Statewide Capacity Building To Increase Access in CS Education for Students with Disabilities

• In Event: Promoting Equitable CS and AI Education: Strategies to Expand Capacity and Access

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes
The objective of the Training and Consultation to Implement Computer Science (TACTICS) team is to leverage existing computer science (CS) and special education infrastructure in Pennsylvania to increase access and participation for students with disabilities in K-12 computer science (CS) education.

Theoretical Framework
This work is grounded in the CAPE (Capacity, Access, Participation, Experience) framework which frames equity in CS education as contingent upon systems-level factors. Key capacity factors affecting students with disabilities in CS include teacher preparation, professional development, curriculum, instructional strategies, and school culture. The TACTICS team supports regional IDEA-funded consultants (“TaC”) in growing their capacity as leaders in CS education through professional development, resource testing, and collaboration, so that they may in turn build the capacity of local schools to provide equitable access to CS education for students with disabilities.

Methods and Data Sources
We draw on four years of implementation of the program in whichTaC personnel from regional educational agencies (“intermediate units”) engage in monthly networking meetings, participate in customized professional development, collaborate to develop and implement CS materials, and contribute to other statewide K-12 CS education projects.
Evidence includes annual survey data from TACTICS team members, qualitative reflections from professional development sessions, and artifacts such as instructional materials created through the program. Additional data pertaining to student participation in TACTICS-related CS opportunities is also collected and analyzed.

Results
The project is ongoing; however, preliminary results show increased confidence and capacity among participants, enhanced collaboration across education systems, and an increase in representation of students with disabilities in regional and statewide CS events. Barriers include varying roles and turnover among TaC, and inconsistent participation across regions.

Scholarly Significance
Despite evidence that collaboration between CS and special education teachers can foster more inclusive learning spaces, little is known about the impacts of large-scale efforts to promote and sustain collaboration among the two groups. This report highlights preliminary results from the first four years of an ongoing statewide project to empower special education consultants to address capacity barriers at the local, regional, and state level for students with disabilities.

Authors

• Sara Frey, Lancaster Lebanon IU13

• Yi-Cheng Pan, Lancaster Lebanon IU13