Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT)
The Strategic CSforALL Resource and Implementation Planning Tool (“SCRIPT”) is a framework used to guide the creation of customized implementation plans to meet the goals and needs of school districts that are seeking to create computer science education (“CSed”) plans, guided by CSforALL values of rigor, inclusion, and sustainability. The SCRIPT engages school districts in goal-setting across five thematic areas: (1) Materials and Curriculum, (2) Leadership, (3) Teacher Capacity and Development, (4) Partners, (5) Community, (6) Technology Infrastructure.
The SCRIPT Workshop
Sustainable CSed plans for ALL require a long-term commitment and an informed, strategic approach from the local education system — school districts, local education agencies, and regional service centers — as well as the support of the local community. This shifts the ownership of the success of the CS education initiative from individual stakeholders to the systems level.
During the SCRIPT Workshop, District Teams formed by multiple agents of change in the education system collaborate on self-assessment and goal-setting, to evaluate what needs, strengths and challenges their district faces to develop a long-term CSed plan. District teams will also set 3-month, 6-month and 12-month/long term goals. SCRIPT workshops are led by the CSforALL team or by a SCRIPT Facilitator trained by CSforALL and include:
Visioning
The first task is to identify their team’s Vision for CS. Through a guided exercise, teams identify their vision for why CS education is essential, then define a district-level vision that will serve to guide their CSed implementation. Next, the teams categorize which impact area their vision falls into from one of the seven impact areas identified in the ‘CS for What’ publication.
District Assessment
After the Vision exercise, teams are ready to self-assess CS education in their district, using the SCRIPT Rubric. Each team reflects around five components, rating their district as Novice, Emerging, Developing, and Highly Developed:
- Materials and Curriculum Selection and Content Refinement
- Leadership
- Teacher Capacity and Development
- Partners
- Community Engagement
- Technology Infrastructure
Setting Goals
The vision is essential for the last block of the SCRIPT Workshop: goal setting. Once the districts have identified the vision that will lead their implementation strategy and the areas in which they need to improve, they can set 3-month, six-month, and 12-month goals. These goals will range from creating stable working processes to actual changes to classes.
It is the goal that within their first year after the SCRIPT Workshop, all-district teams will have a CS education plan in place that will serve as their guide to bring high-quality, integral CS education to all students.