Exploring Computer Science Education Structures and Pathways in Illinois
An Urgent Research Project to Improve Equitable Access and Outcomes
An Urgent Research Project to Improve Equitable Access and Outcomes
Access to technology careers is an urgent equity issue. Technology jobs are more remunerative and recession-proof than other occupations, but many minoritized populations (including women, Latinx, and Black workers) are starkly underrepresented in these professions. This project includes a pair of studies aimed at understanding how to promote success in computer science (CS) education for minoritized learners in Illinois. These studies examine the current K-12 infrastructure for starting minoritized learners on CS pathways, as well as individual-level factors that encourage or discourage minoritized learners from persisting in CS in post-secondary education or alternative pathways.
This Series analyzes the landscape, structures, and pathways to and through computer science (CS) education in Illinois and create a baseline by which to measure the expansion of CS education in the coming years.
This Series analyzes enrollment and completion outcomes for female, Black, and Latinx students in Illinois college CS programs.
This Series aims to understand the pathways and experiences of computer science (CS) students in post-secondary programs paying particular attention to students from historically marginalized groups.
In 2013, CSforAll initiatives started throughout the U.S., including Chicago. This initiative pushed school districts to offer CS instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade.
In 2020, Chicago Public Schools (who were at the forefront of CSforAll) graduated its first class that had a computer science graduation requirement. However, that same year, College Board and Common Core of Data put out a report that shows Black, LatinX, and female students nationwide were all disproportionately underrepresented in AP Computer Science relative to overall high school participation in other AP courses.
According to the Landscape report of K-12 Computer Science Education in Illinois from Hegeman-Davis and Sewell (2021), the state faces significant barriers to equitable CS education as well. Namely, the urban-rural digital divide, CS teacher shortages, and differences in course offerings were all cited as critical concerns of the state’s current computer science education system.
In March 2021, Illinois House Bill 2170, or the Education and Workforce Equity Act, was signed into law. HB 2170 was a measure brought forth by the Illinois legislative Black Caucus with the aim to improve access and racial equity in the state’s education system. Among many things, HB 2170 mandated an expansion of the Illinois computer science education system:
The two-part study will seek to answer the following research questions:
The Exploring Computer Science Education Structures and Pathways in Illinois research portfolio would not be possible without the support of many. This research was generously funded by an anonymous donor. We thank this funder for allowing us to complete this important work.
This research portfolio benefits from the expertise of an advisory board comprised of CS researchers, advocates, teachers, industry representatives, and more to guide our work. We thank Ben Boer, Jessie “Chuy” Chavez, Doris Espiritu, Greg Gilson, Sarah Hartwick, Raya Hegeman-Davis, Keith Jacobs Jr., Chad Lane, Maureen LaReveriere, Latanya McSwine, Kirk Mustain, Amita Shetty, Carla Strickland, Abril Vela, and Stephanie Wascher for their continued support.
We thank Charity Freeman, special advisor on this project, for her expertise and guidance in our work.
We thank the Illinois State Board of Education and their Data Strategies and Analytics Department and K-12 Curriculum and Instruction Department for providing data and valuable insights into K-12 education in the state. We thank the many post-secondary institutions in Illinois who partnered with us and continue to do the work to make CS education accessible for all students.
Lastly, we thank the many CS and tech students across the state of Illinois who have shared their lived experiences with us in the hopes of creating a more accessible and inclusive community for future computer scientists.
