Equity in Process, Equity in Outcomes: Youth Leadership Roles in District-Wide Computer Science Education Initiatives

• In Event: Who Has a "Seat at the Table"? Equity in Decision Making About Computer Science Education

Abstract

Computer science education (CSed) often aims to position youth as designers, creators, and those with a voice in their world. But do youth have opportunities to design, create, and have voice around the shape of their CSed learning experiences? In this paper, we explore the roles youth take that go beyond ‘student’ within the context of large-scale, district-wide CSed initiatives, highlighting the forms of agency, needed support, and potential outcomes for youth that take on active roles in such efforts.

Research on youth voice and leadership how institutional support for these activities results in a range of positive outcomes (Mitra, 2004), and comprehensive education initiatives benefit from their involvement. This includes youth-led roles to contribute to leadership activities (Eccles & Gootman, 2002; Kirshner et al., 2003, 2008; Zeldin et al., 2005), curriculum development (Fielding, 2001; Rudduck & Flutter, 2000), professional learning (Cook-Sather, 2006; Donohue et al., 2003), and research and evaluation (Fine et al., 2007)

Unfortunately, positioning youth into elevated roles in comprehensive education initiatives is often done poorly (Bragg, 2007; Fielding, 2004; Silva, 2003), and can leave youth feeling tokenized and disempowered (Mitra, 2007). To support both stronger outcomes for youth as well as legitimate contributions, it is vital to understand the types of active roles for youth within such initiatives, along with the specific support districts should provide.

This study draws on retrospective case studies of eight school districts of varying size, region, and demographics. Each has been implementing district-wide K-12 CSed equity initiatives for at least 2 years, providing a robust opportunity to examine the various roles played by students in these efforts. Study data included over 40 interviews across multiple district stakeholders, district public and internal documentation, and collaborative knowledge-building activities. These data were analyzed to determine what roles, beyond ‘learner’, students engaged in within a system-wide initiative, and what was required of the initiative to support them in those roles. A counter example is provided to show what happens when a student’s role is elevated but not adequately supported.

Findings highlight five distinct roles that students were elevated into: consultant, learning broker, teacher, researcher, and administrator. The work required of students in each role varied with respect to a district’s CSed equity initiative. For example, students in one district were elevated to a consultant role in order to guide approaches within a culturally responsive CS curriculum, while a student in another district used her elevated role as researcher to identify and address barriers to female participation in AP CS classes. Additionally, we found that distinctive forms of supports and scaffolding were required for each role and that the nature of benefits for the student was not only intrinsic to the role, but also contingent on the institutional structures in which the role was situated.

This study provides educators with an expansive view of youth’s competencies for playing roles that improve system-wide CSed initiatives, as well as with a rich set of strategies for supporting youth to be successful in and to benefit from those roles.

Authors

• David Phelps, CSforALL

• Rafi Santo, Telos Learning