Westminster College of Salt Lake City, in partnership with Brigham Young University, proposes to create a new one-semester course modeled on the LAUSD Exploring Computer Science curriculum. The vast majority of Utah high school students do not have the opportunity to learn about computing beyond a required computer literacy course. This project seeks to provide all students in Utah public schools with an alternative to this existing computer literacy course. The Utah Exploring Computer Science Initiative will adapt the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum into a half-year course that meets the computer literacy high school graduation requirement for the state of Utah. Over three years, the project will prepare and support 100 teachers with summer professional development workshops, monthly meetings held during the academic year, a mentoring program, and a supportive online community. The proposed project will better prepare students with more advanced 21st century computing skills and will increase student, parent and counselor awareness of computing. It is anticipated that the ECS course will improve student perception of computing as a discipline, leading to increased student interest in additional CS courses, which will in turn drive demand for more rigorous course offerings, such as AP CS A or the proposed, new AP Computer Principles course. The project goal is to have the majority of Utah students taking the ECS course to fulfill their computer literacy high school graduation requirement within 5 years.
