Jane Krauss, NCWIT

March 15, 2016

Recruiting Students into Computer Sciencemore participation greater opportunity

2. Factors influencing participation• Infrastructure

• Girls and Boys

3. Encouraging participation• Recruit

• Sustain

• Advance

WELCOME

1. Set the Scene: MA Computing landscape

THE COMPUTING LANDSCAPE

COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATIONYou’re part of a national movement!

NSF CS 10K Project 10,000 teachers in 10,000 high schools teaching new, rigorous curricula

New Courses Exploring Computer Science (ECS) and new AP CS Principles: courses aimed at increasing participation among underrepresented groups

Computing in the Core Ed policy effort to make CS count for graduation, sci/math for college – MA: Not yet

CS Education Week Awareness campaign and celebration each December, incl. Code.org’s Hour of Code

Michael Stone, Albert Einstein Fellow, NSF

Teachers trained in ECS and CSP

WHERE THE SCHOOLS WERE: 2013Districts with more than 10 AP-CS test-takers and more than 3 with passing 3-5 grades

WHERE THE SCHOOLS ARE: 2016

2015 MA AP Test Taking by GenderCalculus AB Computer Sci A

CALCULUS AB

CALC ABPERCEN

TAGE Boys/Girls

COMPUTER SCIENCE A

CS A PERCENTA

GE Boys/Girls

RATIO CALC AB to CS A

TOTAL 8876 --  1784 --  31:1

MALES 4505 51% 1394 78% 5:1

FEMALES 4371 49% 400 22% 10:1

2015 MA AP TEST TAKING BY GENDER

THE MA INNOVATION ECONOMY

Massachusetts ranks number 1 nationally in:» knowledge jobs, high tech jobs, managerial,

professional and technical jobs, workforce education

Massachusetts ranks number 2 nationally in:» fast growing firms, migration to the state of U.S.-

based knowledge workers, broadband telecommunication infrastructure and deployment, health IT, and investments of venture capital.

The 2012 State New Economy Index.Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Massachusetts STEM and CS

Examine:www.DICE.com

Where the Jobs Are and Aren’t STEM DEGREES AND JOBS IN THE US

American Intl College Amherst College Anna Maria College Assumption Collage Atlantic Union College Babson College Bard College Becker College Bentley U

Berkshire CC Boston College Boston U Brandeis U Bridgewater State U Bristol CC Bunker Hill CC Cape Cod CC. Clark U Curry College Dean College

Eastern Nazarene College Elms College Emerson College. Endicott College Fisher College Fitchburg State U Framingham State U Gordon College Gordon

College Greenfield CC Hampshire College Harvard U Holy Cross College Holyoke CC ITT Tech Inst Lasell College Marian Court College MA College of

Art and Design MA College of Liberal Arts MIT U of MA Amherst U of MA Boston U of MA Dartmouth U of MA Lowell Massasoit CC Merrimack College Mount Holyoke Mount Wachusett CC New Eng Inst of Art Newbury College North Shore CC Northern Northern Essex CC Quincy College Quinsigamond CC Regis College Roxbury CC Salem State U Boston MA Sanford U Simmons College Smith College Springfield College Springfield Tech CC Stonehill

College Suffolk U Tufts U Wellesley College Wentworth Inst of Tech Western New England U Westfield State Wheaton College Williams College Worcester

Polytechnic Inst Worcester State U

Technical Degree-Granting Institutions in MA

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Artificial Intelligence, Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Computer and Information Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences,

Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance, Computer Graphics, Computer Programming, Computer Programming, Specific

Applications, Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification, Computer Programming/Programmer, General, Computer Science, Computer Software and

Media Applications, Computer Support Specialist, Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst, Computer Systems, Networking and Telecommunications,

Computer/Information Technology Svcs. Administration and Management, Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database

Administration, Data Processing Technology/Technician, Informatics, Information Science/Studies, Information Technology, Information Technology Project

Management, Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Network and System Administration/Administrator, System, Networking, and LAN/WAN

Management/Manager, Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design, Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster

TECH MAJORS & DEGREES CONFERRED IN MA

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Attend to considerations of infrastructure

As an elective, where does CS fit in the master schedule?

Who’s job is it to know about, recruit for the course?

Role of parents

What Can Influencers Do?

Chat: What issues affect access in your school?

Make the most of four external factors that influence student education & career choices

What Can Influencers Do?

Be alert to four internal factors that influence student education & career choices

EXTERNAL FACTORS influencingstudents’ education and career choices

Access to quality experiences

Exposure to role models

Encouragement Recognition

What can counselors do?

1. Human Computer Interaction

2. Problem Solving3. Web Design4. Introduction to

Programming 5. Computing and Data

Analysis6. Robotics

Show what kids will do in...EXPLORING COMPUTER SCIENCE

Curiosity and imagination

Flexible, creative thinking

Strong effort in math and

science

Communication skills in

order to tackle challenges

with others

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ENCOURAGEMENTTell kids how personal capabilities, experiences map to CSYou might be good at Computer Science if you have…

PERSONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING CAREER CHOICES

Choice of Occupation

INTEREST

What can counselors do? Encourage CONNECT WITH PERSONAL INTERESTS, ACTIVITIES

YearbookSports MusicCheerClubsService

What can counselors do? Encourage

Girls’ most-reported college majors, according to the SAT:1. Health & Allied

Services

2. Social Sciences & History

3. Business & Commerce

4. Education

5. Visual or Performing Arts

CONNECT WITH CAREER INTERESTS

AP CSP Video

Confidence

DON’T MISTAKE CONFIDENCE OR EXPERIENCE FOR ABILITY

EMPHASIZE GROWTH IN INTELLIGENCE

See Carol Dweck’s work

The effort to master difficult material actually increases intellectual ability

DESCRIBE HOW YOU, THE COURSE PROMOTE SUCCESS• What you do to make sure students are successful• Interesting projects and assignments• Relevance to career preparation

BE ENCOURAGING AND STRAIGHTFORWARD ABOUT DEMANDS OF THE CLASS

“You’d be great at this”“This will be new for you, so you will have to work, but

you can do it”“I want you in my class”

IDENTITY

CONNECT WITH ROLE MODELS

Who? Pros and Students…

Industry professionals Technical parentsUniversity faculty and students“Near” peersAspiration Award winners

Where? Community…

School…

Job shadow, internshipField tripUniversity tourCareer fair Guest lecture

BELONGING

PROMOTE BELONGING AND

INCLUSIVITY

• Have friends recruit friends• Use inclusive language• Tell them you want them to study computing• Set up a welcoming physical environment

• Recruit in groups

INVITING ENVIRONMENTScommunicate a sense of belonging to a broad population

http://bit.ly/1Eykiqv http://bit.ly/1E9UhuQ Kim Arnold’s SlideShare Deck

REACH OUT

Recruit at orientation, elective fairs

Connect current students with prospective students

Collaborate with clubs, sports teams

Talk to other counselors, teachers

Share opportunities with parents

AP RECRUITMENT ADVICE and VIDEO

OTHERS CAN DELIVER THE MESSAGE

Share messages with other influencers: counselors, other teachers, principals, parentsProvide them with up-to-date information and resources

MAKE COMPUTER SCIENCE VISIBLE

DEVELOP EXHIBITS AND POSTERS; BRING IN GUEST SPEAKERS

Use successful messaging techniques (ICBI)

Photos on posters: People rather than things, results rather than tech

WGBH DotDiva www.dotdiva.org

MAKE PROJECTS VISIBLE

Show ECS projects in • Posters

- outside classroom - counseling office - in library

• Web pages• Blogs, newsletters• Events

- teaser sessions- gallery walks

http://ncnewschools.org/blog/games-with-a-purpose-938

PUBLICLY CELEBRATE SUCCESSES OF CURRENT & FORMER STUDENTS

ncwit.org/award

RAISE VISIBILITY FOR YOUR PROGRAM & STUDENTS

TURNED DOWN? DON’T LET REFUSAL BE PERMANENT

“Can we talk again before you choose your courses for next year?”

“If not now, consider CS in college”

Use NCWIT MaterialsCounselors for Computing Kit•What & how letter•Pathway cards & poster•Talking Point cards•Aspiration Award info•InfoSheet•Lesson plan & presentation

www.ncwit.org/c4c

What can counselors do?

NCWIT “TOP 10 WAYS” BOOKLETS

Involve familiesRecruit girls Encourage underrepresented students

www.ncwit.resources/10ways

TALKING POINTS CARDS

SAMPLE JOBS AVAILABLE WITH MILITARY TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION

*Upon leaving service

SAMPLE JOBS AVAILABLE WITH 2-YEAR AA, AAS DEGREE OR INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION

…continues with 4-yr, adv. degree jobs

SAMPLE JOBS AVAILABLE WITH 4-YEAR OR ADVANCED DEGREE

ACTIVELY RECRUIT Expose students to CS opportunities

Create successful messages

Reach out

Raise visibility of CS

Persuade personally and overcome objections

Contact Jane Krauss jkrauss@ncwit.org Joyce Malyn-Smith jmsmith@edc.org

C4C Kits? www.ncwit.org/c4c

Questions, Thoughts, Comments

From Code.org

• Massachusetts currently has 21,450 open computing jobs (3.2 times the average demand rate in Massachusetts).

• The average salary for a computing occupation in MA is $100,663, which is significantly higher than the average salary in the state ($57,610).

• Massachusetts had only 1,609 computer science graduates in 2014; only 21% were female.

• Only 1,784 high school students in Massachusetts took the AP Computer Science exam in 2015; only 22% were female; only 102 were Hispanic; only 51 were black.

• Only 108 schools in MA (26% of MA schools with AP programs) offered the AP Computer Science course in 2013-2014.

• There are fewer AP exams taken in computer science than in any other STEM subject area.