Recruiting Diverse Learners to High School Computer Science

This presentation highlights strategies for improving recruitment and engagement of under-represented students into high school (HS) computer science (CS) classes. Operating within the collaborative structure of a researcher-practitioner partnership (RPP), the CS diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies were conceived by members of the Rutgers Computer Science Teaching & Learning Collaboratory (CS-TLC), an NSF-funded RPP specifically established to build the capacity of schools to provide rigorous, inclusive CS education (CSE). Through an audit and reflection on current practice coupled with a synthesis of major findings from the education literature, CS-TLC formulated a three-pronged strategy to address equitable student recruitment-(i) tailoring communication and outreach activities, (ii) revisiting and updating relevant institutional practices or policies that directly or indirectly impact recruitment and engagement, and (iii) enhancing existing instructional practices. The presentation will preview each of these approaches, share preliminary qualitative evidence regarding their efficacy, and highlight the benefits of working within an RPP to conduct such work.