The Computer Science Teaching and Learning Collaboratory (CS-TLC)

The Computer Science Teaching and Learning Collaboratory (CS-TLC) was a major initiative of the Rutgers Center for Effective School Practices. The collaboratory was created with support from the National Science Foundation through two grants, titled “Building Capacity, Rigor, and Equity in Computer Science Education” (planning grant) and “Addressing Issues of Equity and Engagement in Computer Science” (project grant), both of which were led by principal investigator Cynthia L. Blitz, research professor and executive director of Rutgers Center for Effective School Practices. Rutgers Department of Computer Science professor and chair Thu Nguyen and director of undergraduate introductory instruction Fran Trees were co-principal investigators for the planning grant; Nguyen, Trees, and Teresa Duncan, president of Deacon Hill Research Associates, were co-principal investigators for the project grant. The Rutgers CS-TLC was 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 was to broaden the participation of historically underrepresented student populations in computer science through rigorous and equitable practices. The planning grant (2018-2019) sought to engage individuals and entities who were members of an existing research alliance (through the Regional Educational Lab Mid-Atlantic) in formative evaluation and planning activities focused on computer science education. The goal of these activities was to identify and analyze major facilitators and barriers to providing rigorous and engaging computer science courses to all students, as well as effective strategies to provide high-quality professional development that was tailored to teachers and schools with different levels of knowledge, capacity, and competencies regarding computer science education. Building on an established researcher-practitioner partnership (RPP), this project (2019-2022) aimed to increase the number of school districts in the region with the capacity to deliver rigorous and engaging computer science courses and to strengthen the computer science program in districts/schools already possessing this capacity. Objectives of the project included:

• Developing and delivering high-quality computer science professional development for teachers that enhanced their ability to deliver instruction responsive to their students’ level of computer science skill development, interests, and cultural backgrounds

• Investing in building the capacity of school and district leaders to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate programs and policies that could support rigor and equity in computer science education

• Engaging in research and community-building activities that could improve the performance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the RPP as well as expand the size and diversity of its membership.

This project directly addressed the issue of equity in computer science education, as the collaborating school districts served students who had been traditionally underrepresented in computer science, including rural students, students living in poverty, and Hispanic and African-American students. By working in collaboration with a network of teachers and administrators who served these students, the team sought to focus on expanding pedagogical content knowledge as well as tailoring activities and assignments to address the different needs and experiences of these students, providing them with opportunities for rigorous and engaging computer science instruction.