Committed to serving as a national hub for broadening participation in computing (BPC), the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance held its annual virtual summit, ECEP Connect, on October 17th. 

At the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, we’ve dedicated two recent ECEP Alliance call agendas to building and rebuilding diverse state teams. To tackle the complex challenge of broadening participation in computing (BPC) education at the state level, the ECEP Alliance relies on coordinated and multi-sector state teams. There are two key aspects of ECEP’s 5-Stage Model for State Change that identify the need for and value of coordinated state teams: 1) Finding leaders and change agents; and 2) Gathering and organizing allies to establish goals and develop strategic plans. ECEP places significant value on the team model for …

Since 2012, the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance has emerged as a pivotal force in the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) landscape. By serving as a central locus for BPC efforts, ECEP has underscored the importance of collective impact in driving equitable computer science education policies, programs, and practices. This collaborative approach harnesses the strengths of multiple stakeholders to effect systemic change, ensuring that diverse perspectives and expertise are leveraged to address the complex challenges in computing education.

The ECEP (Expanding Computing Education Pathways) Alliance co-located its annual Summit in May with the Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT) Conference in Atlanta.

A primary goal of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance is to serve as a locus, connecting the national CSEd community in conversations that drive broadening participation in computing (BPC). This spring and summer, ECEP has doubled down on that role by collaborating with other national organizations to host events that bring together diverse constituencies in the service of BPC.

ECEP leadership is pleased to announce Dr. Jaqueline McCune as Deputy Director of the Alliance and Dr. Delores Rice as our new Research Associate. Dr. Rice and Dr. McCune will support our mission of broadening participation in computing (BPC) education pathways for the 29 ECEP states and the territory of Puerto Rico and help ECEP to serve as a national hub for BPC efforts across the country.

As many of us are hunkering down for winter, ECEP Summit season is in full blaze. In November and December this year, states like North Carolina, Florida, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Oregon, and Pennsylvania hosted computer science (CS) education summits. What are State CS Summits? These are launchpad convenings organized by state education policymakers, educators, and advocates passionate about advancing computer science education for the students in their states. Hosting a State CS Summit is a pivotal step in the ECEP How to Change a State Model, as they help to gather and catalyze allies, promote equity and …

The State of CS Education Report is one resource for understanding the national CS education landscape and formulating actionable strategies. ECEP encourages states to leverage data to understand their unique needs, articulate their state-specific narratives emphasizing the importance of broadening participation in computing, and propel both local and national K-12 CS education objectives forward. ECEP does this primarily through the Common Metrics project, a collaborative that engages teams in data gathering, data analysis, data reporting, and data utilization that leads to an increase in evidence-based BPC advocacy, policy development, and implementation.

As you and your organizations sift through the State …

The Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance (ECEP), Code.org, and the Computer Science Teachers Association today released the 2023 State of Computer Science Education. Published annually, the report provides comprehensive analysis of national progress in computer science education, featuring national and state-level policy and implementation data with a focus on equity and diversity.

Building equitable pathways and broadening participation in K-12 computing for the “missing millions,” a concept coined to represent the number of people missing from STEM and CS pathways and careers as estimated by the National Science Foundation and the National Science Board, is at the …

Dedicated to our mission of broadening participation in computing, the ECEP Alliance hosted our inaugural ECEP Connect Virtual Summit on September 27, 2023, to provide all states with the opportunity to leverage ECEP resources and its network of state and national leaders in computer science education.

Our virtual event drew more than 100 attendees, representing 41 US states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and international participants interested in increasing the number and diversity of students in K-12 computing and computer science education. The virtual summit was open to non-member states and showcased the resources, networking opportunities, and best practices available …