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ENgagement and Achievement through Computational Thinking

Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest is partnering with school districts in Wisconsin to increase grade 6 students’ confidence, engagement, and achievement in math, especially among groups that are traditionally underserved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career fields. To achieve this goal, the ENgagement and Achievement Through Computational Thinking (ENACT) partnership will develop, test, and refine an intervention to support Wisconsin grade 6 teachers in integrating computational thinking and student-focused practices into their district’s grade 6 mathematics curriculum.

Partner organization: Milwaukee Public Schools

Training and coaching to increase grade 6 students’ mathematics self-efficacy, engagement, and performance through ENACT

REL Midwest will provide grade 6 mathematics teachers with support and coaching to integrate computational thinking and student-focused practices into their mathematics teaching. Teachers will participate in a 3-day summer institute followed by a series of coaching sessions throughout the school year. Resources provided to teachers will include 15 videos modeling integration of computational thinking and student-focused practices into mathematics lessons, viewing guides to support teachers in interpreting the videos, lesson planning templates, and student exit tickets.

Development and pilot study of ENACT’s measures

REL Midwest will develop a measure of teachers’ student-focused pedagogical content knowledge for computational thinking in middle school mathematics. Partnering districts will administer the measure to 200–300 teachers. REL Midwest will conduct analyses to determine the measure’s reliability and validity.

The usability and feasibility of ENACT

REL Midwest will test the usability and feasibility of the ENACT professional development provided by its coaching team on integrating computational thinking into grade 6 mathematics instruction. The team will conduct teacher surveys and interviews to learn which components of the professional development work best for teachers. REL Midwest also will examine student surveys, mathematics grades, and test scores to measure the relationship between ENACT, student perceptions, and achievement outcomes.

No projects at this time.

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ENgagement and Achievement Through Computational Thinking (ENACT) Overview Handout
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