Authored by KPP Committee
Call for RESPECT 2026 KPP Working Groups
This page provides detailed information about the K-12 Practitioner Pathway (KPP) Working Group (WG) proposal submissions to the RESPECT 2026 conference. It is part of the general Call for Contributions.
What is a working group?
The KPP Working Group is a collaborative practitioner project conducted by a team of three to eight PreK-12 educators from around the world to produce a high-value report on a topic of interest in PreK-12 computing education. Participation in a WG is a 5-month commitment. Interested individuals should each submit an application. The KPP Organizers will select participants and assemble the working group teams.
Roles and Responsibilities:
In support of the 2026 theme ‘Equity-focused CS Education: Honoring the Plurality of our Community,’ the KPP prioritizes the participation and voices of active K-12 practitioners.
- KPP Participant: WG Participants will actively contribute to discussions on the topic area and support writing and review of both the abstract and final publication. Classroom teaching experience will be an asset to a KPP participant.
- KPP Chair: The chair of each WG will coordinate logistics of WG virtual meetings, facilitate and document discussions around the topic area, draft the abstract for review by WG participants, and lead the synthesis of the WG’s final publication. Familiarity with CS Ed research and scholarly writing experience will be an asset to a KPP chair.
Expected timeline for the KPP Working Group
| MILESTONE | DATE (all 2026) |
| Call for KPP submissions (topics and membership) | Mar 12 |
| KPP Submission Deadline | April 7 |
| Notification of KPP Membership | April 11–12 |
| KPP Meetings (and preparation of abstracts) | April 13–26 |
| KPP Abstracts due in HotCRP | April 30 |
| Minor abstract revision period | May 8–10 |
| Camera Ready Deadline for Abstracts | May 10 |
| KPP @ RESPECT 2026 | June 8–10 |
| KPP Draft Summary due | July 10 |
| KPP summary revision period | July 27 – August 10 |
| Camera Ready Deadline for KPP final publications | August 10 |
Before the conference
- Call for KPP Submissions, i.e. WG Topics and membership
K-12 CS educators, advocates, and collaborators are invited to submit ideas for topic areas and to indicate their interest in participating in a working group. Topic proposals should be authentically grounded in K-12 classroom instruction, teacher preparation, and related research. These topics, problems of practice, or themes should be of interest to the K-12 CS Education community.
During the submission process, individuals may volunteer to serve either as a working group chair or as a working group participant. Those volunteering as chairs should be prepared to help coordinate discussions, facilitate collaboration, and synthesize the group’s contributions into a final publication. While applications from a range of participants will be considered, applicants who are actively teaching and/or working in K-12 classroom settings will be prioritized to truly center the voice of current practitioners. Applicants will be asked to include a brief positionality statement.
- Selection of WG members
After the submission period closes, the KPP Track Chairs will review all submitted topic ideas and volunteer preferences. The committee will organize participants into working groups based on shared interests, positionality, and overlapping topic areas. From the pool of volunteers, the committee will also select and appoint working group chairs, taking into consideration subject matter expertise, alignment with the proposed topics, and the overall balance of the working groups.
- Pre-conference WG meeting (virtual)
Once the working groups have been formed, the working group chairs will work closely with their assigned participants to develop the group’s topic. Chairs will facilitate collaboration and guide the group in refining the initial ideas into a more focused and clearly defined topic area. Together, the chairs and participants will produce a refined topic description and a short abstract that outlines the focus of the working group and the key themes or questions it seeks to address. The working group chair will then compile the group’s input and submit the final refined topic area and 2-page extended abstract in mid-April. Per ACM authorship rules, the abstract to be published in the conference proceedings should be something to which the whole group has contributed, without exception.
During the conference
KPP workshops will take place on Monday, June 8th prior to the full RESPECT conference. WG chairs will also participate in a plenary presentation, entitled “Dear Researchers, …” to discuss their findings with conference attendees.
After the conference
Following the RESPECT conference, each WG chair will draft a collaborative paper based on their group’s discussions and insights. All WG participants will have the opportunity to participate in an authorial review and provide input on the draft to ensure it accurately reflects the classroom perspectives shared. The KPP Track co-chairs will review the draft and provide feedback on its direction and scope. Each WG will then have time to refine the work before it undergoes external peer review. Once the paper successfully passes review and incorporates reviewer feedback, it will be published in a special Working Group Proceedings (Vol. 2) supplement—making your practitioner voices part of the permanent scholarly record.
Ready to Submit?
Use this form to propose a KPP topic and apply to participate by April 7, 2026: https://form.jotform.com/260707604060045
KPP Organizers
- Allyson Kennedy (co-chair), BootUp PD
- Laurel Watkins de Jong (co-chair), STARS Computing Core
- Shaina Glass (co-chair), CSTA
- Jeanne Di Domenico, UChicago STEM Education
Questions or concerns about the KPP? Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at kpp2026@respect.acm.org
Gratitude to ITiCSE for the format inspiration.
FAQs
- What is RESPECT and why should I participate?
We have created this one-pager for you to learn more about the RESPECT conference from a teacher perspective, drafted by our very own CSTA liaison, Shaina Glass. RESPECT for a K12 Educator… - Will my participation be financially supported?
While we can not guarantee travel support for WG participants, the RESPECT Organizing Committee is working hard to find ways to reduce barriers for all those accepted to participate. Please let us know what support you need to enable your participation and we will work with you—and within our budget limitations—to see what we can do. - What is the time commitment?
All KPP members will attend the full conference (June 8–10), with dedicated work time on June 8th. Additional time commitments will vary depending on whether you are participating as a chair or participant. For participants, expect to spend roughly 5–7 extra hours between April and August 2026. This time will be spent meeting virtually with your WG, writing, and reviewing the abstract and final collaborative paper. Chairs will spend additional authoring time– drafting the WG publications and responding to reviews and feedback. - I’m a CS Ed Researcher, how can I support this?
You can encourage and support practitioners in your network to apply to participate in the KPP. We also welcome you to attend the full RESPECT conference, which features the “Dear Researcher, …” plenary session as an output of the KPP. If your work is grounded by extensive first-hand teacher perspectives and authentic K-12 classroom experience (e.g. K-12 teacher preparation), your perspective may also be an asset to WG participation, so please apply.