US sets policy goals for computer science education

A partnership to promote K-12 computer science education policy goals for American states was announced last week at the annual National Governors Association Winter Meeting. The new partnership intends to help states advance computer science education by setting out three policy goals: high schools should offer at least one computer science class; teachers should be offered professional development in computer science; and K-12 computer science standards need to be created and formalised to guide implementation.

Governors band together to support state computer science education

The push for computer science education, including making it more accessible and making it eligible for high school science or math requirements instead of only counting as an elective, is growing.

At the National Governors Association Winter Meeting on Feb. 21, Governors Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) announced a new partnership intended to promote K-12 computer science education at the state level. The partnership focuses on specific policy goals to help states advocate for and advance computer science education.

Despite growing national awareness of and support for computer science skills, few school offer it as a course–just 1 in 4, according to Code.org.

Demand for increased and earlier access to computer science is growing among educators, parents, and employers. In a recent survey, 90 percent of parents said they want computer science taught in schools. At the beginning of February, President Obama proposed funneling $4 billion to an effort to reboot computer science education programs.

Groups across the country are getting behind the movement, too. Each year during Computer Science Education Week, schools are invited to participate in Code.org’s Hour of Code, in which they spend time coding and learning computer science skills. More recently, a partnership between nonprofit Destination Imagination and Oracle Academy encourages students to participate in computer science and coding challenges.