"Negotiating Equity Priorities Within Systems Change: A Case Study of a District-Level Initiative to Implement K12 Computer Science Education"

Associate Professor June Ahn (right) co-authored an article in Computer Science and Engineering analyzing equitable computer science education. The title of the article is “Negotiating Equity Priorities Within Systems Change: A Case Study of a District-Level Initiative to Implement K12 Computer Science Education.”

Additional authors are Rafi Santo (first author) and Leigh Ann DeLyser, both from CS for All.

Ahn’s research interests include learning technologies, research-practice partnerships, human-computer interaction, educational technology, and data use and analytics. His core research interest is understanding how technology, information, and co-designing solutions with the community, can enhance the way we learn and deliver education. Ahn co-designs technology with community partners for diverse learning contexts. He has engaged in research-practice partnerships around emerging technologies including social media, alternate reality games, and data visualization platforms. He serves as faculty director of Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) and is a member of the Connected Learning Lab (DLL) at UCI. Currently, he also is editor of Educational Researcher.

Abstract
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This article explores the intersection of two central issues in computer science education (CSed): what is meant by “equitable computer science education,” and how attendant equity goals play out as school districts attempt to implement comprehensive K12 CSed initiatives. Based on analysis of qualitative data gathered over 15 months of one district's efforts in this area, our findings illustrate how varying conceptualizations of equitable CSed are at play during institutional change processes in a school district, and how negotiation and management of differing equity-related goals takes place within CSed systems change efforts. The implications of this work point to the need of district-wide CSed efforts to engage stakeholders from across levels in the system in the process of planning and implementation. Additionally, we see a potential need for deliberative routines where various conceptions and attendant goals around equity, both related and unrelated to CSed, can be understood and negotiated among district actors.