To investigate and identify promising practices in equitable K-12 computer science (CS) education, the capacity for education researchers to conduct this research must be rapidly built globally. Simultaneously, concerns have arisen over the last few years about the quality of research that is being conducted and the lack of equity-focused research.

Equitable computer science (CS) instruction for marginalized students and in poor communities everywhere is hindered by social barriers such as 1) the lack of teacher expertise with knowledge to positively engage marginalized students in CS, especially in Advanced Placement CS courses, and 2) racially segregated communities and schools that permeate in states like Georgia, and others across the nation. The racial segregation of students, including but not limited to Native American, Black and Hispanic groups, keeps them perpetually locked out of quality CS education. That said, AP CS Principles often provides the first AP STEM experience for Black, Hispanic, and first-generation students who take it. Furthermore, students who take AP CS Principles are more likely to declare a STEM or CS major in college [1]. Leaders of this BOF will provide opportunities for CS educators, researchers, and practitioners to discuss their efforts on broadening participation in computing at the high school level, and participants will also be able to generate recommendations and strategies that move efforts toward ensuring equity in AP CS courses for historically underrepresented students in CS.

One of SIGCSE's missions is to provide occasion for K-12 teachers and college/university professors to network, developing understanding of each other's roles as educators and generating ideas for collaborations for the sake of broadening participation in computing. We aim to promote opportunities for researchers and K-12 practitioners to work together in a BoF in order to participate in discussion regarding a)K-12 members' interests regarding CS education research; b) strategies for increasing opportunities for K-12 membersc) researcher/K12 collaborations d) ideas for future grants and/or collaborations The expected audience are the college/university faculty interested in K-12 education, as well as K-12 teachers or administrators interested in college/university CS education research. Regarding K-12/University collaborations, one might only think of the benefits to students. Yet, opportunities for learning and growth on the part of teachers and university faculty as work partners fosters motivation on both sides. This unexpected, valuable outcome has been documented in the literature as well [1,2,3]. The organizers of this BoF each have valued the learning from such collaborations and represent various roles as collaborative researchers from both sides.

In order to advance broadening participation in computing (BPC) efforts, research and practice projects should implement a board (advisory or strategic) that specifically focuses on equity. In light of the murder of George Floyd, the impact of COVID-19 on minoritized communities, and the historical (and continual) erasure of diverse voices within the computing and technology fields, it is important that networks, alliances, and the broader computer science community engage with stakeholders with critical expertise in areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this panel, Expanding Computing in Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance Executive Board members will discuss the need for equity-centered conversations, specifically when it comes to BPC. Panelists and audience members will engage in dialogue around the necessity for, and value of, creating spaces where diverse voices are elevated and supported.

Coaching is a critical mechanism for providing guidance and support to educators on improving their teaching practice and thereby improving student learning. Coaching is a process where an experienced educator (coach) supports a teacher in developing and refining their teaching practice. Coaching is in widespread use in K-12 schools for many subject areas and is growing for computer science. Coaching has the potential to be a key lever in meeting the CS education community's equity goal of CS for all students. This session will be led by CS coaches from a variety of contexts including elementary, secondary, and higher education. Goals for the session include increasing the understanding of what coaching is and how it is applied in various contexts, resources available to support coaching, how equity is addressed in coaching, and impacts on teachers and students.

It is often assumed that women in CS fully understand and appreciate diversity, equity, and inclusion and advocate for the needs of all women. However, there exist highly publicized examples in computing and beyond where the intersection of race and gender (and the experiences of Black, Latina, and Indigenous women) were ignored by White women. This panel convenes diverse women in CS to discuss the importance and challenges of same-gender allyship, advocacy, and activism.

Efforts to broaden participation in computing address how systemic school structures, educator preparation, and curriculum can provide inclusive learning spaces for all students. The emerging multiplicity of scholarship in computer science (CS) education forwards diverse voices, perspectives, and positionalities, and together, provide a rich set of evidence-based narratives that can transform K-12 policies and practices. The four projects featured in this panel bring together CS education efforts with varying methodologies focused on equity-oriented pedagogies and learning for all youth across the US. This panel will focus not only on sharing the multi-pronged efforts of the featured projects, but also on developing a shared vision among participants and panelists for what equity" can and should be in the future of both SIGCSE and CS education as we celebrate SIGCSE's 50th anniversary. By highlighting the work of projects rather than individuals in this panel, audience members will have the opportunity to learn about how collaborative efforts create and examine contexts for equity in CS education across diverse stakeholders, while also providing a richer base for constructing visions of equity that go beyond mere platitudes, toward action items for broadening participation in computing.

The inaugural launch of the College Board's Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) course coincided within the same year of the announcement of CS For All, a bold national initiative that seeks to support the expansion of computer science education in America, and to empower students to learn computer science and obtain the computational thinking skills needed to thrive in today's transforming digital world. The intent of the AP CSP course supports this initiative as it aims to promote social justice and equity in computer science education. The course is designed to be appealing to a broader audience, including females and minority students, who are underrepresented in computer science, thus providing increased access and opportunity for students to study computer science at the secondary level.

College Board is thrilled to announce the launch of a pilot program, Advanced Placement® (AP) with We.org Service, in a partnership with international charity and educational partner, Free the Children. AP Computer Science is among six AP courses that will participate in this pilot program. The College Board and Free The Children share a passion for enriching students' learning experiences and developing well-rounded citizens. The program combines the academic challenge and rigor of AP Computer Science with Free The Children's WE.org education and citizenship model. AP Computer Science with WE.org Service creates an opportunity for students to consider their classroom work and how it applies to the real world, while working closely with peers to address social issues.

The AP Computer Science Principles assessment model comprises two main components: 1) an end-of-course AP Exam (i.e., a paper-pencil, multiple choice questions); and 2) a through-course assessment that includes two (2) performance tasks in which students complete during class time. This workshop focuses on content and skills included in one of the through-course assessment performance tasks: Create -- Applications from Ideas. In this task, students are expected to collaborate with another student in the development process of writing a program, and because each student will submit her/his own program for AP scoring purposes, students are also expected to be able to continue working on their program individually. To obtain the knowledge and skills students will need to be successful with this performance task, students can consider practicing various possible ways to write programs individually and collaboratively. That said, teachers can support student success with this performance task by considering different ways to teach how to develop programs collaboratively (beyond Pair Programming). In this workshop, participants will experience different collaborative programming techniques to develop a program. This workshop is meant for programmers "from beginners to experts". In addition, participants will reflect on the collaborative process, thereby learning some of the essential knowledge and skills that students will need to obtain in order to successfully complete the Create performance task.

Computer Science Principles will become an Advanced Placement course in AY 2016-2017, with the launch of the first APCSP exam in May of 2017, with through-course assessments/performance tasks being completed by students starting at the beginning of that academic year. In this BOF we will hear from participants about their questions and concerns in anticipation of the launch of the course and exam. The BOF will be part of launching a community of practice for teachers and educators who are not part of a formal NSF project, Project Lead the Way, or Code.org whose participants may have a community of practice.

This workshop focuses on content in two curriculum modules for AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) developed by the College Board. They highlight instructional approaches for teaching concepts about 1) the Internet and 2) the interplay between creative aspects of computing and impact of computing on society. The Internet module activities allow students to construct their own solutions to problems similar to some that the builders of the Internet faced. The topics in the Creativity and Global Impact module were chosen because they have rich potential for increasing interest with students, especially those from underrepresented demographics, and because they present instructional challenges for instructors new to AP CSP. Participants will learn detailed concepts addressed in the AP CSP course and will receive classroom materials from in each of the curriculum modules. These modules serve as exemplary resources for teachers.

College Board has joined national efforts to improve the state of STEM education, in particular to address the challenge of increasing participation with a diverse population of computer scientists to meet the growing demands of the field of computing. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is pleased to endeavor in enhancing AP Computer Science offerings by maintaining college level integrity and addressing issues of equity and access for students and teachers. In addition to the established AP Computer Science A course, the AP Program is engaged in the development of a forthcoming AP Computer Science Principles course. The additional option for high school students to study college level computing will provide more students with an opportunity to be introduced to important computer science concepts, gain a broader perspective of the field of study, and have access to a larger pathway into computing. This session will review information regarding the AP Computer Science A course and will discuss plans for collecting feedback from college faculty regarding course content and approaches to programming techniques and languages. It will then discuss the new Computer Science Principles course and plans for the development and launch of the course and exam. The session will conclude with a Q&A session addressing questions regarding both courses. The session will be moderated by Lien Diaz from the AP Program at the College Board.

College Board has joined national efforts to improve the state of STEM education, in particular to address the challenge of increasing participation with a diverse population of computer scientists to meet the growing demands of the field of computing. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is pleased to endeavor in enhancing AP Computer Science offerings by maintaining college level integrity and addressing issues of equity and access for students and teachers. In addition to the established AP Computer Science A course, the AP Program is engaged in the development of a forthcoming AP Computer Science Principles course. The additional option for high school students to study college level computing will provide more students with an opportunity to be introduced to important computer science concepts, gain a broader perspective of the field of study, and have access to a larger pathway into computing. This session will review information regarding the AP Computer Science A course and will discuss updated course content and exam development. It will then discuss the new Computer Science Principles course and plans for the development and launch of the course. The session will conclude with a Q&A session addressing questions regarding both courses. The session will be moderated by members of the Computer Science A and Principles Development Committees.

No abstract available.

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program provides a framework for high school students to obtain college credit and/or placement for work done in high school. Toward this end, the College Board outlines course descriptions and organizes examinations in several dozen disciplines, including computer science. To meet its goals, each AP course must align with college courses, so students taking an AP course will master needed content Several approaches are used to monitor this connection between AP courses and college-level courses. This session will review these approaches, considering how the AP CS A course matches introductory college computer science courses.

The AP CS A program is exploring the possibility of moving from the utilization of the GridWorld case study to the inclusion of several in-class laboratory exercises, beginning in 2014-2015 or later. The Development Committee believes labs may achieve many benefits of the past case studies, but a lab format will allow teachers more flexibility in teaching and a more agile development cycle for new materials. This Special Session will review the motivations, experiences, limitations, and constraints of case studies, motivations for the use of in-class laboratory exercises, and some components of three laboratory exercises that currently are under development by the AP CS A program.

The CS Principles Project is a collaborative effort to develop a new introductory course in computer science, accessible to all students. Computer Science educators at all levels have worked together on the development of the new curriculum under the direction of the College Board with support from the National Science Foundation. This special session provides an opportunity for the CS Principles project leaders to report on recent updates and new directions, and to engage in discussion on all aspects of the project with SIGCSE participants

No abstract available.

The Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science program is intended to reflect enough of a common core of a first semester or year of university-level computer science so that placement or credit can be awarded for work done before college. The SIGCSE symposia have a long history of providing forums for discussing the evolution of the AP program from its inception [1] to the transition from Pascal to C++ [3] to the transition from C++ to Java [2,5,7,8,9]. Panels related to how credit and placement are awarded have also been part of the SIGCSE conferences [4,6]. This special session is a report of the ongoing process of developing new and possible wide-ranging changes to the AP program.