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With the growing demand for computer scientists and information technology personnel, there is increasing recognition of the importance of introducing students to computer science (CS) education throughout their K–12 studies. Across the United States, there is a concerted effort to integrate CS courses into high school curricula and to expose students to CS concepts as early as elementary school. In response, many states have passed legislation mandating that all high schools offer CS courses, under the assumption that increasing the number of course offerings will equate to broader access and opportunity for all students. However, this paper demonstrates that simply expanding the availability of CS courses does not inherently ensure equitable access, particularly when the underlying distribution of qualified teachers and other key resources remains uneven. These policy efforts, while well-intentioned, risk reinforcing or even exacerbating existing disparities in access to quality CS education and, by extension, potential participation in the technical workforce. To address this challenge, we introduce the Equity Driven Proportional Allocation of Resources (EDPAR) framework as both a method for assessing equity in resource distribution and a practical tool for identifying where resources, such as teachers, should be allocated using a student-weighted approach based on current imbalances. EDPAR supports policymakers and educational leaders in making data-informed decisions that go beyond course availability by quantifying systemic inequities in current resource allocation. We present a case study of Georgia public high schools to illustrate the application of EDPAR, focusing specifically on the allocation of Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science teachers and its relation to the proportion of Historically Marginalized Groups (HMGs) enrolled in each school. Importantly, the EDPAR framework is generalizable and can be applied to guide equitable and proportional allocation of any quantifiable educational resource across schools or districts.
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Changing notions of teacher autonomy: The intersection of teacher autonomy and instructional improvement in the US
Historically, teachers had been delegated the primary responsibility for the organization and management of classroom instruction in US public schools. While this delegation afforded teachers professional autonomy in their work, it has also resulted in disparities in students’ educational experiences and outcomes within and between classrooms, schools, and systems. In the effort to improve instruction and reduce disparities for students on a large scale, one reform effort in the US has focused on building instructionally focused education systems (IFESs) where central office and school leaders collaborate with teachers to organize and manage instruction. These efforts are playing out in a variety of contexts in the US, including in public school districts, non-profits, and other educational networks, and it is shifting how teachers carry out the day-to-day work of instruction. In this comparative case study, we investigate two IFESs in which efforts to improve instruction pushed against historic norms of teacher autonomy. We found that these new systems are not at odds with teacher autonomy, but rather these systems reflect a transition to more interdependent notions of teacher autonomy.
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- PAR ID:
- 10327062
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Research in Education
- ISSN:
- 0034-5237
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 003452372110558
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1177/00345237211055843
