Revising SIGCS Mission Statement and Bylaws
The SIGCS leadership is proposing a revision to our bylaws which also
includes
a mission or purpose statement. This document provides a rationale for
changing
our purpose to include computing in all of PK-12 education and all
teaching
about computers and computing. The proposed wording of the Bylaws
follows the
rationale which is presented as a series of questions and answers and
a closing
statement. There is substantial change in the officer structure of the
bylaws
to take into account an expanded membership and to be more in line
with recent
changes in ISTE governance.
Why include computer science in schools?
Computer-based technology is pervasive in our society. Basic computer
usage
skills are important for all citizens. However, the skills of today
are not
necessarily the skills of tomorrow. Students need to develop skills
and attitudes
useful for life-long learning of computer use. PK-12 education should
also allow
students to explore their interest and skill in various career areas,
including
computer science. Additionally, students will live in a society in
which computers
affect all aspects of their lives. To function effectively in such a
society,
students must understand how computer-based technology works and be
able to
assess the benefits and risks of computer-based technology that
constantly changes.
Computers can be used in all disciplines, thus, computer science
content serves
all disciplines by developing general computer usage skills. Computer
science
also provides an opportunity to develop general problem solving
ability in that
computers can be used to solve problems in all disciplines.
What is computer science?
Computer science in PK-12 education is a body of knowledge and skills
similar
in range to mathematics and language arts. Education in these
disciplines addresses
both low-level usage skills (e.g., number and letter recognition,
counting,
spelling) that are necessary for higher-level concepts and
problem-solving skills
(e.g., algebra, geometry, creative writing, etc.). The same is true of
computer
science. Low-level usage skills (clicking, keyboarding, application
usage, etc.)
must be addressed and will allow for later learning of higher-level
concepts
and problem solving, i.e., algorithmic thinking and the process of
designing,
implementing, testing, and revising computer-based artifacts. In
mathematics
and language arts, however, new content skills and concepts develop
rarely.
In computer science, the technology constantly changes. Thus, not only
is it
necessary to address the understanding and abilities that allow
students to
function effectively and responsibly in a highly-computerized society,
but it
is also necessary to continue learning and adapting to changes in
technology
throughout one's life. PK-12 instruction in computer science needs to
prepare
students for such lifelong learning of computer skills and concepts.
Computer
science includes a range of skills and understanding—low-level
usage skills,
problem-solving with applications, computer programming, and life-long
learning
and adaptation with respect to computer-based technology. It is
important to
recognize that while the principal goals of computer science deal with
life-long
learning and problem-solving, appropriately-learned usage skills are a
prerequisite
for them. Finally, a significant aspect of PK-12 education is allowing
students
to explore interests and careers. Exploration of computing careers
requires
computing courses beyond application usage.
Must computer science teachers be specialists in computer science?
In mathematics, language arts, etc., some, perhaps considerable,
skill and
understanding can be learned without formal instruction or under the
supervision
of non-specialists. However, teachers with a more in-depth
understanding of
mathematics, language arts, etc. will almost certainly teach that
content more
effectively. The same is true of teachers with a more in-depth
understanding
of computer science content. The ability to adapt existing skills and
learn
new computing skills without formal instruction will be enhanced if
school-based
learning is supervised by knowledgeable teachers who emphasize
conceptual and
life-long learning rather than using a cook-book approach to skills
and a rote-learning
approach to concepts. Only teachers knowledgeable of computer science
can effectively
help students explore computing careers. High-level intellectual
skills involving
design, implementation, and testing and revision will be taught
significantly
better by those possessing the capability to do so. Finally, only
those with
a thorough understanding of computers and computer science can teach
the effective
analysis of computer-related social issues in our society. In
elementary and
middle schools various subjects are taught by non-specialists.
However, discipline
specialists (computer science in this case, not technicians) are
typically available
for planning and teaching in some instructional units. The same should
be true
in computer science.
It is critical that computer science be included in the PK-12
curriculum. It
is critical that teachers knowledgeable of computer science be
involved in providing
computer science instruction. Computer science content is viewed as
including
at least:
- Use of computers and systems-level software
- Use of general-purpose and special-purpose computer
applications
- Functioning of computers and related systems
- Design, implementation, and testing and revision of computer-based
systems,
e.g., spreadsheets, Web sites, databases, etc. that require design,
planning,
and testing (algorithmic thinking and problem solving are required)
- History of computing
- Social impact of and issues involving computing
- Computer programming (at various school levels and at various
depths of
skill)
- Lifelong learning of computer applications and about computing and
computing-related
issues
- Career exploration and skills development for computing
careers.
- Other related skills and knowledge (e.g., advanced placement
computer science,
networking, system/Web administration)
Most of these elements of computing should be addressed at all levels
of PK-12
education.
(Proposed) SIGCS Bylaws
Special Interest Group for Computer Science
International Society for Technology in Education
Article I: Name
This group will be known as the Special Interest Group for Computer
Science
(hereafter referred to as SIGCS) of the International Society for
Technology
in Education (hereafter referred to as ISTE).
Article II: Purpose
The mission of SIGCS is to advance the practice of teaching computer
science
and computing in PK-12 education that meets needs both for all
students and
for those wishing to study some aspect of the discipline in more
depth. In working
toward that mission we will:
- Provide a community for those supporting this mission
- Advocate the inclusion of appropriate computer science skills and
concepts
at all levels of PK-12 education
- Provide professional development for PK-12 teachers of computer
science
with respect to pedagogical practice
- Provide profession development for PK-12 teachers of computer
science with
respect to technological and social developments affecting the
content of
PK-12 computer science
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Individual members of ISTE are eligible for membership in
SIGCS
as specified by the ISTE membership policy.
Section 2. ISTE sets SIG membership fees and collects the fees on
behalf of
each SIG. A portion of the dues collected for SIGCS will be used for
SIG operation
and activities. Dues must be paid in accordance with ISTE policy.
Section 3. All members of ISTE have the right and are welcome to
attend and
speak at SIGCS meetings. Service as officers or on SIGCS committees,
voting
in SIGCS elections, and access to certain SIGCS information and
activity are
restricted to SIGCS members.
Article IV: Elected Officers
Section 1. The officers of SIGCS shall be past-president, president,
president-elect
(who shall succeed the president), communications officer, business
officer,
and four representative members. Representative members shall be
selected from
various school levels: elementary school (P-3), middle school (4-8),
high school
(9-12), and post-secondary education.
Section 2. All officers must be members in good standing in ISTE and
SIGCS
at the time of their nomination and election, and remain so throughout
the duration
of their term of office.
Section 3. The term of office for each of the president-elect and
past-president
is one year (only one occupied at a given time). The term of office
for the
president and other officers is two years. Terms of office normally
begin and
expire at the end of the annual business meeting at NECC (the end of
the administrative
year—administrative year 2005 will begin with NECC 2005). The
president
serves a single term and the communications officer, business officer,
and representative
members may be elected to at most two consecutive terms of office.
Section 4. All elections will be administered electronically through
processes
supported by ISTE. The communications officer, elementary-school
representative,
and high-school representative shall be elected in odd-numbered years
(2005,
2007, etc.). The president-elect, business officer, middle-school
representative,
and post-secondary representative shall be elected in even-numbered
years (2006,
2008, etc.).
Section 5. An unscheduled vacancy in the office of president shall be
filled
by automatic succession of the president-elect or reversion of
past-president
to the office (depending on which office is occupied). In exceptional
cases,
the executive board may appoint a president. A vacancy in any other
office shall
be filled by action of the executive board. An appointee to a vacant
office
shall serve only until the end of the current office term.
Section 6. Initial elections under these bylaws (in 2005) shall elect
all officers
except for past-president which will be filled by the existing
past-president
and president-elect which will be vacant until the 2006 administrative
year.
Initial terms of office will be adjusted to allow for future elections
as described
in Section 4.
Section 7. An elected officer or committee chairperson may be removed
from
office for cause via a petition signed by at least one-third of the
executive
board members or at least 1% of SIGCS members. The petition shall be
submitted
to the convener (president, or the president-elect or past-president
if the
president is the subject of the petition). The petition must indicate
the cause
for the requested removal. Within 10 business days, the convener shall
notify
each executive board member of the receipt of such a petition
(receiving an
acknowledgement of each notification) and solicit relevant evidence
from all
parties concerned. Within an additional 10 business days a special
meeting of
the executive board shall be scheduled to consider the matter.
Additional meetings
may be called but a decision is to be reached within 10 business days
of the
initial meeting. At all such executive board meetings, an opportunity
shall
be made available to all interested parties to present any relevant
evidence.
A two-thirds majority vote of the executive board members
participating, provided
there is a quorum, is necessary for removal of the officer. Removal
from office
is effective immediately. Within 10 business days following the
meeting, the
convener shall provide a summary of the executive board meeting(s) and
actions
taken to all participants and appropriate ISTE representatives.
Article V: Executive Board
Section 1. The SIGCS Executive Board shall consist of the elected
officials
and chairpersons of committees.
Section 2. For the purposes of transacting the business of the SIG, a
quorum
shall be constituted when 60% of the executive board members are in
attendance
at a scheduled meeting.
Section 3. The duties of the executive board shall include but are
not limited
to:
1. Propose, seek input from members as appropriate, and adopt
official
positions, e.g.,
a. official SIGCS activities
b. member benefits
c. official SIGCS policy statements
2. Propose, seek input from members, and submit items to members
for approval/election,
e.g.,
a. slates of candidates for elected SIGCS offices
b. revisions to the SIGCS Bylaws
3. Receive and act upon proposals from SIGCS officers and
committees, e.g.,
a. annual budget
b. annual report to ISTE and the membership
4. Receive and act upon recommendations and petitions received from
ISTE
governing bodies, SIGCS members, CS-related organizations, and other
individuals
and organizations
5. Provide input to the NECC Program Committee
6. Recommend candidates for CS-related positions in ISTE, e.g., CS
representative
to the ISTE Board of Directors, CS representative to the Standards and
Accreditation
Committee, editors for CS related publications, etc.
7. Provide input to various ISTE bodies as appropriate, e.g.,
Publications
Committee, Standards and Accreditation COmmittee, SIG Council, ISTE
Board.
Article VI: Committees
Section 1. The president, with the approval of the Executive Board,
shall appoint
chairpersons to SIGCS standing committees:
1. NECC Program Committee. This committee shall seek, receive,
and evaluate
session, paper, and workshop proposals for inclusion in the NECC
program and
assist conference planners in organizing accepted proposals.
2. Nominations Committee. The business officer shall chair this
committee
and seek advice of the executive board in selecting committee members.
The committee
shall assemble a slate of officer and representative candidates for
election
each year. Ideally, two members will be identified as candidates for
each office.
The committee will coordinate its efforts with ISTE in sponsoring the
annual
electronic elections.
3. The Publication Committee. If the SIG publishes a regular
publication,
its editor shall chair this committee. Members of the committee shall
provide
advice and assistance to the editor, serve as reviewers for refereed
articles,
propose changes in the publication mission and submit them for SIGCS
and ISTE
approval, submit material for publication as appropriate, and
constitute the
Editorial Board of the publication. (See Section 4 for additional
information.)
4. Additional standing committees may be created by the executive
board which
will publicize the committee's purpose/charge and seek volunteers to
serve.
Chairpersons of standing committees shall be appointed or
re-appointed annually
by the president without limit to terms served, unless otherwise
specified in
the bylaws or committee charge.
Section 2. Ad hoc committees may be established and their functions
assigned
at the discretion of the president. Such establishments must clearly
indicate
the purpose and length of service of the committee.
Section 3. Except as specified in committee charges, members of all
committees
shall be appointed by the chairperson, subject to the approval of the
president.
Section 4. When SIGCS publishes a general CS-related publication that
provides
information beyond SIGCS business and activity, special conditions
exist. The
chair of the committee shall be the editor of the publication and
shall be named
jointly by ISTE and SIGCS. The term of service shall be determined
jointly by
the editor, appropriate ISTE representatives, and the SIGCS executive
board.
Members of the SIGCS Publications Committee shall serve one year terms
and may
be re-appointed without limit to number of terms. The editor and
executive board
members shall collaborate annually to nominate committee members
considering
past activity as committee members (as reported by the editor) and
providing
for diversity appropriate to the audience of the publication.
Article VII: Duties of Officers and Committees
Section 1. The powers and duties of the president shall be:
1. Call and preside at meetings of the executive board and the
annual
SIGCS membership meeting held at NECC
2. Represent SIGCS to ISTE and various bodies within and external
to ISTE
3. Recommend chairpersons of standing and ad hoc committees and
(dis)approve
members of the committee recommended by committee chairs
4. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees with the
exception of
the nominations committee.
5. Represent the organization in coordinating efforts with other
SIGs, organizations,
and agencies
6. Provide leadership, general policy-making, and commitment to
carrying
out the directions of the membership
7. Prepare or assist in the preparation of various reports and the
budget
Section 2. The powers and duties of the president-elect shall be:
1. Serve in the president's place and with the president's
authority
in case of the absence of the president
2. Assume designated responsibilities that will provide training
for advancement
to the office of president
3. Serve as a member of all committees
Section 3. The powers and duties of the past-president shall be:
1. Serve in the president's place and with the president's
authority
in case of the absence of the president
2. Provide counsel to the president
3. Serve as a member of all committees
Section 4. The powers and duties of the communications officer shall
be:
1. Interact with ISTE staff to maintain electronic SIGCS
communications:
a. listserv settings and operation
b. listserv discussion archive
c. Web site communications information form and content, e.g.,
mission
& bylaws, symposia and NECC presentation archives, teaching
resources,
etc.
2. Maintain documentation of communications-related activities and
transfer
it and all records to the new communications officer following an
election
3. Provide suggestions for communications-related policy/activity
to the
executive board
Section 5. The powers and duties of the business officer shall
be:
1. Maintain careful records of the annual business meeting and
all meetings
of the executive board
2. Interact with ISTE staff to maintain electronic SIGCS business
records:
a. Web site form and content including officer &
committee rosters,
meeting minutes, and other items relating to the "business" of
SIGCS
b. electronic archive of official records, member balloting,
etc.
3. In collaboration with the president, prepare an annual
budget
4. Serve as chairperson of the nominations committee
5. In collaboration with appropriate ISTE representatives, approve
and direct
distribution of SIGCS funds
6. Maintain documentation of business-related activities and
transfer it
and all records to the new business officer following an election
7. Provide suggestions for business-related policy/activity to the
executive
board
Section 6. The powers and duties of the representative members shall
be:
1. Represent their constituency to the executive board
2. Advise the president and act to (dis)approve nominations, policy
statements,
etc.
3. Represent SIGCS at regional and national meetings
4. Propose initiatives to enhance the operation and growth of the
SIGCS to
improve its service to SIGCS members, ISTE, and the public
5. Assist the Nominations Committee in assembling candidates for
election
to SIGCS offices
Article VIII: Meetings
Section 1. SIGCS will hold an annual meeting of the executive board
at the
NECC conference.
Section 2. SIGCS will hold an annual business meeting of the
membership at
the NECC conference.
Section 3. The executive board shall have the authority to conduct
meetings
in person as well as through appropriate technologies (e.g., phone
conference,
Web-based videoconferencing, etc.).
Section 4. The rules of parliamentary procedures in the most recent
edition
of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of this
SIG.
Article IX: Dissolution
Section 1. SIGCS may be dissolved by mutual consent of the ISTE Board
of Directors
and the SIGCS Officers. Any SIGCS funds remaining upon dissolution and
after
the payment of legitimate debts shall revert to ISTE.
Section 2. SIGCS may be dissolved involuntarily as described in the
SIG Standard
Operating Procedures of ISTE.
Article X: Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by action of the
executive
board or presented to the executive board with a petition supported by
at least
1% of SIGCS members. An election concerning the amendment(s) shall be
conducted
within three months of receipt of the proposed change by the board.
The ballot
shall contain a rationale for the measure supplied by the supporters.
When the
proposal originates outside the board, the executive board may append
its position
concerning the proposal. In such case, the statement of the supporters
may be
amended after receipt of the board's statement.
Section 2. Amendments to the bylaws shall be approved by a simple
majority
of the SIGCS members voting in an election as noted above.
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