Teachers are increasingly integrating computational thinking (CT) into subject-area learning opportunities with the aim to meet both subject-area and CT learning goals. While prior work has identified CT practices synergistic to subject-area learning, less is published about pedagogical frameworks for instructional practices when integrating CT into content area teaching. This poster presents data from educators (teachers and professional developers) about what they find to be crucial factors for designing and implementing CT integrated lessons. Preliminary analysis indicates educators advocate for twenty practices including creating reflection opportunities, actively using CT vocabulary, opportunities for students to practice CT skills, meaningful real-world connections, utilizing scaffolding strategies, explicitly introducing CT practices, clear connections between CT and curricular content, using multiple modalities, and encouraging student discourse.

This SIGCSE poster presents a landscape study of six school districts across six different states in terms of their individual teachers' and administrators' capacity to integrate and implement computational thinking (CT) into their own schools and classrooms. This landscape evaluation represents the baseline start of a wider, four-year national study around district capacity to collaboratively develop consistent and comprehensive K-12 computing pathways for their students and schools. The early landscape work we present here not only represents a starting point for comparing district educators' comprehension of CT (and computer science [CS]), but also acts as an early indicator as to what extent K-12 computing is a school and district-based priority, and to what degree teachers feel they have the capacity to meaningfully implement it. This poster relies on two data sources in a mixed-methods design: Districtwide surveys of teachers and administrators on their familiarity and prioritization of CT, coupled with subsequent hour-long focus group discussions with educators to expand upon their respective district landscape survey responses. Results point to all districts perceiving the broad applicability of CT as a skill set and its integrative potential in a range of subjects. Yet in terms of classroom implementation, teachers find such CT integration decidedly less clear, recognizing it to be a priority but also reporting as less confident about creating their own curricular materials, where CT situates with their district's ongoing initiatives, and where they can find curricular resources and tools specific to their own areas of curricular integration.

Computational thinking (CT) provides opportunities for students to build the skills they need for everyday life, future academic success, and careers. Increasingly, districts are integrating CT into K-12 disciplinary subjects and a growing number of teachers need the knowledge to lead CT learning opportunities. CT is still nascent in teacher education, however, and not all teachers are receiving professional learning on the job. Teachers need effective methods of support to ensure they are providing students with high quality CT learning opportunities. We present methods of support for integrating CT into schools. The poster highlights four methods to support teacher professional learning: allowing ample time for collaboration, a school-based advocate championing CT integration, posting and promoting curated resources, and a foundational person anchoring the work as the initiative expands. In doing so, this poster provides interrelated examples of teacher support and highlights methods of continuous support for teachers integrating CT across content areas.

As states move to adopt computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) standards to prepare students for an increasingly technological world, school districts are integrating curriculum with CT skills and practices, building the capacity of their teachers and administrators through professional development, and increasing the knowledge infrastructure to support CT opportunities for students. One challenge that districts face when scaling new initiatives occurs when the work becomes siloed to one ''champion'' teacher or a singular motivated department. This poster presents Broward County Public Schools' use of an interactive infographic to build awareness of their CT initiative, including considerations for utilizing an infographic tool and the design decisions made to engage various stakeholders. The poster provides examples of methods to build knowledge of an emerging initiative and adds to the growing body of work in supporting districts as they scale their CS/CT initiatives.

North Salem Central School District (North Salem) has worked with researchers as part of a larger Research Practice Partnership (RPP) to design and implement an inclusive PK-12 computing pathway in their district. This poster describes how teachers used Generative AI (GenAI) tools in three areas: (1) the development of sample computational thinking (CT) lesson plans; (2) initial brainstorming; and (3) professional learning.