AiiCE Policy Initiatives examine educational policies to enhance student success and academic excellence in K-16 computing education. Our research addresses:
Academic Access
- Expanding availability of high school computing courses, including Advanced Placement (AP)
- Ensuring course material accessibility
- Supporting equitable access to required technology
- Evaluating admission criteria for computing programs
Program Assessment
- Reviewing faculty evaluation methods
- Analyzing research impact metrics
- Expanding recognition of computing research contributions
- Improving course evaluation effectiveness
- Developing positive learning environments
K-12 Activities
CSTA’s teacher-led Policy Committee has developed the Teacher Advocacy Toolkit, an AiiCE resource, and trains teachers to effectively advocate for policies that support equitable CS implementation. The committee consists of 8–12 volunteers who meet regularly to develop and refine recommendations and resources. The committee’s purpose is to:
- Vet, develop, and adopt a set of CSTA-endorsed policy recommendations
- Develop a toolkit to support CSTA members and Chapter Leaders in effectively advocating for these policies at the state level.
The committee focuses on policies to increase entry, retention, and course/degree completion in CS. They present recommendations and resources annually at the CSTA Chapter Leadership Summit, held in conjunction with the CSTA Annual Conference.
Postsecondary Activities
Duke and CSAB are developing supplemental resources for (non) ABET-accredited computing programs and ABET program evaluators to support ABET criteria changes. These will help departments and program evaluators understand the changes, rationale, applications to real-world, computing issues, and suggested strategies to minimize (re)accreditation challenges. Duke is also leading studies on the experiences of departments preparing for, completing, and post-completion of (re)accreditation.