Creating an Equity Ecosystem: Successes, Challenges, and Potential for Dismantling Racial Injustice

• In Event: Transforming Computer Science Classrooms for Social Justice: Developing an Equity Ecosystem in an Urban District

Abstract

Objective and Background
This presentation will describe an “equity ecosystem” --a model of educator empowerment and professional learning--created as part of a CS for All initiative. Since 2015, the initiative has aimed to provide high-quality CS instruction to all K-12 students, fostering computational thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills. As a crucial component, the district offers comprehensive support and professional learning opportunities to teachers and school leaders. Teachers engage in CS curriculum and pedagogy professional development, while school and teacher leaders participate in training on developing a school-wide CS vision and plan, supporting teacher instruction, and culture building.

Acknowledging that building teachers’ technical skill in computer science alone is not enough to address the longstanding disparities in CS education and industry, the district introduced an "equity ecosystem" that seeks to empower educators to critically examine and enhance their anti-racist practices while elevating the rigor and relevance of CS instruction. The ecosystem's focus is to nurture authentic, relevant, and anti-racist CS pedagogy and curriculum, promoting racial equity and ensuring meaningful engagement in CS learning for Black, Latinx, and female students (Ryoo, 2019; Mirakhur, Fancsali & Hill, 2021). Notably, the ecosystem recognizes that teachers operate within broader systems that can facilitate or hinder the implementation of culturally responsive and socially equitable CS education. Thus, it addresses structural, interpersonal, and institutional racism, fostering support throughout classrooms and schools. The goal is to expand the pool of educators practicing culturally responsive education while establishing an infrastructure to support their growth, well-being and commitment to social justice-oriented CS education.

Modes of Inquiry
As a former teacher and current district school leader, the presenter will provide her perspective as someone directly involved in the work. She will also draw on internal and external survey and qualitative findings regarding the successes and challenges of the work.

Results
External and internal research indicates teachers responded very positively to the PD and supports provided as part of the ecosystem. However, the district also faced a number of hurdles in implementing their vision, including balancing the need to enrich teachers’ technical computing skills (e.g., programming) with the need to increase capacity to integrate a variety of culturally relevant practices. The district also found that many teachers were unclear about and uncomfortable with the mandate to integrate identity and social justice into their CS instruction. This, in part, reflected many teachers’ beliefs in the myths that CS is inherently objective and unbiased. In some cases, teachers saw CR-SE as unrelated to CS. As one teacher reported, “I think having such a huge focus on [CR-SE] is really awful and not beneficial, since it does not relate to CS at all.”

Scholarly Significance
This presentation describes a cutting-edge, transformative model of an ecosystem that supports professional learning and empowerment that centers educator introspection, social identity, and social equity in CS education. This work advances the field by illuminating both the pitfalls and potential for creating an equity ecosystem to dismantle injustice.

Author

• Christy Crawford, New York City Public Schools