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Texas Teacher Externships (TEX2)& WeTeach_CS

ECHS Best Practices SummitAugust 3, 2017Austin, TX

Carol Fletcher, Ph.D.Deputy Director, Center for STEM Education

The University of Texas at Austincarol.fletcher@utexas.edu

@drfletcher88 ● @weteachcs

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Teacher Externships

What is a Teacher Externship?

A teacher externship is a professional development opportunity connecting the classroom to the workplace.

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Teacher Externships

in order to enrich and strengthen instruction and bring relevance to student learning.

Through conversations with industry leaders and via direct experience at a job site,

the teacher learns about the trends, skills and opportunities in industry related to their content area

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Teacher Externships

Teacher externships can include everything from:

to longer term experiences often referred to as teacher internships.

job shadowing

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Teacher ExternshipsACCEPTED PROPOSALS INDUSTRY PROJECT DIRECTORS

Region 2 WeTeach_CS Computer Science Janelle Reyes

Region 6 Science Energy/Telecommunications/ Municipal Infrastructure Danna Mitschke

Region 12 Mathematics Construction Jennifer Maine

Region 12 WeTeach CS Multifaceted Industries Andi Parr

Region 18 Mathematics Energy/Aerospace/Construction Michelle Rinehart

Region 19 WeTeach_CS Construction Jeffrey Strom

Region 2 WeTeach_CS Computer Science Janelle Reyes

Region 20 Mathematics Education Brandi Simpson

Region 20 Science Education Nancy Rodriguez

UT Tyler Science Aerospace Fredericka Brown

Youth Code Jam WeTeach_CS Computer Debi Pfitzenmaier

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Pilot Experiences• Startup Weekend – focused on entrepreneurship• Regional Electric Company• TX Water Development Board• AT&T• General Motors

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TEX2 Timeline

RFP released by UT Austin

Proposals due

School-year follow-up

experiences

MarchFebruary Fall 2018Summer 2018November

Notification of grants awarded

Externships

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Key Features of TEX2

• Focus on Governor’s Industry Clusters

• Priority for campuses with existing industry partnership requirements such as Innovative Academies, ECHS, TSTEM, P-Tech.

• Minimum of 10 teachers

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TEX2 Potential Outcomes• Establishing long-term relationship that

leads to student internships• Engagement of industry personnel in

student PBL, career day, mentorships, etc. • Teacher developed real-world lesson plans

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Teacher Externships

• What worked really well?• What were the key components of

strong partnerships?• What pre-training needs to be

provided?• What follow up is required to support

transfer to classroom?• What resources and/or tools are

needed for future programs?

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WeTeach_CS

Industry Cluster Innovation AcademyAugust 1, 2017Austin, TX

Carol Fletcher, Ph.D.Deputy Director, Center for STEM Education

The University of Texas at Austincarol.fletcher@utexas.edu

@drfletcher88 ● @weteachcs

12Code Wizards HQ

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By 2020 there will be 1,000,000 more computing jobs than graduates to fill them.

Source: Code.org, 2014

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40%All other STEMjobs

60%Computingjobs

90%All other STEMgraduates

10%Computinggraduates

The STEM problem is in CS20%

female8%

hispanicor black

Sources: College Board, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation

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0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Fewer computer science graduates than 10 years ago (and half as many women):

Source:: Code.org - National Science Foundation, National Center for Education Statistics

FEMALE

MALE

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Percentage of computing occupations held by women has been declining since 1991

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Percentage of Computing Occupations Held by Women

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Percentage of graduates who earned credit in high school computer science classes between 1990 and 2009.

It was the only STEM subject to experience a drop.

6%

Nord et al., 2011

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In 2015, of the 5,172 HS students in Texas who took the AP CS Exam

https://research.collegeboard.org/programs/ap/data/archived/ap-2015Texas Education Agency Pocket Edition 2014-2015

19%

3%78%

HS Students Who Took AP CS Exam

Even though the total student population was:

Other

Hispanic

Black

52%

13%

35%

Total HS Student Population

Hispanic

Black

Other

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In 2014-2015, 400 of the 1,459 high schools in Texas offered Computer Science.

Texas Education Agency, 2016

This represents 27% of the campuses.

TX HS Offering CS

Campuses

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Where Are the CS Teachers?

Only 14individuals completed a pre-service teacher education program to become

tifi d i

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No CS Teachers = No CS Students

Only 3% of Texas high school

graduates in 2015 had completed a

CS course.

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Texas is considered a national leader in K-12 CS Education.

• TX counts AP Computer Science as a math credit for graduation.• TX requires high school CS teachers to be certified in computer

science.• TX requires teachers to pass a CS content exam to be CS certified.• TX has state standards for computer science courses.• TX is a leader in the number of Black, Hispanic, and female AP CS

enrollees.• And…

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TX Requires CS to be offered in every high school!

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74.3(b)(2)(I) Tech App Curriculum Requirement – every district must offer, and74.3(b)(4) each student must have the opportunity to participate in the following:

Computer Science I

AP Computer Scienceor

At least two (2) of the following:• Computer Science III• Digital Art and Animation• Digital Communications in the

21st Century• Digital Design and Media

Production• Digital Forensics

• Digital Video and Audio Design• Discrete Mathematics for

Computer Science• Fundamentals of Computer

Science• Game Programming and Design• Independent Study in

Evolving/Emerging Technologies

• Independent Study in Technology Applications

• Mobile Application Development• Robotics Programming and Design• 3-D Modeling and Animation• Web Communications• Web Design• Web Game Development

Computer Science II

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Curriculum Requirement

Source: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html

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Elbow Partner Activity(1 minute per person/question)

• What is the state of CS in YOUR school or district?

• What resources are you currently using?

• What are your goals for improvement?

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WeTeachCS.org

WeTeach_CS helps connect educators with CS professional development opportunities to deepen skills, encourage innovation and build relationships with other educators.

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WeTeach_CS Program Overview

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WeTeach_CS Year at-a-glanceAccomplishments to Date September 1, 2016 – June 5,

2017

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870 educators

34%

21%

45%

Rural

Suburban

Urban

Since September 1, 2016, WeTeach_CS has servedSchool Profile

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Since September 2016,WeTeach_CS has served

• 516 Campuses

• 245 Districts

78% of Campuses are Title I eligible

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CS Teaching Background

of teachers reported NOCS teaching background48%

3636Apply TODAY!

Funded by

Certification Incentive Program

(CIP)Through the support of 100Kin10 and TEA, the CIP provides the opportunity for Texas educators to apply for a $1,000 STIPEND awarded by the TRC for successfully attaining their certification goal.

Reward Teachers

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316 Texas educators have become CS certified since

Fall 2015

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to learn more about upcoming trainings and events

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