Table of Contents:
- Ongoing SEED Grant: 2022-23 AP CS A
- Participation Benefits
- Participation Requirements
- Previous SEED Grant: 2020-21 AP CS Principles
Ongoing SEED Grant: 2022–23 AP CS A
UTeach CS recruited U.S. schools and teachers to participate in a U.S. Department of Education Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant, starting in 2022–23.
UTeach CS is providing free training, curriculum, and ongoing support to new and experienced AP CS A teachers for two years, along with a teacher stipend. UTeach and its research partner, American Institutes for Research (AIR), will study the implementation and impact of the curriculum on students and teachers in the first year of the project. Participating schools will receive a free AP CSA license in the second year, without any accompanying research activities required.
This project aims to 1) increase the number of highly qualified computer science teachers in schools and 2) broaden participation of underrepresented students in CS through project-based curriculum. The study will provide information to participating districts about the effectiveness of the UTeach CSA curriculum with training and support, and it will help districts expand CS course offerings to high school students by providing free CSA curriculum. View Flyer.
Benefits:
- Two years of free access to the UTeach AP Computer Science A curriculum and ongoing teacher support ($1,600+ value), including comprehensive teacher materials, interactive student textbook, and built-in programming environments on the cloud-based Codio platform
- Free online professional development ($1,000 value), which is College Board–endorsed, or a shorter platform training for experienced AP CSA teachers in the summer of 2022
- Up to $2,000 teacher stipends for participating in all research activities
Eligibility:
- All U.S. public and private schools are eligible, with high-needs designated schools given priority in the selection process.
- Schools must offer at least one section of AP Computer Science A in the 2022-23 academic year to participate, and a minimum of 10 students is highly encouraged
- Schools must agree to provide teacher- and student-level administrative data, including AP exam scores, and to participate in research activities related to the research study
Grant Timeline and Teacher Incentives:
This grant is now closed to new applicants. The final deadline for districts to sign the Memorandum of Understanding was July 29, 2022.
Teachers who participate in all research activities are eligible to receive up to a $2,000 stipend. An initial stipend was issued in fall 2022 for the first three research activities and a final stipend will be issued in September 2023 based on participation levels for the last five research activities. The timeline of research activities, and incentives tied to each activity, are as follows.
| Date | Activity | Who is Responsible | Description | Incentives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Options in Summer 2022 | Professional Development | Teacher | Teachers will attend either the full 35-hour professional development workshop or the 2-hour "advanced" professional development workshop for experienced AP CSA teachers. | $350 |
| Multiple Options in Summer 2022 | Grant Kick-Off Meeting | Teacher | Teachers will attend a webinar providing important details about the grant, including information about goals, research activities, participation expectations, and stipend logistics. | $100 |
| August/September 2022 | Beginning-of-Year Teacher Survey | Teacher | Teachers will take an electronic survey during the first few weeks of the school year. | $200 |
| October 15, 2022 | Fall Workshop | Teacher | Teachers will attend a fall workshop exploring student engagement metrics, increasing student belonging in CS, and engaging learners from all backgrounds and experience levels. | $150 |
| November 15, 2022 | AP Exam Registration and Ordering Deadline | Teacher and AP Coordinator | Teachers should encourage all students to register for the AP CSA Exam. AP Coordinators must submit their school's exam orders by the following deadlines: October 4, 2022: Preferred ordering deadline November 15, 2022: Final ordering deadline for full-year and fall-only courses March 15, 2023: Final ordering deadline for spring-only courses | – |
| February 25, 2023 | Spring Workshop | Teacher | Teachers will attend a spring workshop revisiting student engagement metrics, increasing student belonging in CS, and engaging learners from all backgrounds and experience levels. | $150 |
| End of Each Unit | Student Surveys | Teacher | Students will complete anonymized end-of-unit surveys through the online curriculum platform. AIR will provide either passive or active consent forms at the beginning of the year, in alignment with district guidelines. Each unit survey with at least 85% student participation will contribute $50 to the total stipend. | $350 |
| TBD | Administrative data and AP Exam scores | Data Contact | The data contact from the school or district will upload student course enrollment data, demographic data, and AP CSA exam scores to a secure site. | $500 |
| May 2023 | End-of-Year Teacher Survey | Teacher | Teachers will take an electronic survey during the last month of the school year. | $200 |
Teachers at participating schools who complete the above research activities and submit the license request form are eligible for a free UTeach AP CSA license in the second year of the grant (2023–24). No research activities are involved in the second year of the grant (2023–24).
Previous SEED Grant: 2020-21 AP CS Principles
For information about the previous SEED grant for AP CS Principles in 2020-21, click here.