to computing and computing-intensive degrees by supporting state-level computing education reforms. Through interventions, pathways, partnerships and models that drive state-level computing education change, ECEP supports states as they work to align their state efforts with the national vision of computer science for all.
The ECEP Alliance includes 22 states – Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington – and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
ECEP is a collective impact alliance dedicated to increasing equitable capacity for, access to, participation in, and experiences of computing education. ECEP state leaders focus on building and sustaining K-12 CS education ecosystems that systematically identify and address disparities in opportunities, outcomes and representation in computing education. To achieve sustained, systems-level change in a state, ECEP leaders focus on implementing policies, pathways, and practices that advance equity at scale.
Funded by NSF since 2012, ECEP is a nationally recognized leader in equity-focused computer science education research and policy. ECEP is headquartered within The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center’s (TACC) Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC) unit. TACC, in partnership with Co-PIs from UT Austin’s College of Education, Indiana University Bloomington, The University of California at Irvine, and the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center serves as the backbone organization for ECEP, facilitating communications and services.
ECEP Welcomes Andrea Wilson-Vazquez as its new Deputy Director
Andrea Wilson Vazquez joined the ECEP Alliance as the Deputy Director. Andrea will be working to support the ECEP Alliance's mission to increase the number and diversity of students in computing and computing-intensive pathways by developing and facilitating ECEP services and resources for state and national CS education leaders.
ECEP Seeking New Member States
The ECEP Alliance is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Applications for new state membership in ECEP. Currently, ECEP consists of 22 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. Supported by funding from Google.org and NSF, ECEP will be adding seven additional states to the Alliance. Interested states must submit a membership application.
ECEP New Positions
We wanted to go big for the 2022 Computer Science Education Week. In 2022, ECEP turned 10! With 10 years of experience in building state-level capacity to address the lack of diversity in K-16 computer science and computing pathways, we are building towards the future of computer science education. In order to meet the needs of states working to address systemic barriers, the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance is hiring!
ECEP Launches a New Tool for State Change Efforts
Surveying the landscape of computer science education is a key stage in ECEP’s 5 Stage Model for State Change. As of 2022, 65% of our states have produced at least one landscape report. These reports help states identify not just data but other resources to develop strategic plans that drive CS education policy and advocacy efforts.
The latest version of the State of Computer Science Education report is now available! This multi-year partnership continues to drive advocacy and policy work of every ECEP state. The 2022 State of Computer Science Report highlights the collaborative efforts of national organizations and state level change makers through national trends, and maps identifying gaps and opportunities.
Download the report now to learn more about the current state of computer science education across our country.
