A case study of a CS research practice partnership (RPP)

Rutgers University research professor Cynthia L. Blitz presented 'A Case Study of a CS Research Practice Partnership (RPP)' in 2019 at the Pennsylvania Computer Science for All Summit. The presentation featured an overview of the Rutgers University Computer Science Teaching and Learning Collaboratory (CS-TLC), a researcher-practitioner partnership between school districts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Rutgers University's Center for Effective School Practices and Department of Computer Science. The collaboratory's main objective is to broaden the participation of historically underrepresented student populations in computer science through rigorous and equitable practices. 

Topics discussed in the presentation include:  The value of CS-TLC to participants and to the field of computer science education in general.  Aspects of CS-TLC considered to be the most useful and potentially beneficial to other districts, such as using enrollment and student satisfaction data for planning and expanding computer science offerings.  Broadening participation through the use of collaborative learning structures, integration with school counseling, and consideration for how course sequencing and specialty courses could influence students' attitudes toward computer science. Ways to think about and organize computer science education that systemically builds upon the Computer Science Teachers Association standards.