Between 2016 and 2024, the Research Alliance conducted an in-depth evaluation of New York City’s Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative. CS4All sought to expand access to high-quality computer science education across the district, from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The evaluation highlighted both successes and challenges, providing crucial information that district leaders used to refine the initiative over time:

• Expanding Computer Science Education for All (December 2024) synthesizes findings and lessons from across the various components of our study. The authors conclude that “the CS4All initiative made significant progress in expanding access to CS education in NYC schools,” and identify additional work needed “to address persistent equity gaps and ensure that all students have the opportunity to benefit from high-quality CS learning experiences.” The report outlines recommendations aimed at addressing structural barriers to CS education; aligning CS education initiatives with larger state- and district-wide priorities; and continuing to build the system’s capacity to deliver effective, culturally responsive CS instruction.
• Building Teacher Capacity for Equitable Computer Science Education (February 2025) examines teachers’ participation and experiences in CS4All professional learning, as well as their subsequent implementation of CS in the classroom. The report describes factors that influenced their ability to offer CS to their students, including supportive school leadership, a professional community of CS teachers, and a strong school-wide CS culture.
• Building School Capacity to Scale Up Computer Science Participation (April 2025) explores variation in schools’ capacity to implement and sustain CS over time. For many schools, competing instructional priorities were a major barrier to CS implementation. Schools that were more successful found ways to prioritize CS and align it with other instructional priorities; they established common planning time for teachers and often required all students to take some form of CS.  
• Evaluating the Outcomes of Students Taking Computer Science in NYC Schools (September 2025) investigates the short- and longer-term outcomes associated with CS course-taking. The report finds that students who took CS improved their computational thinking skills and had a greater likelihood of pursuing CS in college. The findings also highlight the promise of embedding culturally responsive practices in CS instruction.

The reports offer a wealth of information gleaned from a variety of sources (interviews, focus groups, surveys, assessments, and extensive analyses of administrative records). This work can inform the development of stronger CS programs and pathways, not only in New York City but in many other states and districts that have begun to prioritize computer science education.