Partner

Carol Fletcher, Ph.D.
Director
Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC)
The University of Texas at Austin

Carol Fletcher, Ph.D., is Director of EPIC (Expanding Pathways in Computing) at UT Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) where she oversees research and professional development projects in STEM and CS education such as the nationally recognized WeTeach_CS program. She is PI for two NSF projects focused on broadening participation in computing (BPC), the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance and Accelerating Women’s Success and Mastery in CS (AWSM in CS). Her research interests include BPC and measuring large scale professional development in STEM.

Fletcher is a former middle school teacher and an elected Pflugerville ISD School Board Trustee from 2001 to 2019. Her experiences as a teacher, policymaker and researcher bridge the gap between education, workforce and policy. Additional leadership roles include Chair of the Texas Computer Science Task Force, CS4TX Steering Committee, the TEA’s STEM Educator Standards & IT Industry Advisory Committees, and numerous NSF funded STEM education grant advisory boards.

Session details:

Schools across the country are launching computer science (CS) education programs in K–12 to prepare students for an increasingly technology-dependent world. This session will help you to understand why CS for all students is so important, what does (and doesn’t) count as CS in school, national trends in CS education, and resources to help your school/district build capacity for inclusive and equitable CS education. Learn how TI can partner with you to provide growth opportunities for teachers and create pathways for student success.

Who should attend:

• State education leaders in math, science, STEM, CTE and workforce
• Education service center leaders
• University and community college faculty
• School district leaders
• Community organizations focused on STEM
• Grant writers