Growth Of CS Across The Country, Which States Are Taking The Lead?



Computer science courses in K-8 education are fading from the nation’s curriculum at the very moment they are needed most. Primary, secondary school computer science courses have fallen in number by 17 percent from 2005. The number of Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Courses has also decreased by 33 percent.

It would be difficult to argue that, along with many other aspects of modern life, technology has become a standard part of educational institutions in the US, and indeed, several other regions of the world. In light of this, the United States Government recently launched a bold new initiative aimed at empowering all American students, from kindergarten through high school to equip them with the analytical and computational skills which are necessary tools in this digital economy.

Computer science has several applications; it plays a role in the development of software and hardware which find use in military, business and among average consumers. These numerous applications make computer science the highest growing career field in the US with some occupations such as software engineering projected to grow by 22% from 2012-2022.

The introduction of students to computer science at the elementary level has been touted by many researchers as a skill necessary for success in college and later in life. Despite this apparent value on computer science education, it remains a rare commodity in K-8 and even k-12 curriculum. In 2011, only five percent of high schools across the country offered Advanced Placement test in computer science.

Several states are beginning to see the light and have put steps in place to make computer science education compulsory in K-8 education, and some have even gone on to list it as a graduation requirement.

• POLICIES MANDATING AWARDING OF MATH, SCIENCE OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE CREDIT Fourteen states have passed legislations that require students to apply specified computer science courses towards the completion of mathematics, science or foreign language graduation requirements for the standard diploma.

These states include Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

• POLICIES PERMITTING AWARD OF MATH OR SCIENCE CREDIT In Arizona, a rigorous computer science course can be used in the stead of mathematics as long as it contains significant mathematics content and the high school offering the course is determined capable of capacity, infrastructure, and qualified staffs in the required courses.

In California, a district that requires two or more units of mathematics for high school graduation may award up to one math credit for successfully completing a category C-approved computer science course as meets the A-G admission requirements for the University of California and California State University.

• POLICIES ON AWARDING OF CREDIT FOR A SPECIALIZED DIPLOMA/ENDORSEMENT In some states, computer science may fulfill requirements for a specialized degree or serve as an endorsement to the standard diploma. These states include Louisiana, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia.

Code.org, Codemoji and several other companies have joined the United States Government led a movement of CSforAll. The scheme aimed at teachers is focused on giving every school access and an opportunity to provide computer science education. Over 50,000 teachers have gone through the program designed to providing computer science education for over a million students. There are several opportunities out there, not just in computer science companies, but many other professions who need individuals who can understand data and be able to do some computation with it. Being able to do some computing is going to be an incredibly useful skill for a well-educated adult in the 21st century.

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