Strategies to Build Education-industry Partnerships for Computer Science Education for Rural Elementary Students in Idaho

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

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes
The objective of this study is to gauge the capacity and willingness of local industries to partner with rural school districts to develop computer science (CS) educational programming for elementary schools in Idaho.

Theoretical Framework
The study draws the Capacity, Access, Participation, Experience (CAPE) framework for supporting equitable CS education [5] which emphasizes that building systems to support equitable CS education must include attention to the capacities of the district in terms of teachers, funding, and policies. Rural districts tend to have fewer science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-trained teachers and lower levels of funding than their urban counterparts [33], suggesting a need for strategies for bolstering rural district capacity for CS. Setting up partnerships between educators and local industries has the potential to increase the capacity of rural districts for CS through financial resources and CS expertise provided by the industry partner. For this reason, this study was designed to explore the potential of district-industry partnerships.

Methods and Data Sources
One researcher conducted two one-hour focus groups with industry representatives from across Idaho. A total of nine industry representatives participated, with each focus group having four or five participants. The protocol included questions on organizations’ interest in educational outreach, expected benefits from school partnerships, barriers to partnerships, and strategies for engaging elementary students and schools. The conversations were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Researchers used an inductive approach to analyze major themes and patterns within and across the two focus groups.

Results
Industry representatives strongly believe it is important for elementary students across Idaho to receive CS education. All nine participants emphasized that their organizations offer a wide variety of STEM and CS-related jobs, and they view early CS education as essential to cultivating future talent and sustaining their workforce. Seven focus group participants also highlighted that CS skills are not only relevant for software engineering roles, but are applicable in fields like agriculture, data management, and marketing.

While all expressed personal interest in improving CS education, eight out of nine participants identified several barriers to developing and sustaining partnerships with elementary schools. These barriers included limited funding for staffing, logistical challenges such as long travel times to rural schools, and lack of direct benefit or return on investment for companies participating in elementary-level educational events.

Eight participants shared ideas for how to structure school-industry partnerships. The ideas included both in-classroom (e.g. guest speakerships) and out-of-classroom (e.g., field trip) events for students, community-wide events that would include parents, and planning meetings with school leadership.

Scholarly Significance
This study identifies key supports and barriers to developing CS programs for rural elementary students in Idaho through partnerships with industries. These findings can inform efforts to create sustainable CS education initiatives for rural Idaho elementary schools. Additionally, these insights may benefit similar efforts to expand CS education in rural communities in other states.

Authors

• Kathryn Rich, American Institutes for Research

• Dajung Diana Oh, American Institutes for Research

• Mahima Bhattar, American Institutes for Research