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Universal Design for Computer Science Education-2

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Universal Design for Computer Science Education-2 (UDL4CS-2) is a Research-Practice Partnership between the University of Florida, the Computer Science Teachers Association, Broward County Public Schools and Chicago Public Schools. Our goal is to increase participation of learners with disabilities in CS education through systems change and leverage resources to focus on the professional development for special and general education teachers.

Meet our Team

A teacher and two students look at a student's robotics project display on a table at a showcase.

Project Goals

Goal 1

Strengthen our partnership through a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) towards addressing our shared problem of practice related to increasing meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities in CS education.

Goal 2

Investigate the needs and barriers of special and general education teachers in meeting the needs of students with disabilities in K-8 CS education across NIC sites (CPS, BCPS, and CSTA cohorts)

Goal 3

Build and disseminate a shared practical knowledge base about ways in which professional development for general and special education teachers can contribute to inclusive CS education.

Goal 4

Explore the level of meaningful inclusion in K-8 CS education across RPP sites.

UDL4CS-2 provides opportunities and resources to allow partners to understand and address common barriers and challenges related to preparing teachers for the meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities in CS education. The project aims to create shared professional development materials that will be of use to a wide range of practitioners and researchers.

Three children operate and observe a VEX robotics competition robot on a playing field with a yellow ball.

Grant Funding

Funder: National Science Foundation
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Universal Design through Professional Development and Systems Change to Increase Access to K-8 Computer Science Education for Learners with Disabilities
Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) Grant #2434586

A group of seventeen people standing in a row, most holding certificates, in front of red curtains.

Dissemination

Conference Proceedings

Cobo, A., Beck, K., Fan, Y., & Israel, M. (under review). I am a CS Teacher: An Experience in Special Education Teachers’ Identity and Confidence Through a Year-Long PLC. In the Proceedings of the 58th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2027), February 16-20, 2026, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Fan, Y., Cobo, A., Jang, J., & Israel, M. (under review). Who Gets to Participate? An Urban District Analysis of Disability Intersections in K-12 CS Leveraging the CAPE Framework. In the Proceedings of the 58th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2027), February 16-20, 2026, Sacramento, CA, USA.

Presentations & Practitioner Publications

Morrell, P., Cobo, A., Brannen, G., & Gaskill, C. (July 15, 2026). Designing CS for Every Learner: Stories from Teachers in UDL4CS [Flash Talk]. Computer Science Teachers Annual Conference (CSTA), July 14-15, 2026, New Orleans, LA, USA.
King, M. (April 17, 2026). End of Week Message: Celebrating Week of the Young Child. Chicago Public Schools Superintendet Weekly Family, Students, and Staff Newsletter.
Morrell, P. (March 3, 2026). Expanding Access to Physical Computing Through a Lending Library Model. Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Online Voice Digital Publication.