ARCS

Advancing Rural Computer Science (ARCS)

About the Project

Advancing Rural Computer Science (ARCS) aims to serve 18,000 K-5 students and 440 K-5 teachers over 5 years. Our focus is on serving students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM and computer science education including students in rural communities, minorities, and students from economically disadvantaged families.

ARCS cohort members come from across the Commonwealth.

ARCS Map VA November 2024

Download ARCS Map (PDF) â–º

The Center for Educational Partnerships

Contact

The Center for Educational Partnerships

757-683-5449 office
tcep@odu.edu
Directory

ARCS has 4 goals

  1. Train teachers and help them acquire computer science microcredentials. These teachers will be well positioned to work with others at their school, and build capacity for K-5 computer science instruction.
  2. Develop instructional materials that integrate computer science curriculum standards into core elementary subject areas including reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies
  3. Increase student readiness for STEM and computer science coursework in higher grade levels
  4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the project as a model for other computer science education initiatives.

The Center for Educational Partnerships at ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ will serve as the lead agency for the proposed project, with collaborators from the Virginia Department of Education and CodeVA contributing to project activities, and the University of Virginia conducting the external evaluation.

The project is funded by the United States Department of Education under Early-phase: Absolute Priority 3 -Field Initiated Innovations - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Read the ARCS Newsletter â–º

Group Of Elementary School Pupils Sitting On Floor Listening

  • To become familiar with the Virginia Computer Science Standards for K-5 and learn to integrate them into core content lessons
  • To receive a Chromebook and stipends up to $1,150
  • To receive classroom resources such as Sphero Indi Class Packs, Sphero Bolts, Bee-Bots Bundle, and Sphero littleBits
  • To enhance their knowledge base and confidence to teach with CS

  • To earn digital badges, and re-certification points by completing asynchronous online Microcredentials

  • To build a school-based community through CodeVA's synchronous K-5 Coaches Academy training

  • To receive support from experts throughout the course of the project

  • To learn strategies and activities that can be used immediately in classrooms

  • To network and share lessons with teachers from across Virginia

One of the goals of the ARCS project is to improve the quantity and quality of computer science instructional resources available to teachers in Virginia. Resources produced by ARCS have been aligned with the  and made freely available via the  online database. The project has also developed a series of high-quality microcredentials that teachers may complete through the ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ School of Continuing Education.

ARCS Newsletters are electronically published and distributed monthly with updates and resources for teachers. View the newsletter archive â–º

Group learning

Cohorts

Cohort 2023 consisted of one immediate start group and one delayed start group. The immediate group began the program in the summer of 2023 with CodeVA's Coaches Academy training and is currently ongoing. The delayed group will start their program in the summer of 2024.

If you are in the 2023 cohort and have questions about the training, stipends, or the pre- and post training surveys, email us at tcep@odu.edu.

Cohort 2021 consisted of one immediate start group and one delayed start group. The immediate group began the program in the summer of 2021. The delayed group started their program the following year. Both groups have through CodeVA's Coaches Academy summer training. The immediate start group is currently working to finish up their asynchronous online Microcredentials while the delayed start group began their Microcredentials coursework during the summer of 2023.

If you are in the 2021 cohort and have questions about the Microcredentials stack or stipends, email us tcep@odu.edu.

The 2020 pilot cohort wrapped up their two year project participation in the summer of 2022 by completing their asynchronous online Microcredentials earning, their digital badges and recertification points.

Teacher helping student

Our Team 

The ARCS team is a diverse, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional group with expertise in computer science, teacher professional development, curriculum design, STEM education, educational research, and program evaluation. Team members are in The Center for Educational Partnerships and School of Continuing Education at ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ, at Code Virginia, in the Virginia Department of Education's Office of STEM Innovation, and at the University of Virginia.

Learn more about our team&²Ô²ú²õ±è;â–º

 

ARCS Research and Evaluation

ARCS Dissemination

  • Adams, A., Belcher, A., Burton, C., Chappell Moots, S., Courey, S., Herrick, K., Jensess, S., Littlebear, J., Mix, K., Nimer, J., & Schaefer, V. (November, 2023). Raising rural: Rural educators’ learning as the pathway to improved student outcomes.Panel presentation at the annual National Forum to Advance Rural Education, Chattanooga, TN.
  • Boulay, B., Martin, R., Terry, K., Lee, J., O’Connor, A., Chappell Moots, S. & Maeng, J. (October, 2022). Challenges of evaluation in rural schools. Multi-project presentation (invited) at the annual EIR  Project Directors Meeting, Virtual.
  • Brobst, J., Maeng, J., & Garner, J. (April, 2021). Variations in Rural Elementary Teachers' Confidence and Experience with Computer Science Integration by Teacher Type. NARST Annual International Conference, Virtual.
  • Brobst, J., Steffian, L., & Loney, M. (November, 2025). Computer science lesson integration for K-8 science teachers. Virginia Association of Science Teachers. Alexandria, VA.
  • Brobst, J., Steffian, L., Loney, M., Garner, J.K., & Chappell Moots, S. (April, 2026). Online microcredentials’ usefulness for promoting elementary teachers’ integration of computer science into core content lessons. Paper submitted for review for the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Chappell Moots, S. (November, 2023). Strategies for success! Conducting federal-level evaluations in rural settings. National Forum to Advance Rural Education, Chattanooga, TN.
  • Chappell Moots, S., Garner, J.K., Brobst, J. & Tennessee, K. (April, 2023). Professional development through microcredentials: Building teacher capacity to integrate computer science in rural settings. American Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.
  • Chappell Moots, S., Loney, M., Tennessee, K., & Rhodes, N. (November, 2022). Integrating computer science in the K-5 classroom. Virginia Association of Science Teachers. Williamsburg, VA.
  • Garner, J., Chappell Moots, S., Brobst, J., Tennessee, K., Rhodes, N., Ferrell, V., & Maeng, J.L. (October, 2022). Advancing STEM and CS integration through partnerships and professional development. Multi-agency presentation at the annual EIR Project Directors Meeting (virtual).
  • Garner, J.K., Mark, J., Sorensen, N. & Taylor, J. (February, 2024). Approaches to Successful Recruitment When Scaling. Presented at the EIR Project Directors Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Liu, R. & Maeng, J. L. (October, 2023). Building Elementary Teachers’ Capacity for Computer Science Instruction through Professional Development: A Randomized Control Trial. Association for Educational Communications and Technology International Convention, Orlando, FL.
  • Loney, M., Chappell Moots, S., Tennessee, K., Graybill, M., & Steffian, L. (November 2022). Advancing Rural Computer Science. Virginia Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Williamsburg, VA.
  • Singh, K., & Maeng, J. L. (April, 2026). From Knowledge to Practice: How Professional Learning Shapes CS Teaching in Elementary School. National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
  • Singh, K., Maeng, J. L., Chappell Moots, S., & Garner, J. K. (January, 2026). Examining teachers’ implementation of CS-integrated lessons: Alignment, engagement, and barriers following professional learning. Association of Science Teacher Education Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

  • Liu, R., Maeng, J. L., Garner, J., & Chappell Moots, S. (2025). Building elementary teachers’ capacity for Computer Science instruction through professional development: A randomized control trial. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 25(1). Available at   

Publications Under Review

  • Brobst, J., Steffian, L., Chappell Moots, S., Garner, J., Loney, M., Friedenreich, G. & Vandecar-Burdin, T. (Under review). Leveraging online microcredentials to promote K-8 teachers' integration of computer science into core content instruction.
  • Chappell Moots, S., Garner, J., Brobst, J., Loney, M., Steffian, L. & Maeng, J. L. (under review). Supporting K-5 Computer Science Integration through High-Quality Teacher Professional Development.
  • Chappell-Moots, S., Garner, J., Tharpe, A., & Maeng, J. L. (under review). Computer Science integration in rural and non-rural elementary classrooms: How variations in professional development participation influence teachers’ confidence, self-efficacy, and experience.
  • Maeng, J. L., Konold, T., Singh, K., Liu, R., Loney, M., Brobst, J., Chappell-Moots, S., & Garner, J. (under review). Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Content Knowledge and Affective Instrument for Computer Science (CKACS).

ARCS Open-Source Materials