Together with Coursemojo, Texas’s Longview Independent School District (Longview ISD) created a four-course Software and Programming CTE Pathway that begins in middle school, includes AP offerings, and results in students taking two Python Coding IBCs.
Longview ISD, a diverse and award-winning public school system, was struggling to find an adequate number of teachers for all of the courses they wanted to offer. In search of an innovative solution, Longview ISD turned to Coursemojo. The partnership began with dialogue: “What are your needs? What problems are you trying to solve? What goals do you want to achieve?” Longview wanted to provide a wide variety of high-value, high-demand CTE pathways for its students, but annual staff turnover made it challenging for them to consistently provide the increasingly advanced three- or four-course sequence necessary for each pathway. As Dr. James Hockenberry, Assistant Superintendent, said, “when the teacher leaves, the pathway leaves.”
Based on student interest and market demand, the highest unmet CTE priority for Longview ISD was Computer Science. With support from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Coursemojo and Longview ISD created a Programming and Software Development Pathway with a Foundations course offered in all three middle schools in eighth grade, AP Computer Science Principles in ninth grade, and then more advanced coding classes in tenth and eleventh grade, resulting in two industry-recognized credentials: Python Certified Entry-Level Programmer (PCEP) and Python Certified Associate-Level Programmer (PCAP).
Coursemojo and Longview ISD created a model where Coursemojo’s expert online educators deliver live, high-quality instruction to middle and high school students, while in-person Learning Coaches provide direct support.
As a result, Assistant Superintendent Dr. James Hockenberry has been pleased with this effective approach to his HR challenges. He remarked, “Our initial interest [in partnering with Coursemojo] stemmed from staffing needs. Though it’s not just staffing,it’s staffing a classroom with an instructor that will bring high-quality instruction every single day.”
In the coming school years, Dr. Hockenberry is looking to develop more CTE pathways with Coursemojo to provide the stable learning environment and engaging coursework that every Longview student needs to succeed.
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