ECEP is proud to support the broadening participation in computing (BPC) community by releasing a new 5-stage model for state-level computer science education advocates to utilize as they scale their work.

This month, ECEP co-hosted CSEdCon, a 500-person event in which participants explored K-12 computer science pathways, developed implementation plans for their district or region, learned about CS curriculum offerings, and worked together towards advancing state-level policies. The event, spearheaded by Code.org and in partnership with ECEP and CSTA, was held on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 through Friday, September 13, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Code.org invited the ECEP Alliance and the CSTA to co-author the 2019 State of Computer Science Education Report, which focuses on state-level progress in broadening participation in computing. You can access the report here. ECEP state leadership teams are highlighted throughout.

In the fall of 2016 the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance principal investigators and co-principal investigators Rick Adiron, Mark Guzdial, Barbara Ericson, and Renee Fall put out a call to ECEP state teams with the aim of transitioning ECEP leadership. Prior to ECEP first receiving funding from the National Science Foundation, the PIs and Co-PIs worked on various broadening participation in computing efforts in Massachusetts and Georgia. Ready to pursue new research projects, they decided to seek new state leaders to continue and grow the ECEP Alliance. By late summer 2018, a new leadership team for ECEP 2.0 was …

Mark Guzdial, professor in the School of Interactive Computing in the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology, will give two public talks at UMass Amherst April 25 and 26.

Ten ECEP states will host summits on computing education this spring and summer, six of which are funded by ECEP mini-grants. Alabama, Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, and Utah will all host convenings of diverse stakeholders between March and June. For Connecticut, Nevada, and Utah, this will be their first ECEP-specific gathering focusing the agenda on broadening participation in computing. Maryland and North Carolina plan to reach new audiences with their next summits, as they continue to advance their strategic efforts. Specifically, North Carolina is hosting a summit in a rural part of the state to ensure the entire state …

ECEP co-principal investigator Barbara Ericson presented her paper, Helping Underrepresented Students Succeed in AP CSA and Beyond, along with Tom McKlin of The Findings Group, at the recent SIGCSE Technical Symposium. The paper showcases the results from an alumni study of Ericson’s Project Rise Up 4 CS program that helps underrepresented students succeed at Advanced Placement (AP) CSA.

Several ECEP Alliance members will be presenting at the 2018 SIGCSE (Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education) annual global symposium, Feb. 21-24 in Baltimore, Md. The ECEP Alliance, and the work of the alliance states, will be represented through a number of sessions, panels, workshops, papers, posters, and special sessions during the conference, which has a theme of CS For All.

The Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance held its Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga. January 26-27. The meeting gathered nearly 90 participants from 16 states and Puerto Rico. Attendees held positions in state departments of education, state boards of education, STEM centers, nonprofits, governor’s offices, universities, and schools. The theme was Measuring What Matters: Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) in the States, and the meeting focused on four strategic areas of BPC work: defining BPC, rethinking measurement systems, setting measurable goals, and building sustainable pathways.

ECEP co-principal investigator Barbara Ericson has released her analysis of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Computer Science exam data for 2017.  The analysis includes both AP CSA and AP CS Principles (CSP). The data show growth in AP CSA and a great start for AP CSP, but more needs to be done to reach underrepresented groups.