SIGCSE 2025
Affiliated Event
Reimagining CS Pathways
At a time when computing continues to gain importance in society, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that computer science (CS) education meets the needs of all students. To this end, the Reimagining CS Pathways: High School and Beyond project developed community definitions of: (1) CS content that is essential for all high school graduates to know, and (2) example pathways for continued study of CS beyond that foundational content. To achieve community consensus, the project drew on the expertise and experiences of over 100 diverse representatives across K-12 education, postsecondary education, and industry who participated in focus groups, interviews, in-person convenings, and asynchronous feedback sessions. Woven throughout this work is a commitment to improving equity in CS education, which is embedded throughout both the process and the outcome of the project. It manifests in an effort to reimagine CS to ensure opportunities for all students and to prepare them for a world increasingly powered by computing.
In this affiliated event, we share the result of this extensive Reimagining CS effort. We will present key outcomes and recommendations from our final report, and we will also facilitate two collaborative, replicable activities to engage participants with the foundational content and pathways for continued CS learning.
Objective & Goals
Given the SIGCSE community’s growing interest and investment in K-12 education, we want to share a detailed vision for reimagining who, what, and how CS is taught in high school. Our session will combine a committee report with discussion and hand-on activities. The overall objectives are to present the key outcomes of the equity-centered, community-wide Reimagining CS Pathways project and to engage participants in activities to support their use of these outcomes.
More specifically, goals include:
- Discuss what CS content is essential for all students to learn by the end of high school to be prepared for a world increasingly powered by computing.
- Select pathways for extended CS learning that are relevant for participants’ local school/district’s context and needs.
- Explain content of the Reimagining CS Pathways report, recommendations for key audiences, and how this will connect to a forthcoming revision to the CSTA K-12 Standards.
Agenda
| Description | Facilitator | # Mins. |
|---|---|---|
| Framing and Overview of the Reimagining Project | Twarek | 7 |
| Activity 1: Essential CS Content | McGill | 15 |
| Foundational CS Content | Koressel | 5 |
| Pathways for Continued CS Learning | Smith | 5 |
| Discussion and Q&A | Twarek et al. | 8 |
| Activity 2: Pathway Selection | Koresse, | 15 |
| Integrating CS and Centering Equity | Smith | 5 |
| Recommendations for Key Audiences | McGill | 5 |
| Q&A and Closing | Twarek et al. | 10 |
