Computer Science Education Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) have introduced the Computer Science Education Act, which will help prepare Americans for the more than 1.5 million high-wage computing jobs that are expected to be created in the U.S. by 2018. The bill will help states to increase and strengthen their computer science offerings in K-12 education.

"With significant job creation over the next decade in industries fueled by computer science, better K-12 instruction in this STEM field is critical to our economic competitiveness,” said Senator Casey. “To help our schools improve computer science instruction, I am proud to introduce the Computer Science Education Act in the Senate.  This legislation will give more students the opportunity to study computer science and position themselves for the jobs of the future."

“Computer science careers will provide good paying jobs for Americans and prepare our economy to compete and win the global market,” said Congressman Polis. “America can only succeed economically if our workforce is prepared for the best paying jobs, such as those in computer science. If America’s is to remain an economic superpower—and if we’re to support jobs for the middle class—we must be the world’s leader in computer science education.”

“The Computer Science Education Act encourages states to examine what is going on in local computer science classrooms and consider how to give students educational opportunities that support lucrative, rewarding careers and contribute to the most dynamic, innovative industry in the United States,” according to Maggie Johnson, Google’s Director of Education and University Relations. “Computer science must be accommodated in our nation’s classrooms if we want to be successful in the 21st Century.”

Between 2004 and 2008, the number of computer-related bachelor's degrees granted in the U.S. fell from roughly 60,000 to 38,000. The availability of introductory secondary school computer science courses has also decreased—by 17 percent since 2005—and the number of Advanced Placement (AP) computer science courses has decreased by 33 percent.

While some states allow computer science courses to count toward a secondary school core graduation requirements, most states that have specific course requirements for graduation count computer science courses only as electives. Many states also do not have a certification process for computer science teachers, and where certification processes do exist, such processes often have no connection to computer science content.

To reverse these troubling trends and prepare Americans for jobs in this high-wage, high-growth field, the Computer Science Education Act will:

• Ensure computer science offerings are an integral part of the curriculum;
• Develop state computer science standards, curriculum, and assessments;
• Improve access to underserved populations;
• Create professional development and teacher certification initiatives, including computer science teacher preparation programs in higher education;
• Form a commission on computer science education to bring states together to address the computer science teacher certification crisis; and,
• Establish an independent, rigorous evaluation of state efforts with reporting back to Congress and the administration.

The bill would provide two-year competitive planning grants to states, as well as five-year competitive implementation grants to states to support their plans to increase and strengthen schools’ capacity to offer effective computer science education.

###

Erie Community Foundation "Double Your Impact" program

[from the Erie Community Foundation website] The Erie Community Foundation is pleased to announce our new partnership with DonorsChoose.org for a “Double Your Impact” Program. In lieu of the Erie Community Foundation's Link to Learning Mini-Grants, the Foundation is partnering with Donors Choose in order to leverage additional funding for school projects. Through Donors Choose, teachers from the public school system, can log on, post their project and encourage donations. Once half of the project has been funded, The Erie Community Foundation will match the funding for the project to be complete. Projects can cost up to $1,000, and the projects must focus on math and or literacy in the classrooms of Erie County Schools.

"Our desired impact is to invest in our children by funding projects that create better readers and produce skilled math students that can lead Erie forward," said Mike Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation.

To learn more about Donors Choose, you can click here.

"As indicated by Erie Vital Signs, Family and community factors affect how well children learn, leaving our at-risk children behind. Research has shown that children affected by risk factors such as poverty, family status, or poor school systems, are more likely to enter school behind their peers, struggle in school, or drop out altogether," said Anne Sekula, vice president of Programs for The Erie Community Foundation. "Through Donors Choose, donors can become involved with projects and we are also able to track progress of projects in order to move the needle on math and literacy, which are part of our Vital Signs indicators."

DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit organization that connects public school teachers in need of classroom materials and experiences with individual donors who want to help. AtDonorsChoose.org, public school teachers submit project requests for the specific materials their students need to learn. Donors from across the country browse the website and fund the projects they find most compelling.

Teachers can begin posting projects now and that will qualify for funding starting October 6, 2011

All full-time, front-line educators at public School (teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, and school nurse) who spend at least 75% of their time working with the students are eligible to request materials at www.DonorsChoose.org .

Debate programs to be supported

[from Philanthropy News Digest]

Open Society Foundations Award $20 Million to Strengthen Debate Programs

The Open Society Foundations have announced the launch of Global Debate, a $20 million initiative designed to strengthen debate programs on campuses around the world.

As part of the foundation's ongoing efforts to engage young people in important policy issues, the program will provide up to three years of funding to colleges, universities, and other educational institutions looking to integrate debate across multiple disciplines. In partnership with theInternational Debate Education Association, the program will be available to institutions that either have small debate programs or none at all, as well as institutions attempting to promote public debate within the broader communities they serve.

The funding will also support an online debate mentorship program, the creation of educational materials, international debate tournaments and competitions, a series of Open Society Debates on issues of global concern, and a Global Debate and Public Policy Challenge that will host a debate between the world's leading university debaters, policy makers, and academics.

"Debate helps students develop critical thinking and public speaking skills and challenges them to consider global issues from a perspective other than their own," said Open Society Foundations Youth Initiativedirector Noel Selegzi. "Debate is a key component to an open society and encourages new ideas, reasoned arguments, and open minds. Debate helps us recognize that public policy is best developed when the force of an argument, and not the argument of force, is most potent."

“Debate Programs Get $20 Million Boost on Campuses Worldwide.”Open Society Foundations Press Release 9/14/11.

Discovery Research K-12 program - STEM

Description

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents. All DRK-12 projects should be framed around a research question or hypothesis that addresses an important need or topic in preK-12 STEM education. The emphasis in DRK-12 is on research projects that study the development, testing, deployment, effectiveness, and/or scale-up of innovative resources, models and tools. DRK-12 invites proposals that address immediate challenges that are facing preK-12 STEM education as well as those that anticipate a radically different structure and function of pre-K 12 teaching and learning. DRK-12 especially encourages proposals that challenge existing assumptions about learning and teaching within or across STEM fields, envision the future needs of learners, and consider new and innovative ways to support student and teacher learning. DRK-12 is particularly interested in projects that hold promise for identifying and developing the next generation of STEM innovators (NSB, 2010). There are four strands described in detail in the solicitation: 1) Assessment; 2) Learning; 3) Teaching; 4) Scale-up.DRK-12 projects are based on theories of learning, prior research and development. Projects reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse population as well as national, state, or discipline priorities. Outcomes include usable and scalable resources, models, tools, and contributions to the knowledge about STEM teaching and learning. In addition, teachers and students who participate in DRK-12 studies are expected to enhance their understanding and use of STEM content, practices and skills.The DRK-12 program is primarily concerned with the goals and effectiveness of formal education, but recognizes that learning is not limited to formal school environments and times. The program encourages projects to draw from knowledge and practice of learning in out-of-school and informal settings.Most young people and STEM professionals today use powerful technologies in the activities of their everyday lives. New knowledge, new ways of thinking, and new ways of finding and processing information drive our society and economy. Many of the resources, models and tools researched and developed by DRK-12 will provide innovative ways to use current and emerging technologies to transform STEM education.DRK-12 recognizes that outstanding teaching is a critical and integral component of this improvement process. While Strand 3 has a specific focus on resources, models and tools for teacher education and the impact of those models on student learning, projects submitted to the other strands may also include teacher support materials or professional development components in support of student learning. Projects submitted to the Learning strand might also include the development of assessments related to the specific goals of the project. Some DRK-12 projects focus on a specific STEM discipline or concept, while others have cross-disciplinary, cross-grade level content, but all projects must demonstrate that the content is important from both a disciplinary and learning perspective. Full Research and Development projects are expected to lead to successful dissemination and adoption of findings or products in the preK-12 enterprise at a scale beyond that directly supported by the grant. 

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 11-588

Low-cost computers for kids

[from "Free Money Ate My Brain"] In an attempt at dealing with the digital divide in our country (which, two decades into the popularization of the internet, is still alive and well), Comcast, the cable communications company, has started a program within its high-speed internet service areas for kids who receive free school lunches called Internet Essentials.  It's a program that provides home internet access for $9.95 a month, and the opportunity to buy a lower-cost computer.  

To qualify, you must have a least one child in the household receiving free school lunches, not have had Comcast internet in the last 90 days, and no unreturned equipment or overdues with Comcast--and live in their high-speed service areas. To get more information and an application, call 1-800-846-8376.  Fill it out, send it back with your child's lunch documentation, and you will hear from them in 7 to 10 days.  They will also send you information about applying for a lower-cost($149.95, plus tax) computer, and free computer training. 

For other possible ways to get low-cost computers, try this blog entry, or this one from aidpage.

Race to the Top requirements posted

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The U.S. Department of Education has announced proposed requirements for the third phase of its Race to the Top (RTT) competition. RTT is the DOE's $4.35 billion effort to re-shape America's educational system so as to better engage and prepare students for success in a competitive twenty-first century economy. Nine second-round finalists — Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and South Carolina — have been invited to apply for $200 million in funding to support a portion of their previously established RTT plan.


States competing for funding in this round will be expected to submit an application that both demonstrates a commitment to education reform and contains a detailed budget and narrative explaining how their plan will have the greatest impact on the state's education system, including a description of their plan to support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Final award sizes will be determined by each state's population and plan. Under current proposals, Colorado, Louisiana, South Carolina and Kentucky are eligible to apply for up to $12.25 million; Arizona can apply for up to $17.5 million; Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are eligible for up to $28 million; and California can apply for up to $49 million.

The Department of Education expects that proposals will express a commitment to the four reform areas that define Race to the Top: the adoption of standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace; building data systems that measure student growth and success and inform teachers and principals how to improve instruction; recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals; and turning around consistently low-performing schools.

"Through Race to the Top, these nine states helped lead the way in laying the groundwork for key education reform around the country," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We look forward to working with them in round three as they continue their work and transform their plans into significant investments that improve education for more students."

“U.S. Department of Education Releases Proposed Requirements for Race to the Top Round Three.” U.S. Department of Education Press Release 9/07/11.