Res. No. 766

Resolution calling on the New York City Department of Education to update its CS4All initiative to increase access to CS4All professional development for educators and administrators, particularly for those in underserved schools, and to increase training for all teachers.

By Council Members Joseph, Powers, Gutierrez, Abreu, Stevens, Louis, Schulman, Menin, Farías, Ossé, Hanif, Krishnan, De La Rosa, Riley, Williams, Rivera, Nurse, Hudson, Gennaro and Narcisse (by request of the Manhattan Borough President)

Whereas, Computer science (CS) is the study of computers and computational systems, including the principles, theories, and methods for designing, developing, and utilizing thereof; and

Whereas, CS includes the study of algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), computer architecture, computer networks, databases, operating systems, programming languages, software engineering, and human-computer interaction; and

Whereas, CS plays a crucial role in advancing technology, driving innovation, and shaping aspects of everyday life, including communication, entertainment, healthcare, scientific research, and transportation; and

Whereas, CS is a rapidly evolving field that continuously pushes the boundaries of what is possible, enabling new discoveries and improving efficiency in all industries and sectors; and

Whereas, CS education enhances students’ critical thinking, equipping them with essential skills, providing them with a foundation in computational thinking, problem-solving, and algorithmic reasoning; and

Whereas, CS education empowers students to be active creators and contributors to society by encouraging them to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to real word problems; and

Whereas, CS education helps students develop digital literacy, including how to navigate technology responsibly, and understanding data privacy, and prepares them for future job opportunities; and

Whereas, With the recent public release of generative AI chatbots, digital literacy skills are especially important to know how to evaluate the credibility of, and make informed decisions about, AI-generated content; and

Whereas, CS education is particularly important to addressing the digital divide, which refers to the gap in access to technology and digital resources between different socioeconomic groups and communities, including reliable internet connectivity and access to personal devices, among underserved students; and

Whereas, The New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative is a citywide effort to ensure that all public school students have access to CS education; and

Whereas, Through CS4All, DOE collaborates with schools, educators, industry partners, and community organizations to develop a comprehensive and inclusive CS curriculum aligned with national standards and best practices; and

Whereas, CS4All emphasizes teacher training and professional development to equip educators with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively teach CS; and

Whereas, CS4All came out of DOE’s Equity and Excellence for All agenda and, according to its website, the initiative is committed to “providing every single child, in every classroom, in every [NYC] public school” with a “meaningful, high quality [CS] education at each school level… by 2025”; and

Whereas, However, CS4All has been criticized for not doing enough to address the racial and gender disparities that exist in CS education; and

Whereas, An October 2022 study by the New York University’s (NYU) Research Alliance on CS4All showed that only 17 percent of DOE schools are meeting the participating and equity goals set for girls, Black, and Latinx students; and

Whereas, Moreover, schools that made greater improvement in CS access and participation also served lower percentages of Black and Latinx students on average; and

Whereas, The NYU study also found that schools that made greater improvements were more likely to have multiple teachers participate in CS4All professional development and to have an administrator or teacher participate in the CS4All leadership professional development; and

Whereas, This suggests that CS4All professional development may have helped facilitate greater access and participation among students; and

Whereas, In this increasingly digital world, CS is an essential part of a student’s education; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York City Department of Education to update its CS4All initiative to increase access to CS4All professional development for educators and administrators, particularly for those in underserved schools, and to increase training for all teachers.

LS #13507

06/08/2023

CGR