Scaling MENTORS in CS (Matching Experienced and Novice Teachers for Ongoing Rigorous Support in Computer Science)

The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), in collaboration with the CSTA chapters in Wisconsin and New Jersey, the CSTA Black Affinity Group, and WestEd, will implement Scaling MENTORS in CS (Matching Experienced and Novice Teachers for Ongoing Rigorous Support in Computer Science), a research-practice partnership to expand and iteratively improve a peer mentorship program to provide ongoing, rigorous, and job-embedded support to high school teachers who are new to teaching computer science (CS). While novice teachers often require more intensive support to be effective, there are relatively few opportunities for ongoing professional development and support in CS. In this project, experienced CS teachers will guide novice CS teachers in setting, monitoring progress toward, and meeting individualized growth goals to strengthen their teaching practices and their ability to effectively serve students in CS, particularly students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This project will reach 152 CS teachers in three years, impacting approximately 18,240 students. Key project activities involve recruiting and matching teachers in mentoring partnerships; training mentors and hosting regular community of practice meetings; holding frequent mentoring meetings; and using research and evaluation data to iteratively improve the program and outcomes. The Scaling MENTORSin CS partners will examine the following research questions: 1) How does Scaling MENTORS in CS support mentees' teaching knowledge and confidence, job satisfaction and commitment to teaching CS, and use of effective teaching practices? 2) How does Scaling MENTORS in CS support mentors' teaching knowledge and confidence, job satisfaction and commitment to teaching CS, use of effective teaching practices, and mentoring ability? 3) In what ways are mentors' and mentees' views of their similarities and differences associated with how they perceive the effectiveness of their mentoring relationship, particularly in the areas of CS content, pedagogy, and effective teaching? This project scales the MENTORS in CS program to two new communities, while learning how to adjust program structures to meet varying sociocultural and educational contexts. With success, the team supported by this grant intends to apply for a future Large-sized proposal to scale far more broadly across CSTA’s growing network of 100+ regional chapters and affinity groups, ultimately reaching thousands of teachers across the United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.