The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University is pleased to share two newly published research briefs developed through the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance 2025 Co-Sponsorship Award.

The initiative, “Exploring the CS Education Landscape in North Carolina: Identifying Gaps, Implementing Strategic Solutions and Advancing Advocacy to Increase Participation,” builds upon prior statewide collaboration and insights from the ECEP Common Metrics Project. These publications offer valuable findings to guide educators, policymakers, and industry partners in strengthening computer science teaching and learning across the state.

Building Teacher Capacity to Broaden Participation in Computer Science Education

This brief provides a comprehensive overview of K–12 computer science education in North Carolina, with a focus on understanding current capacity and identifying areas for growth.

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From Potential to Partnership: Corporate Engagement for Supporting CS Education Participation

This companion brief explores how corporate and industry partnerships can support computer science education and workforce development in North Carolina.

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Expanding Computer Education Pathways

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports ECEP through its Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance (BPC-A) program. The ECEP Alliance seeks to increase the number of students in the pipeline to computing and computing-intensive degrees by supporting state-level computing education reforms.

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Building Teacher Capacity to Broaden Participation in Computer Science Education

Read Full Brief →

This brief provides a comprehensive overview of K–12 computer science education in North Carolina, with a focus on understanding current capacity and identifying areas for growth.This brief provides a comprehensive overview of K–12 computer science education in North Carolina, with a focus on understanding current capacity and identifying areas for growth.

Key findings include:

• Teacher and Program Distribution: Mapping the presence of certified computer science teachers and identifying regions where additional support is needed.
• Professional Development Opportunities: Reviewing certification pathways and professional learning offerings that build teacher readiness.
• Access and Participation: Examining patterns of participation among students and educators across the state.
• Recommendations: Presenting actions to strengthen instructional capacity, expand program availability, and prepare teachers to meet the computer science graduation requirement.

From Potential to Partnership: Corporate Engagement for Supporting Computer Science Education Participation

Read Full Brief →

This companion brief explores how corporate and industry partnerships can support computer science education and workforce development in North Carolina.

Highlights include:

• Workforce Landscape: Analysis of computer science workforce trends and emerging job demands across the state.
• Representation and Opportunity: Identification of participation trends and workforce readiness needs.
• Partnership Models: Examples of how schools, nonprofits, and industry partners are working together to expand access to computer science learning.
• Strategic Recommendations: Approaches for aligning business engagement with educational goals through mentorship, internships, teacher support, and resource sharing.

About This Work

These briefs were developed through a collaboration between the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), and ECEP Alliance partners. They provide data-informed insights to guide ongoing efforts in strengthening computer science education across North Carolina and preparing students for future opportunities.

Visit https://fi.ncsu.edu/projects/cs4all/ for more information and professional learning resources supporting computer science education statewide.