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Back to Research Virtual Leadership Summit Design and Impact: Advancing K-12 Computer Science Education Cynthia L. Blitz & David J. Amiel Presented at the 17th Annual International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation by Rutgers Center for Effective School Practices researchers Cynthia L. Blitz and David Amiel, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the center's virtual Computer Science District Leadership Summit. The analysis focuses on the summit's design, implementation, and efficacy. The central objective of the summit was to engage school and district leaders in the advancement of K-12 computer science education (CSE), with a specific emphasis on promoting inclusive CSE practices and developing strategies to navigate educational disruptions through targeted leadership engagement and collaborative learning best practices. To optimize virtual participation, the summit leveraged Zoom for interactive sessions and strategically organized breakout rooms tailored to district size and CSE development stage. It featured keynote presentations, exemplar district case studies, and structured networking opportunities. The summit's overarching goals were to: furnish leaders with current information on CSE policies; facilitate engagement and reflection on CSE efforts during a period of disruption; share actionable resources; and leverage learning standards. Structured networking sessions were designed to catalyze collaboration among leaders from diverse educational settings, fostering organic discussions to enhance shared learning and community building. Post-event assessments, derived from participant surveys and follow-up interviews, underscored the value of peer-to-peer learning and model practices shared by districts. Drawing from these insights, this conference paper explores implications for future CSE leadership summits and similar supports, accentuating participant agency, hybrid event models, collaborative learning, and practical implementation strategies as pivotal components for driving enduring educational change. By leveraging collaborative learning and associated platforms, such endeavors can effectively support educational leaders amidst shifting educational priorities, ensuring a more inclusive and resilient approach to CSE and its ongoing enhancement. November 2024 Conference: 17th Annual International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation Location: Seville, Spain (virtual presentation) DOI: 10.21125/iceri.2024.0794 This in-depth analysis reviews a virtual summit to engage school and district leaders for advancing K-12 computer science education, with emphasis on promoting inclusive practices and strategies to navigate educational disruptions. Citation Blitz, C., & Amiel, D. (2024). Virtual leadership summit design and impact: Advancing K-12 computer science education . Proceedings of the 17th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI2024), 3052-3056. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2024.0794 View Online Download PDF Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Projects Common Core Academy New Jersey Department of Education The Center for Effective School Practices (CESP) was awarded by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) a grant to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by enhancing teachers’ content knowledge and teaching skills aligned with the CCSS and by supporting principals in leading this effort in their schools. The Common Core Academy 2013 (CCA 2013) program involved intensive, informative, and interactive activities, which informed participants about expected shifts in standards and assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics education for various student populations. Participants were engaged and trained in practical strategies for shifting curriculum, instruction, and assessment. CCA 2013 offered ample opportunities for building professional learning networks within and across schools and enabled educators to work productively in collaboration with colleagues on making the changes that full CCSS implementation entailed. The CCA 2013 ran from August 5th through August 9th with participating educators from Plainfield City Public Schools, Red Bank Borough Public Schools, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Monroe Township Public Schools, South River Public Schools, Darul Arqam School, Red Bank Catholic High School, and Saint James Grammar School. The goals and objectives of CCA 2013 were developed in close collaboration with the participating schools and districts to meet their educators’ needs, as well as the NJDOE. Timeline This project ran in 2013. Sponsorship This project was conducted with a $470,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Education. Project Leaders & Key Personnel Principal Investigator: Dr. Cynthia L. Blitz, Ph.D. Collaborating Organizations N.J. Department of Education Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Resources New Jersey Parents’ Views of Adolescent Depression Screening New Jersey Parents Weigh in on School-Based Depression Screening A statewide survey of parents reveals strong support for adolescent depression screening, tempered by concerns about stigma, privacy, and the administration of school-based programs. Suggested Citation New Jersey Parents’ Views of Adolescent Depression Screening. (2022). Project ASPEN. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University. Retrieved from https://cesp.rutgers.edu . Our research shows that parents in New Jersey recognize the benefits of depression screening but have concerns regarding possible unintended effects and the administration of screening in schools. Effective communication that addresses these concerns is imperative to increasing support from parents to school- based depression screening. There is an alarming increase in the percentage of U.S. adolescents reporting depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, including in New Jersey. Early detection and treatment are key to preventing negative, long-term effects of depression in youth, and current guidelines recommend routine screening for depression in adolescents ages 12-18. Yet rates of adolescent depression screening remain extremely low. Project ASPEN, 2022 - New Jersey Parents Views of Adolescent Depression Screening .pdf Download PDF • 882KB Project ASPEN is a collaboration between a team of researchers from Rutgers University and the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Jersey (NAMI-NJ) to improve policy decision-makers’ access to credible and timely research evidence regarding different aspects of formulating and implementing sound youth mental health policies. The project is funded by a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation. Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Our People Maria Salinas Founder & CEO Maria Salinas is an experienced project manager and dissemination practitioner. Over the past 20 years, she has led dissemination and community engagement for various multi-year projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, HHS, CDC, pharmaceutical, and energy efficiency clients. Her dissemination and project management skills include oversight of multiple projects with cross-functional, distributed teams. She has been particularly adept at leading and coordinating multi-agency resources and establishing effective communication between clients, subcontractors, grantees, and related stakeholders for maximum program effectiveness. She has assisted local and national programs develop goals, implementation plans, communication and dissemination plans, and integrate research and evaluation findings into program development. e : p : Education :

Back to Projects New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) National Institutes of Health Coordinated by Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS), the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) comprises a consortium with Rutgers and Princeton Universities, NJ Institute for Technology, medical, nursing, dental and public health schools, hospitals, community health centers, outpatient practices, industry, policymakers and health information exchanges. With access to ~7 million people, NJ ACTS serves as a ‘natural laboratory’ for translational and clinical research. CESP will serve as the NJ ACTS Internal Evaluator. The CTSA Hub focuses on two overarching themes: the heterogeneity of disease pathogenesis and response to treatment, and the value of linking large clinical databases with interventional clinical investigations to identify cause-and-effect and predict therapeutic responses. NJ ACTS will provide: innovative approaches to link information from large databases and electronic health records to inform clinical trial design, execution and analysis; and novel platforms for biomarker discovery using fluorescence in situ hybridization and machine learning to identify unique neural signatures of chronic illness. Timeline This project began in February 2019 and is scheduled through March 2031. Sponsorship This project is funded by multi-million dollar grant from the the National Institutes of Health through the CTSA program [award #M1TR004789]. Project Leaders & Key Personnel Principal Investigator: Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., MD Internal Evaluator: Dr. Cynthia L. Blitz, Ph.D. Collaborating Organizations Rutgers Biomedical Health Services Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Projects Biomedical Excellence Achieved through Coaching Networks (BEACON) National Institutes of Health In partnership with the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the Rutgers University Center for Effective School Practices director Dr. Cynthia Blitz is serving as co-PI on an "Investigation of Professional Coaching as an Intervention to Support the Success of Biomedical Ph.D. Students," an NIH-funded R01 grant coined BEACON. Unlike mentoring and advising, professional coaching involves a collaborative process that helps students enhance strategies, broaden perspectives, and receive feedback to maximize their potential. This study will rigorously test the effects of coaching on short-, medium-, and long-term academic outcomes of professional coaching on biomedical PhD students for the first time. The Center will lead the qualitative and ethnographic research components of the grant, collecting data to understand the mechanisms that contribute to outcomes of professional coaching, for what students, and under what conditions. CESP will conduct interviews and observations to provide rich qualitative context to the study and work alongside study team members to broadly disseminate findings to various communities through publications and presentations. Timeline This project began in September 2023 and is scheduled through June 2028. Sponsorship This project is funded with a $3,000,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health through R01 program [award #1R01GM151687-01]. Project Leaders & Key Personnel Principal Investigator: Dr. James Millonig, Ph.D. MPI: Dr. Loren Runnels, Ph.D. MPI: Dr. Cynthia L. Blitz, Ph.D. Collaborating Organizations Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Biomedical and Health Sciences Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Our People Nedim Yel, Ph.D. Senior Statistician/Researcher e : p : Download CV Education : Affiliations : Biographical Highlights

Back to Research Job-Embedded Professional Development Programs in Rural Schools Nicole Martin, Earl Legleiter, Cynthia Blitz, Rachel Smith, & Michelle Kendrick In a white paper titled “Exploring Job-Embedded Professional Learning in Rural Schools,” published through the 100Kin10 Grand Challenges initiative, the authors examined successes and challenges in implementing professional development programs for educators in rural settings and identified strategies for sustaining partnerships with school districts. Discussion of the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education and its findings and potential implications is the focus of the white paper. Topics include: Decision making about professional learning. The job-embedded nature of professional learning. Quality of professional learning. School culture surrounding professional learning. Most impactful forms of professional learning, including specific curricula. Challenges to implementing professional learning and supports to overcome them. March 2021 White Paper: 100Kin10 Grand Challenges The results of a national survey addressing professional development in rural schools are explored. Themes include decision-making, job-embedded programming, learning objectives, quality, and school culture. Citation Martin, N., Legleiter, E., Blitz, C., Smith, R., & Kendrick, M. (2021). Exploring Job-Embedded Professional Learning in Rural Schools (Grand Challenges). 100k in 10. https://grandchallenges.100kin10.org/progress/job-embedded-professional-development-programs-for-rural-schools View Online Download PDF Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Resources Adolescent Depression Screening Instruments: A Review of Existing Instruments to Screen for Adolescent Depression An in-depth comparison of eight mental health screening instruments Explore psychometric properties of depression screening instruments along with a detailed comparison of eight frequently used adolescent mental health screeners, including the Beck inventories, PHQ-A, and MFQ. Suggested Citation Adolescent Depression Screening Instruments: A Review of Existing Instruments to Screen for Adolescent Depression (2022). Project ASPEN. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University. Retrieved from https://cesp.rutgers.edu/ . A review of the most prevalent and recommended screening instruments was conducted to better inform policy and practice concerning the selection of the appropriate adolescent depression screening instrument. This paper details key findings from the review. Prevention and early detection of adolescent depression is a national health priority and a key recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Despite current guidelines that recommend conducting routine screening for depression during teen years, policymakers, school administrators, caregivers and other stakeholders express concerns about the implementation and sustainability of school￾based screening programs. Of particular concern is the identification and selection of the appropriate screening instrument that can effectively, efficiently, and safely identify students in need of mental health services. Several screening instruments have been developed and validated for school settings (Bernaras et al., 2019; Forman-Hoffman et al., 2016), making the task of instrument selection feasible. Project ASPEN, 2022 - Adolescent Depression Screening Instruments .pdf Download PDF • 862KB Project ASPEN is a collaboration between a team of researchers from Rutgers University and the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Jersey (NAMI-NJ) to improve policy decision-makers’ access to credible and timely research evidence regarding different aspects of formulating and implementing sound youth mental health policies. The project is funded by a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation. Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Back to Our People Maria Salinas Founder & CEO e : p : Download CV Education : Affiliations : Biographical Highlights Maria Salinas is an experienced project manager and dissemination practitioner. Over the past 20 years, she has led dissemination and community engagement for various multi-year projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, HHS, CDC, pharmaceutical, and energy efficiency clients. Her dissemination and project management skills include oversight of multiple projects with cross-functional, distributed teams. She has been particularly adept at leading and coordinating multi-agency resources and establishing effective communication between clients, subcontractors, grantees, and related stakeholders for maximum program effectiveness. She has assisted local and national programs develop goals, implementation plans, communication and dissemination plans, and integrate research and evaluation findings into program development.