Today, University of Florida (UF) researchers and Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) announced that they are launching a professional development program for computer science (CS) teachers and special education teachers, called CS Inclusion. The development of the program was supported by a $100,000 grant from Google. The program focuses on providing teachers with strategies and resources to expand access to computer science for students with disabilities, who make up 15% of all K–12 students in public schools nationwide.
UF Associate Professor of Educational Technology and CS Education Maya Israel, along with a team of experienced teachers and instructional staff from UF and BCPS, are developing a “coach the coach” model for professional development that can be used by schools nationwide and globally. The strategies can be adapted by teachers to meet the individual needs of their students.
“We’re doing something extraordinary here at UF with our partners in Broward County Public Schools,” said Israel. “With support from Google, we are expanding the scope and reach of this initiative both within Broward, the sixth largest school district in the country, and beyond.”
“At the heart of the CS Inclusion program is expanding access to in-demand careers for all students,” said Dr. Lisa Milenkovic, Supervisor of STEM and Computer Science in BCPS Applied Learning Department. “All students can benefit from CS. The knowledge and skills they learn can be used in virtually every industry that exists today – and career paths that will exist in the future. We are excited to be participating in this grant-funded program.”
CS Inclusion builds upon CSEveryone, the existing efforts out of UF to expand CS education in K-12 settings through teacher preparation as a part of the Kenneth C. Griffin CS Education for All Initiative. The CSEveryone team, led by Israel, is working to develop, implement and research innovative approaches that prepare educators everywhere to teach computer science to all K–12 learners.
“We believe that all students deserve the opportunity to explore, advance, and succeed in computer science,” said Carina Box, Google’s Tech Education Partnerships Lead. “The CS Inclusion effort is a scalable and sustainable solution to address a critical challenge that will have an immediate and lasting impact on so many students.”
To learn more about the CS Inclusion program in action and how it is already impacting students in BCPS, read “These teachers are bringing computer science to students with disabilities” in Google’s blog, The Keyword.
For more information on the CS Inclusion initiative, visit browardschools.com/browardcodes.
“We’re doing something extraordinary here at UF with our partners in Broward County Public Schools,” said Israel. “With support from Google, we are expanding the scope and reach of this initiative both within Broward, the sixth largest school district in the country, and beyond.”