| State: Massachusetts | Number of Students: 957 |
| School Type: Charter Management Organization | Free and Reduced Lunch: 41.4% |
| Grade Level: 5-9 |
School Context
This network of tuition-free, public charter schools addresses the severe academic underperformance and low college matriculation rates of the student populations in their community. The network serves 224 students, grades 5 through 8. At full scale in 2019, this school will enroll a total of 1,350 students in grades 5-12. 95% of the student body is on free and reduced lunch and are English Language Learners.
State of Technology
As part of the administration's educational priorities and a growing student interest, this network would like to build out their computer science program. They are hoping to prepare students for college and their careers by building tangible experiences through coding and computer science.
They currently do not have a program in place, but have a strong math and science program.
Tech Needs & Requirements
With the knowledge that many of their instructors will not have the knowledge base to develop a coding class, they are hoping to find a solution that helps them build one out. The class runs twice a week for an hour, it will be an elective and part of the school schedule. Students will be actively engaged in their programs, self- driven. The teacher will not have the technical background, but will act as a coach, so they are looking for a program that can present the content and even help the teachers learn as they go. They are considering two approaches. The tool might supply the teacher with professional development, like lesson plans to help guide them through implementing the course or the tool itself is sufficient to lead students through the lessons on its own. They are looking for a tool that is introductory level that might eventually lead students on a pathway to take the AP exam later in their high school career, for Computer Science Principles AP Test.Ideally, they would like some sort of formative or summative assessment built into the tool, but type is open. Some way of assessing student progress is important.
The teacher will act like a coach in this class.
The tool must be a program that is focused on introductory coding and can work as the primary source for elective course. The network provides 1:1 Chromebooks. They would like to be able to monitor student progress. The tool must stand alone and if possible, integrate with Illuminate.