Expanding CS Education, State by State

ECEP Alliance works to increase number of students in CSEd leading to computing careers

According to the National Science Foundation, a lack of access to equitable computer science education (CSEd) has led to a troubling trend. Approximately 70 percent of students in the U.S. are notably absent in computing in K-12, higher education, and industry jobs. 

The Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance is addressing this issue at a systems level in partnership with state teams, including the territory of Puerto Rico, national and global partners, and CSEd advocates.

“The Alliance works hand-in-hand with state-level leaders and uses data to identify which students do not have access to computer science pathways and the reasons why,” said Sarah Dunton, director and co-principal investigator, ECEP Alliance.

“In Texas, leaders are focusing on creating a new CS pipeline to train teachers to provide the best education to communities historically excluded from CS opportunities."

Barriers students face include a scarcity of teachers in K-12 computer science education; a lack of consistent data regarding what counts as a CS course; and weak data systems for tracking participation and learning experiences in K-12 computer science education.

However, the 2023 State of CS Report identified that the majority of ECEP member-states have or are currently developing a state plan for K-12 computer science education. 

“ECEP is an expert source of guidance and know-how equipping states with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to navigate the national landscape of CS education policy with clarity and strategy,” said Charity Freeman, University of Illinois adjunct professor and Computer Science Teachers Association board chairperson.

“In Texas, leaders are focusing on creating a new CS pipeline to train teachers to provide the best education to communities historically excluded from CS opportunities,” said Joshua Childs, Alliance co-principal investigator and assistant professor in Educational Policy and Leadership at UT Austin.

To date, ECEP has invested in a total of 46 co-sponsorships totaling nearly $800,000 to enable teams to complete activities for creating change at the state level. 

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The ECEP Alliance is supported by Google and the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. NSF-CNS-2137834 and NSF-CNS-1822011.