On May 4th, Deputy Director Cheri Fancsali will serve as Chair of the AERA virtual symposium, The Multiple Dimensions of Equity: Exploring a Computer Science for All Initiative Through Different Lenses, alongside June Mark from the Education Development Center. Christy Crawford from NYC Public Schools and Ron Summers from Code Nation will serve as panel discussants. 

The symposium brings together a diverse group of district leaders and researchers who will interrogate the notion of equity in a “computer science for all” initiative. The conversation will focus on intersectionalities in CS access, participation, and experiences. This includes exploring equity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and (dis)abilities, as well as the perspectives of teachers and practitioners charged with ensuring that all students experience equitable computer science. The papers being presented in the session are:

• Examining Equity From Multiple Perspectives in Computer Science (Cheri Fancsali, Janice Lee, Symantha Clough)

• Participation of Students With Disabilities in K–12 Computer Science Education (Maya Israel, Wei Li, Cheri Fancsali, Andrew Bennet, Yue Xu, Alexis Cobo)

• Beyond Access and Participation: Examining How Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Practices and Approaches Promote Equitable Computer Science Learning Environments (Kathryn Hill, Edgar Rivera Cash, Marlee Tavlin)

• Outsiders Within: How Do Black Girls Fit Into Computer Science? (Zitsi Mirakhur, Cheri Fancsali, Kathryn Hill)

The papers and panel discussion will consider what it means to offer equitable CS education, different perspectives on how equity should be measured, and how equity in access and participation is experienced differently by students with different social, cultural, and academic identities. Learn more about the session on the AERA website. 

Fancsali also served as a discussant during the AERA National Meeting in Chicago for a symposium session on April 14, Reading Apprenticeship: Lessons from Impact Studies Over Time and Across Contexts.

In March, the Research Alliance presented at SIGCSE 2023 and the ACTE National Policy Seminar. Fancsali, along with Janice Lee, and Symantha Clough, presented at SIGCSE about findings from the Research Alliance's ongoing evaluation of CS for All. Their presentation was titled "Reaching for "All": Understanding the Challenges and Needs of Schools Lagging in CS for All Efforts."

Executive Director Jim Kemple presented at the ACTE National Policy Seminar with Katherine Hughes from the CTE Research Network. Their presentation highlighted findings from the Research Alliance report NYC as a Laboratory for Learning about Career and Technical Education: Lessons from CTE-Dedicated High Schools.