2023-2024 Program Elements & Commitments
The table below gives an overview of the required program elements that each teacher commits to completing as a recipient of the PECSI Teaching Fellowship.
| PECSI Program Component | Summer 2023 | Fall 2023 | Spring 2024 | Summer 2024 | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enroll in PECSI Program | x | |||||
| PECSI Kickoff Summit | x | |||||
| Temple Course #1 (CIS 5701) | x | |||||
| Temple Course #2 (CIS 5702) | x | |||||
| Temple Course #3 (CIS 5703) | x | |||||
| Temple Course #4 (CIS 5704) | x | x | ||||
| Professional Learning Meetings | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Professional Learning Days (PD) | x | |||||
| PECSI Instructional Showcase | x |
Details for each program element listed in the table are provided below. See the Important Dates page for scheduling information.
PECSI Kickoff Summit
This meeting provides Fellows with an orientation to the PECSI program goals and objectives and is designed to jumpstart a community of practice among the Montgomery County teachers who are committed to bringing high-quality, equitable computer science learning opportunities to their students. Additionally, the meeting will provide an orientation for Fellows to the Temple University Graduate Certificate in CS Instruction for Secondary Educators academic program.
Graduate Certificate in CS Instruction for Secondary Educators
This academic program, offered by the College of Science and Technology, consists of four graduate-level courses that are designed specifically for secondary educators who want to develop knowledge and skills for teaching computer science to students in grades 7-12. No prior knowledge of computer science or programming is required. The academic program consists of four courses, which are offered through a hybrid online/on-campus format, serving to develop and maintain a cohesive cohort while making the program accessible to working teachers.
With the successful completion of the certificate, teachers will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the foundational ideas of computer science as part of a creative and/or problem-solving process that results in the creation of a computing artifact (e.g., a program). The content covered in this program aligns with the Praxis Computer Science Subject Test, which will be required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for certification to teach Computer Science in Pennsylvania public schools. In addition, teachers will be equipped with knowledge of pedagogical strategies for broadening participation of underrepresented groups in computer science and will have developed a portfolio of instructional materials that can be used to teach computer science concepts in secondary education classrooms. The academic program can be completed over a 15 month period, and results in earning a graduate-level credential awarded by Temple University.
Details of the courses included in this academic program, including the format, syllabus, and weekly time commitment can be found in the Temple University Graduate Certificate in CS Instruction for Secondary Educators section of this document.
Professional Learning
As a complement to the 12-credit certification program through Temple University, PECSI also has a 2-year professional learning program that is designed to enhance and expand computer science learning opportunities in participating districts. In addition to the teachers participating in the 12-credit Temple certification program, the professional learning program requires participation from other district stakeholders, including district level administrators and building level administrators from all levels within the district. If a district had teachers participate in Cohort 1 of PECSI, those teachers will also be required to participate in certain parts of the professional learning program.
A key component that weaves through the entire professional learning program is the Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT). SCRIPT is a framework to guide teams of district administrators, school leaders, and educators through a series of collaborative visioning, self-assessment and goal-setting exercises to create or expand upon a computer science education implementation plan for their students. The MCIU will facilitate SCRIPT with district teams that must include the following stakeholders:
- District teachers participating in certification program through Temple University
- If a district had teachers participate in Cohort 1, they will also be required to be part of the SCRIPT team.
- District Level Curriculum Administrator(s)
- Building Level Administrators from Elementary, Middle, and High School (at least 1 representative for each level)
- At least 1 Elementary teacher (ideally this would be a teacher that is already teaching computer science as part of their responsibilities)
- At least 1 Middle School teacher if a district does not have any middle school teachers participating in the certification program through Temple
- Any other school district personnel that the district feels can contribute to SCRIPT (e.g. high school counselor)
The professional learning program is broken up into three types of meetings/sessions:
- Admin Info/Check-in Meetings: These shorter virtual meetings (1 – 2 hours for most meetings) are designed for district and building level administrators that are participating in the professional learning program. The main focus of these meetings are to do “temperature checks” of how the program is going and to preview future full team meetings (see below).
- Full Team Meetings: These longer in-person meetings (0.5 – 1 day) are designed for all district stakeholders participating in the professional learning program. If a district had teachers participate in Cohort 1 of PECSI, those teachers are expected to attend these full team meetings.
- Additional Days of Comp Sci PD for District: A key goal of PECSI is to expand and enhance K – 12 computer science learning opportunities in each participating district. During each year of the program (2 days in Year 1 and 3 days in Year 2), the MCIU will facilitate in-person professional learning within the district for PECSI cohort teachers and other district teachers. The topics of these sessions will be developed in coordination with each participating district. As an example, a district may elect to design professional learning for integrating computer science into Elementary school classrooms.
The dates for the professional learning program will be scheduled by each district.
PECSI Instructional Design Showcase
PECSI Fellows commit to participating in the PECSI Instructional Design Showcase, at which current and former PECSI Fellows and CS teachers from the Philadelphia region present items from their CS curricular portfolios. The instructional design showcase will also feature sessions that engage PECSI Fellows with school district administrators, counselors, instructional coaches, and experts on adopting, adapting and implementing CS courses to meet the goals of bringing CS for all students in Montgomery County schools. The event includes an awards ceremony and a reception to celebrate PECSI Fellows’ achievements. The PECSI Instructional Design Showcase will be held as a 3 hour event.