Standardizing Facilitator Development for Exploring Computer Science Professional Development

A key strategy for broadening CS participation

in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has been the enactment

of a high school CS graduation requirement. The Exploring

Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development

(PD) program serve as a core foundation for supporting

enactment of this policy. The CAFE´CS researcher-practitioner

partnership provides support for ECS implementation in CPS.

An important part of the sustainability of the ECS PD model in

CPS is the development of local workshop facilitators. Potential

facilitators have generally been selected based on the CAFE´CS

team’s personal familiarity with active ECS teachers. Once

selected, teachers engage in a two-year apprenticeship program

to become facilitators. However, in the three years since the

enactment of the policy, the number of ECS teachers and

students has grown significantly. This rapid expansion of the CS

teaching force has strained the ability to confidently identify new

facilitators from a large pool of teachers and ensure consistency

of workshop implementation. As a result, CAFE´CS is exploring

how to supplement the ECS Facilitator Development Model

through a proactive recruitment model and explicit support for

the mentoring process.