2024 Computing Educator Diversity Initiative (CEDI) Application

One of the most effective ways to help students build a CS identity is to give them role models with whom they can identify. The National Science Foundation has identified the following as some of the groups who are historically underrepresented in computer science:  persons who are Black, African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian, and from the Pacific Islands. The CEDI project will recruit educators who identify with these student populations to become certified high school computer science teachers and thus serve as role models for the students who have been historically excluded from the computing profession.

The Computing Educator Diversity Initiative (CEDI) consists of in-service Texas-certified teachers who will work within a community of practice as they deepen together their CS content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and equitable teaching strategies and are supported to obtain their high school CS teacher certification. The application process for this program consists of completing the information below. All information in the application form must be filled in completely, as the information is necessary for reporting purposes.

YOU MUST BE A CERTIFIED TEACHER IN TEXAS TO BE ELIGIBLE.

Participants will be notified of acceptance as soon as they are selected.  Space is very limited, therefore completing the application process does NOT guarantee placement in the program.

Applicants must attend the virtual Summer and Fall institutes which are scheduled for the dates below:

Year 1 Activities/Dates

1. Applications Open - January 26, 2024
2. Application Deadline - March 8, 2024
3. Program Orientation - Date TBD
4. Introductory Programming Course
   1. Every Tuesday Evening (6:00-8:00 pm)
   2. Starting - April 2, 2024 
   3. Ending - June 4, 2024
   4. 10 sessions
5. WeTeach_CS Summit & Pre-Meeting - June 10 -12, 2024
   1. Fort Worth, TX (all expenses covered) 
6. Foundations to CS for Teachers Course
   
   1. Self-Paced Course Starts on June 10, 2024
   2. In-Person WeTeach_CS Certification Test Prep Days
      1. July 29-30, 2024 (date subject to change)
7. Scaling Inclusive Pedagogy (ScIP) Course
   1. Online Class Start - September 9, 2024
   2. Virtual Tuesday Night Meetings
      1. September 10, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm
      2. September 17, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm
      3. September 24, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm
      4. October 1, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm
      5. October 8, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm
      6. October 15, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm
      7. October 22, 2024 - 6:00-7:00 pm

Year 2 Activities

1. Classroom Implementation of ScIP Strategies - Spring 2025
2. Pseudocode Prep Course - Spring 2025
3. Programming Course (as needed) - Spring 2025
4. WeTeach_CS Summit & Pre-Meeting - Summer 2025
5. CS Curriculum Review - Fall 2025
6. ScIP Facilitator Training - Fall 2025

Year 3 Activities

1. CS Jumpstart Course - Spring 2026
2. ScIP Course Facilitation - Spring 2026
3. WeTeach_CS Summit & Pre-Meeting - Summer 2026

All teachers in the CEDI project are expected to challenge the TExES 241 Computer Science Competency Exam.

Upon successful completion of the professional development portion of the program, each participant will receive stipends totaling $4,200.

Certification Incentive Program (CIP) - Additional $1,000 Stipend opportunity! As you prepare to take the test, apply for the CIP stipend at https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/epic/weteachcs/certification

 

READY TO APPLY?

Please find below the information that you will need to provide on and with the application.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY BY MARCH 8, 2024

Applicant Information

• Name
• Address
• Phone
• Email
• Current School Information
  • School District
  • School Name
  • School Address
  • Principal Name & Email
  • School Phone & Email
  • School Demographics (Ethnicity Breakdown & FRL %)
• Teaching Experience
  • Current Teaching Assignments
  • Previous Teaching Assignments (Last 3 years)
  • How Many Years Experience
• Have you participated in a WeTeach_CS Collaborative before?
• Have you previously taken any computer science courses? If so, please list. 
• What is your level of programming experience?
  • Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, Expert 
• All teachers in the CEDI project are expected to challenge the TExES 241 Computer Science Competency Exam.
• Personal Demographic Information (For reporting purposes only).

Essay Questions

• As a teacher, what strategies have you used to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of individual students?
• In high schools across the nation, computer science courses are some of the least diverse STEM classes. Why do you think that's the case?
• What do you feel are the advantages of having diverse teachers in computer science classrooms?
• What strategies are most effective for engaging and supporting students who are historically underrepresented in STEM fields?
• Many technology companies have initiatives to recruit and support diverse employees for computer science careers. How does a diverse workforce benefit these companies?

Please email your Principal Letter of Support to Nathalie Beausoleil at nathalie.b@tacc.utexas.edu by March 8, 2024.

• Principal Letter of Support (LINK TO TEMPLATE) 

Questions?

Please contact the CEDI project coordinator Allen Antoine at aantoine@tacc.utexas.edu. 

 

The 2024-26 CEDI cohort is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.