BPC-AE: The CSforALL Alliance: Catalyzing a Membership of Organizations and Researchers for BPC in K-12

The New York City Foundation for Computer Science Education will extend the CSforAll BPC Alliance through this award. CSforAll aims to ensure students, particularly those historically marginalized by race, gender, and ability, are provided equitable access to K-12 computer science education. To reach this goal, the extension will focus on three key areas.

First, the alliance will raise awareness about the importance of computer science and the resources available for members of the alliance. Second, they will help local leaders and organizations learn the best practices for reducing barriers to equitable K-12 computer science education. Finally, CSforAll will track progress and identify areas where more support is needed through a national data visualization of systems change.

In response to a national sense of urgency for STEM education, there is a call to action for all actors, including researchers, curriculum developers, schools of education, school districts, and professional development providers to work collaboratively toward the common goal equitable CSEd for all students, especially accounting for the assets and needs of students from historically marginalized communities. These actions, goals, and common agenda serve as the Strong Field Framework which positions the CSforALL Alliance as a national resource, testbed, and locus to broaden participation in computing.

CSforALL will enact the five components as a strong field as follows: 1) create a shared identity 2) develop standards of practice 3) contribute to the knowledge base 4) create opportunities for leadership and grassroots support, and 5) elevate member synergies to develop opportunities for funding and supporting policy changes. The Alliance's evaluation plan includes monitoring activities and independent data collection to investigate how the alliance enacts the five components of the Strong Field Framework to meet their objectives to broaden participation in K-12 computing.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.