Launch a district-wide computer science program for all grades

Key points:

With 24,000 students, Springfield Public Schools typically ranks among the three largest school districts in Massachusetts. Our students are distributed across 31 elementary schools, two preschools, and seven high schools. It is no exaggeration to say that computational thinking plays a role in all of them. Fortunately, the district obtained a grant that allowed us to offer computer science at all grade levels, starting at preschool. However, because many of our teachers did not have a computer science background, this large-scale implementation was not an easy task.

Meet standards and manage devices

One of our first challenges was that Massachusetts has specific digital literacy and computer science standards that are a little different than the national CSTA standards used by many other states. Our department combines digital and computer literacy, so we have four different lines that cover concepts of digital citizenship and computational thinking.

Springfield Public Schools is fortunate to be a 1:1 district that provides Microsoft laptops for all students, giving all students access to Office 365. Managing devices for thousands of students requires a substantial time commitment. As a result, computer science teachers must spend two-thirds of their time teaching and one-third managing the different devices students use.

Hiring new computer science teachers

With so many students to consider, the district decided to hire or reassign a teacher to fill the role of computer science teacher at each school. Educators did not need to obtain an additional license to teach computer science at the time (a computer and digital literacy license for Massachusetts came out in fall 2023), so candidates only needed to be licensed teachers. Our candidate pool was a mix of completely new hires and transitioning teachers from other subjects, many of whom had no computer science experience. This meant that the district needed a curriculum that was strong enough to support all of these teachers, regardless of their level of computer science knowledge or experience.

Building the right computer science curriculum

The decision to hire computer science teachers for each building was part of a broader “CSforAll Springfield” initiative. In partnership with Sage Fox Consulting and UMass Amherst, we brought together a team of teachers to select a curriculum that incorporated computational thinking standards into lessons already being taught. For example, a kindergarten lesson on algorithms is integrated into practical procedures for a fire drill.

We had a scope and sequence that met our standards, as well as suggestions for different activities and lesson plans, but we needed something that would work for each grade level individually without taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

We choose the study plan Ellipsis education for a few key reasons. The curriculum clearly lays out each lesson in a way that allows teachers to follow it like a script. Ellipsis teaches specific technology skills, such as using the Scratch programming platform, that align well with the skills at the core of our computer science standards. The program also provides ongoing professional development support for teachers.

As with any new initiative, professional development (PD) has been key. Recently, for example, we went beyond the usual Zoom PD to offer an all-day in-person session that gave teachers without CS experience more detailed information about CS pedagogy, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with their teachers more experienced colleagues.

Sharing ideas

To provide teachers with the most up-to-date information they need to take advantage of all available resources and show district stakeholders how our IT initiative is going, we use several different communication tools.

With 30 elementary buildings and six secondary buildings that I oversee, linking teachers across the district can be a struggle. Teachers and other staff members use several platforms to share resources, including Microsoft Teams, Schoology, and a dedicated channel for technology assignments. Teachers use these channels to exchange ideas, share celebrations, and receive announcements. Overall, our teachers have been delighted with the results and are proud to show the great work they and their students are doing.

Tips for other districts

It's been a challenge putting everything in place, but I wouldn't do anything different. By taking the time to listen to teachers and learn what they need, we have been able to establish the right resources that align with our curriculum and put us on the path to achieving our high-level goals.

If I could narrow down the best advice I can offer other districts, it would be to start slow, leverage your resources, find partners, and get administrative buy-in any way you can. We want the next generation to have a comprehensive understanding of everything that computing entails. To achieve this, it is crucial to take the lead and keep students at the center of any new IT initiative.