Analyzing State-Level High School CS Teacher Certification Through Dataset Exploration

Understanding the nuances of Computer Science (CS) education at the state level in high schools requires a thorough examination of complicated datasets. Numerous researchers have gathered a variety of data sources, including surveys, professional development (PD) workshops, publicly available records, enrollment statistics, and much more to gain insight into high school CS education. While these sources provide valuable starting points, the identification of CS teacher certifications remains a complex challenge. We introduce an innovative approach for the collection and analysis of confidential and public data reported to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), specifically focusing on the CS teacher certification process from the 2016 to 2021 academic years (AY). Data collection related to CS education is relatively new to Wisconsin (WI), making the task of interpreting this data both challenging and intricate. Our findings highlight a net decrease in certified CS teachers in WI over the five years of available data. In this poster, we provide detailed insights into the state's CS teacher certification process and identify the current ecosystem of certified CS teachers in WI. Ultimately, every student deserves the expertise of a highly qualified teacher to guide them through CS courses.