Constellations Center Computing Equity Project Brochure

Computing Equity Project (CEP)

CONSTELLATIONS COMPUTING EQUITY PROJECT

Setting

the Stage

T

he mission of the Computing Equity Project (CEP) at the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech is to democratize computing education in Georgia. Black and Latinx students especially, are locked out of quality computing

education because the schools they attend often neither offer, nor prioritize computer science education. CEP seeks to solve that problem by improving the formal in-school infrastructure for CS education in secondary schools across Georgia and ultimately, the nation.

Akiem Williams Mays High School, Class of 2019 “I really think that I could help major tech companies, if given the chance. They are predominantly white, but I think bringing in someone like me, an African American who has had a completely different life experience, would help make the products better and more applicable to more people.”

– Akiem Williams Williams, who was once briefly homeless, is now majoring in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity, and a minor in music education at Southern University and A&M College.

Through this work, we seek to increase access to rigorous, formalized computer science (CS) courses in schools that serve high concentrations of Black and Latinx students and other students of color. Atlanta is among the most racially segregated cities in America and the quality of education, especially for advanced STEM related courses is highly correlated with that racial separation. Our objective is to improve the long term structure of schools to equitably offer quality CS education as an option for all students.

Our work is timely in responding to the specific legislative mandate, GA Senate Bill 108, which mandates all high schools in the state offer a CS course by the 2024-2025 academic year. There is the additional challenge of reimagining effective course delivery as American education envisions what post-COVID schooling will look like. The CEP effort is based on a hybrid of virtual content delivery and in-person facilitation. Both students and teachers will have to adapt to new learning environments and pedagogical practices.

Without a solution to this problem of democratic CS education, the limited opportunities available to students of color will further perpetuate cycles of undereducation and limit their ability to participate in an increasingly tech-based economy.

Democratizing computing to us means that all of the more than half a million high school students in Georgia will have the fair option to choose high quality computer science education at their school.

Three Problems in Computer Science Education in Georgia:

1 2 3

CURRENTLY, FORMAL CS EDUCATION IS LIMITED IN THE SCHOOLS THAT

THERE IS EXTREMELY

SERVE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK AND

LIMITED TEACHER CAPACITY

LATINX STUDENTS ACROSS THE

TO OFFER COMPUTING

STATE. THAT LIMITS THEIR ABILITY

COURSES, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CHANGING

PARTS OF THE STATE.

ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE.

OF THE NEARLY 525,000

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

IN GEORGIA, ONLY 1% TOOK

AN AP COMPUTER SCIENCE EXAM IN 2019.

Lauren Jones Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Class of 2020; Georgia Tech, Class of 2024 “We are in the heart of Midtown with rainbow crosswalks! I’m excited to get more invested in LGTBQ rights activism and the social justice movement outside of the protests I attended this summer after the death of George Floyd. If my voice is not being heard, I’m going to make sure you hear it.”

– Lauren Jones Jones is the second Constellations student to attend Georgia Tech and major in computer science. She plans on becoming an integral part of LGBTQ and Black student groups on campus and is hoping to work as a software developer after graduation.

The Computing Equity Project Approach: n

Introduce high quality, hybrid advanced placement computer science courses in all high schools in the Atlanta Public School district. This will provide over 12K students in grades 9-12 the option to take an advanced computing course.

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In collaboration with the Georgia Department of Education, CEP provides district workshops for stakeholders across Georgia to implement a computer science education plan that meets the legislative mandate under SB-108.

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Scale teacher professional development to virtually support new teachers across Georgia and help certify at least one teacher at each of Georgia’s 964 middle and high schools to teach computer science.

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Establish operational practices at high schools throughout Georgia, and begin to measure the success rates of students on the advanced placement exam.

Lashawne Myles Constellations Teacher, North Atlanta High School “Having a mentor is like having an umbrella. They’re able to raise or lower to wherever you are and prevent you from getting wet. My fellow is an impromptu mentor who has helped me feel competent and confident in my teaching.”

How You Can Help: n

Increase our people operations ($450k per year for 5 fellows or $2.25 million over 5 years)

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Standardize the classroom experience for teachers and students by providing devices such as laptops, hotspots, and physical computing equipment. ($500-1k per device for 20 devices for 500 classrooms, grades 6-12)

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Establish utility of Constellations platforms to scale teacher support and professional development through licensing and evaluation ($500k over 3 years)

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Support opportunities for in-person workshops and summits on Georgia Tech’s campus for Georgia students and teachers (minimum $250 per teacher (to cover substitute teacher or stipend) for 500 teachers and $400 for 20 students for transportation)

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Fund a teacher’s GACE certification process ($1,500-2k per teacher for 1,000 teachers)

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Launch a mentor program to build capacity with teachers new to computer science (10 mentors for $1,500 each per year)

Constellations by the

Numbers:

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Built AP CS courses in 7 of the 11 traditional APS high schools

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In 2020-21, we served 189 students, up from 131 in 2017

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80% of the students we serve identify as Black

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35% of the students we serve identify as female

Our Impact: n

Since 2017, CEP has increased the number of schools offering AP CS in APS from one to seven.

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On average, 174 more students per year take an AP CS course because of CEP programming.

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Constellations serves as the support organization for the CS4GA collective impact effort to improve CS education in the state.

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Constellations has become a central figure in conversations related to big corporations moving to Atlanta and what being a responsible steward of Atlanta citizens should look like.

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With your help, all qualified CEP teachers will have the opportunity to receive financial and professional development to obtain GACE-certification in computer science.

What is a Constellations Fellow?

The Constellations Fellows are experienced educators, innovators, and evangelists in computing. Working in-person and virtually in low-resource schools, the Fellows coach teachers and build teaching efficacy as they conduct classroom-based professional development. Fellows constantly iterate on our hybrid platform by critiquing its pedagogy and learning experience specifically for the schools that we serve.

The Fellows are the heartbeat of Constellations and continuously light the pathway for all students to gain access to computing.

Sababu Barashango Constellations Fellow “As former teachers ourselves, we’re different from other professional development opportunities because we’re able to provide tangible activities and advice that teachers can implement in the classroom as early as today.”

Lien Diaz Constellations Director of Educational Innovation and Leadership “We need to elevate the teaching profession and always make sure that our teachers feel supported and believe they have other teachers in the community who are rooting for them.�

gtconstellations@gatech.edu Georgia Institute of Technology 801 Atlantic Drive Atlanta, GA 30332-3000 www.constellations.gatech.edu

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