Central Office
Vision of COMP3 At Harmony Public Schools
Harmony's COMP3 (Computing, Computational thinking, and Computer science) vision is to lead our students from the classroom into the world as productive and responsible citizens.
Harmony Public Schools believes each student can achieve their own unique, full potential through a caring and collaborative learning environment that emphasizes personalized learning and innovative inspirational methods.
Harmony’s approach to Computing, Computational thinking, and Computer science (COMP3) includes a K-12 approach that focuses on digital literacy and coding in elementary and middle school leading to multiple computer science pathways in high school.
To realize their vision, the team at Harmony Public Schools focuses on:
- STEM For ALL. Every student graduates with a strong understanding and appreciation of STEM and how it connects to the real world.
- Comprehensive Teacher Support. Computer science teachers at Harmony receive comprehensive training and ongoing personalized support from campus-level leaders and centralized content specialists.
Comp3 Resource
School Stats
Location: TX
Grade Band: PreK-12
Governance: Public Charter
Enrollment: 41,750
Demographics:
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67% Free and Reduced Lunch
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52% Hispanic
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19% Asian
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15% White
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11% African American
LEAPS
| High Expectations | Rigorous Learning | Relevance | Active Self-Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Students can choose from ten different pathways in high school; four of the ten cover COMP3 topics. |
Students engage in project-based learning from high-quality curriculum materials that align to national computer science and computational thinking standards. |
To ensure students are immersed in relevant learning experiences, all courses connect students to current, real-world challenges and fields. | Student autonomy is seen in the creative products that they create in projects and within challenges and clubs that are offered. |
| HARMONY'S APPROACH TO COMP3 |
|---|
Intellectual Prowess
Computational Thinking
Students begin developing their computational thinking knowledge and skills at the elementary level through the Tech Apps class using the Easy Tech Digital Literacy curriculum. Students continue to develop these skills at the middle level in Tech Apps and at the high school level in all pathways that offer computer science content.
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Abstraction
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Algorithmic Thinking
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Debugging
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Decomposition
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Pattern Recognition
Computer Science
Students also begin developing their computer science knowledge and skills at the elementary level. through CodeMonkey and the PLTW Launch curriculum. Students continue to develop these skills at the middle school level through the honors classes, electives classes, and enrichment opportunities and at the high school level in all pathways that offer computer science content.
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Algorithms & Programming
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Computing Systems
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Networks & the Internet
Social ThrivingStudents engage in collaborative projects throughout all grades that focus on developing and refining their communication skills with other students and teachers. Students also engage in lessons focused specifically on digital citizenship.
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Digital Citizenship
Wayfinding
General Computing
Students begin developing fluency with skills like keyboarding starting in elementary school.
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Computer Literacy
Career Knowledge and Skills
Students begin learning about potential careers in the elementary grades through the PLTW Launch curriculum. In high school, students attend two pathway events per year per course.
Well-Being
Curriculum directors integrate student well-being content in each subject.
- Self-Efficacy
- Persistence
- Growth Mindset
| Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessments |
|---|
Elementary
Digital Literacy and Coding in Technology Applications
All elementary students (grades K-5) at Harmony focus on digital literacy and coding for two hours a week in their Technology Applications classes. Students primarily use Learning.com, CodeMonkey, and Codester as online tools for learning.
K-5 STEM Enrichment with Engineering Design (includes Computer Science Integration)
All elementary students also spend two hours a week in a K-5 STEM enrichment class that includes Project Lead The Way Launch Modules, VEX Robotics, and 3D Design with Autodesk.
MiddleIn the middle grades (6-8), all students engage in the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Gateway curriculum. Teachers use a PBL model called STEM Students on the Stage (STEM SOS). The model is student-centered and inquiry-based with students also engaging in online learning and individual projects.
The middle school PLTW curriculum allows students to explore a number of topics through collaborative problem-solving experiences that are focused on real-world problems. Some Harmony middle schools also offer Tech Apps in grades 6-8, which leverages Learning.com and Codesters.
High
High school students at Harmony Schools can select a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway. Multiple pathways include COMP3 components and progress in complexity from grades 9 through 12. Students submit artifacts graded on a rubric in addition to more traditional multiple choice assessments.
High school students can elect to participate in the Programming and Software Development or Cybersecurity CTE pathways, which include both the AP Computer Science Principles and the AP Computer Science A courses.
High school students can elect into Cybersecurity and Engineering pathways, which are part of the STEM cluster. Students can also participate in the Graphic Design and Multimedia Arts pathway, which is part of the Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications cluster.
