Praxis® Computer Science (5652)

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I. Impacts of Computing (15%)
A. Understands and applies knowledge of
impact of, obstacles to, and effects of
computing

1. Understand computing as a way of

expressing creativity, solving problems,
enabling communication, and fostering
innovation in a variety of fields and careers

a. recognize that computers can be used to

showcase creativity

b. recognize the benefits of using computers to

solve problems

c. provide examples of how computers enable

communication and collaboration

d. provide examples of how computers foster

innovation

2. Know the obstacles to equal access to

computing among different groups and the
impact of those obstacles

a. identify obstacles to equal access to

computing among different groups (e.g., groups
defined by gender, socioeconomic status,

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disability/accessibility needs) and the impact of
those obstacles

b. identify factors that contribute to the digital

divide

c. match obstacles to equal access with

effective solutions

3. Understand beneficial and harmful effects of

computing innovations and the trade-offs
between them

a. analyze computing innovations in terms of

their social, economic, and cultural impacts,
both beneficial and harmful

b. identify trade-offs between beneficial and

harmful effects of computer innovations

B. Understands and applies knowledge of

issues regarding intellectual property, ethics,
privacy, and security in computing

1. Know different methods of protecting

intellectual property rights and the trade-offs
between them in a variety of contexts (e.g.,
Creative Commons, open source, copyright)

a. using correct vocabulary, describe how

different methods of protecting intellectual

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 Praxis® Computer Science (5652)
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property rights work

b. given a context, identify appropriate

methods of protecting intellectual property
rights

c. identify and compare trade-offs between

different methods of protecting intellectual
property rights

2. Understand ethical and unethical computing

practices and their social, economic, and
cultural implications

a. identify ethical and unethical computing

practices in context

b. describe the social, economic, and cultural

implications of ethical and unethical computing
practices

c. identify the conditions under which a given

computing practice is ethical or legal

3. Know privacy and security issues regarding

the acquisition, use, and disclosure of
information in a digital world

a. using correct vocabulary, describe privacy

and security issues

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b. in context, identify appropriate strategies to
safeguard privacy and ensure security

c. describe trade-offs between local and cloud-

based data storage

d. identify methods that digital services use to

collect information about users

II. Algorithms and Computational Thinking

(25%)
A. Understands and applies knowledge of
abstraction, pattern recognition, problem
decomposition, number base conversion, and
algorithm formats

1. Understand abstraction as a foundation of

computer science

a. identify, create, or complete the correct

ordering, from low to high, of an abstraction
hierarchy

b. identify abstractions in context

c. identify details that can be removed from a

solution in order to generalize it

2. Know how to use pattern recognition,

problem decomposition, and abstraction to

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 Praxis® Computer Science (5652)
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develop an algorithm

a. given a table of values or other data source,

identify the patterns in the data and identify
algorithms that could produce the patterns

b. identify components that could be part of an

algorithm to solve a problem

c. identify actions and actors when

decomposing a problem

d. identify appropriate decomposition

strategies

3. Understand number base conversion and

binary, decimal, and hexadecimal number
systems

a. convert between number bases

b. analyze and compare representations of

numbers in different bases

4. Understand how to develop and analyze

algorithms expressed in multiple formats (e.g.,
natural language, flowcharts, pseudocode)

a. interpret diagrams that describe algorithms,

given an explanation of the symbols used

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b. compare algorithms written in multiple
formats

c. trace and analyze algorithms written in

different formats

d. identify correct sequencing of steps in an

algorithm and errors in sequencing

B. Understands and applies knowledge of

algorithm analysis, searching and sorting
algorithms, recursive algorithms, and
randomization

1. Be familiar with the limitations of computing

in terms of time, space, and solvability as well
as with the use of heuristic solutions that can
address these limitations

a. identify and compare algorithms that are

linear, quadratic, exponential, or logarithmic

b. recognize the existence of problems that

cannot be solved by a computer

c. in context, identify factors that prevent a

problem from being solvable

d. identify situations where heuristic solutions

are useful

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e. in context, identify space and time limitations
of computational solutions to problems

2. Understand searching and sorting algorithms;

can analyze sorting algorithms for correctness
and can analyze searching algorithms for
correctness and efficiency

a. trace algorithms and predict output and

intermediate results

b. calculate the number of comparisons

required for linear and binary search algorithms

3. Understand simple recursive algorithms (e.g.,

n factorial, sum of first n integers)

a. trace simple recursive algorithms

b. provide missing steps in incomplete simple

recursive algorithms

c. identify parts of a recursive algorithm (e.g.,

base or stopping condition, recursive call)

d. identify errors in simple recursive algorithms

e. identify an iterative algorithm that is

equivalent to a recursive algorithm

4. Be familiar with the use of randomization in

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 Praxis® Computer Science (5652)
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computing

a. identify appropriate uses of randomization in

a variety of applications

b. identify the difference between random and

pseudorandom numbers

III. Programming (30%)

A. Understands and applies knowledge of
programming control structures, standard
operators, variables, correctness, extensibility,
modifiability, and reusability

1. Understand how to write and modify

computer programs in a text-based
programming language

a. describe what a program does or be able to

choose the code segment that correctly
implements a given intended purpose

b. identify missing code in a code segment with

a stated intended purpose

c. place statements in appropriate order to

create a correct program
d. identify how changing one part of a code
segment will affect the output

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2. Understand how to analyze computer
programs in terms of correctness

a. trace code and indicate the output printed or

the value of variables after code segment
execution

b. indicate the inputs that produce given

outputs for a code segment

c. describe what a program does or choose the

code segment that correctly implements a
given intended purpose

d. identify valid preconditions and

postconditions

e. compare two code segments or algorithms

f. identify the type of error produced by a code

segment (i.e., syntax, runtime, compile-time,
overflow, round-off, logic)

g. identify errors in incorrect code and changes

that can be made to correct them

3. Know the concepts of extensibility,

modifiability, and reusability

a. identify the meaning of the terms

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b. identify functionally equivalent statements or
code segments that differ in one of these three
ways

c. identify situations where the use of constants

or variables would be preferred over hard-
coded values

d. identify opportunities for parameterization

e. choose code that improves on given code by

making it more extensible, modifiable, or
reusable

f. identify changes that would improve a given

code segment

4. Understand the three basic constructs used

in programming: sequence, selection, and
iteration

a. trace code and indicate the output printed or

the value of variables after code segment
execution

b. indicate inputs that produce given outputs

for a code segment

c. describe what a program does or choose the

code segment that correctly implements a

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given intended purpose

d. identify missing code in a code segment with

a stated intended purpose

e. identify equivalent statements or code

segments

f. identify the three constructs when used in

code

g. identify which of the constructs are needed

to implement given functionality

h. convert code that does not use iteration to

equivalent code that uses iteration

5. Understand how to use standard operators

(i.e., assignment, arithmetic, relational, logical)
and operator precedence to write programs

a. trace code and indicate the output displayed

or the value of variables after code segment
execution

b. indicate inputs that produce given outputs

for a code segment

c. describe what a program does or choose the

code segment that correctly implements a

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stated intended purpose

d. identify missing code in a code segment with

a stated intended purpose

e. identify equivalent statements or code

segments

f. place statements in appropriate order to

create a correct program

g. use Boolean algebra to identify equivalent

Boolean expressions

h. write a Boolean expression equivalent to

given code, or identify code equivalent to a
given Boolean expression or English description

i. identify the correct implementation of a given

formula, including formulas with fractions

j. evaluate expressions that include arithmetic

operations

6. Understand how to use variables and a

variety of data types

a. identify variables and data types (e.g.,

integers, floating point, string, Booleans,
arrays/lists)

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b. identify the need for type conversion

c. trace code and indicate the output printed or

the value of variables after code segment
execution

d. indicate the inputs that produce given

outputs for a code segment

e. describe what a program does or choose the

code segment that correctly implements a
stated intended purpose

f. identify missing code in a code segment with

a stated intended purpose

g. identify equivalent statements or code

segments

h. place statements in appropriate order to

create a correct program

i. describe the difference between integer and

floating point numeric data types

j. describe the difference between integer and

floating point division

k. describe the benefits of the use of each data

type

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l. distinguish between global and local scope

m. identify the most appropriate data type in a

given context

n. identify the correct sequence of string

operations to produce a given output

B. Understands and applies knowledge of

procedures, event-driven programs, usability,
data structures, debugging, documenting and
reviewing code, libraries and APIs, IDEs, and
programming language paradigms, including
object-oriented concepts

1. Understand how to write and call procedures

with parameters and return values

a. trace code and indicate the output printed or

the value of variables after code segment
execution

b. indicate inputs that produce given outputs

for a code segment

c. describe what a program does or choose the

code segment that correctly implements a
stated intended purpose

d. identify missing code in a code segment with

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a stated intended purpose

e. identify equivalent statements or code

segments

f. place statements in appropriate order to

create a correct program

g. trace code when references to objects and

arrays are passed to procedures

h. trace code that includes nested procedure

calls

2. Know the concepts of event-driven programs

that respond to external events (e.g., sensors,
messages, clicks)

a. trace code and indicate the output printed or

the value of variables after code segment
execution

b. indicate inputs that produce given outputs

for a code segment

c. describe what a program does or choose the

code segment that correctly implements a
stated intended purpose

d. identify missing code in a code segment with

a stated intended purpose

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e. identify possible errors due to asynchronous
events

f. identify aspects of concurrency in event-

driven programming

3. Be familiar with usability and user experience

(e.g., ease of use and accessibility)

a. identify code that improves on given code in

terms of usability or user experience

b. identify meaningful error messages

c. identify features that improve accessibility

4. Be familiar with dictionaries/maps, stacks,

and queues

a. identify a data structure based on a

description of behavior or appropriate use

b. given goals, constraints, or context, identify

the most appropriate data structure

c. trace code that uses a particular data

structure

5. Understand how to use debugging

techniques and appropriate test cases

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