Teaching AP® Computer Science Principles

With the CodeHS online AP® Computer Science Principles Professional Development course, we'll train teachers at your school to teach an excellent AP® CSP in JavaScript or Python course. No programming experience is required. Teachers will gain the skills, pedagogical knowledge, resources, and confidence to lead a great AP® CSP classroom with CodeHS.

  • No programming experience required

  • Flexible self-paced timeframe

  • In-course support & help resources

Course Overview

Here is an outline of the modules:

Welcome

Get an overview of the AP® CS Principles professional development course. Learn about key principles and ideas for teaching the course, discuss access and equity in the field of Computer Science, and set goals and expectations for how to make the most out of this course.

What is AP CS Principles?

Learn about the new AP® Computer Science Principles course, specific details about the new AP® examination, and get an overview of the CodeHS AP® CSP curriculum

How CodeHS Works

In this short module you will gain an understanding of what CodeHS is bringing to your classroom and learn how to use the CodeHS website effectively.

Tools and Resources for CS Principles

AP® CS Principles is a brand new course, and we have developed several helpful tools and resources to help you teach this course. In this module, you’ll practice using these new tools and resources.

Teaching a Blended Coding Class

Learn what leading a blended classroom with both online and offline activities looks like and learn helpful ideas and best practices for incorporating online learning into a traditional classroom.

Programming Bootcamp

Dive in and learn the basics of programming by working through a condensed version of the programming modules in the AP® CSP course.

Teaching Programming Concepts

In this module we’ll cover programming concept by concept and learn about ways to teach in the classroom, common mistakes made by students, and how to grade these types of problems.

Basics of Debugging

Debugging is locating and fixing errors in programs, and is one of the most important skills for your own programming as well as grading others’ code. In this module we’ll identify common errors in web development code, and teach you effective debugging strategies that you can model and share with your students.


Course Format

Our professional development course is offered entirely online and is made up of a series of learning modules that cover both the basics of programming and the pedagogy of teaching programming in a blended classroom. Each module is made up of short video tutorials, programming exercises, open-ended responses, debugging problems, and grading practice.

The course is high-touch, with teachers receiving personalized feedback and support from our PD team after completing each activity. The course takes approximately 30-40 hours. Teachers can complete it on their own time, during summer, school professional development days, or school holidays.

College Board Endorsed

CodeHS is recognized by the College Board as an endorsed provider of curriculum and professional development for AP® Computer Science Principles (AP CSP). Using an Endorsed Provider affords schools access to resources including an AP CSP syllabus pre-approved by the College Board’s AP Course Audit, and officially recognized professional development that prepares teachers to teach AP CSP. This endorsement affirms only that components of CodeHS’s offerings are aligned to all the AP Curriculum Framework standards and the AP CSP assessment.