Half of the highest paying jobs require that workers possess at least minimal coding skills.
As more and more emphasis is being placed on preparing workers primed to succeed in the 21st century workforce, it seems logical that more emphasis should be placed on helping students acquire programming skills. In over half of US states, however, computer science-related disciplines don’t count towards graduation requirements.
Microsoft has led the charge for getting states to make computer science courses a graduation requirement and other organizations, such as Code.org, have followed suit. In just a year, the number of states with computer science programs in their schools has almost doubled with 25 states and the District of Columbia implementing measures to ensure that students have access to this instruction. We still have a long way to go, however, as most schools don’t yet offer computer or programming classes in any form—never mind instituting it as a graduation requirement.
One thing that has become increasingly clear is that knowledge of computer science is necessary for success in the 21st century workforce. Typically, computer science and basic coding classes are electives in most schools, but don’t count as a core requirement for graduation. In June 2013, Code.org, the biggest educational platform for coding, partnered with Microsoft to push for state-level policy changes to ensure computer science and coding preparation become a graduation requirement across the country.
Recent reports reveal that as much as 40 percent of K-12 schools now offer some form of computer science education with programming classes, which is a huge bump from 2015. The exact nature of “computer science” in these schools is still unclear, however, because afterschool programs can’t quite compare with a full-year course that’s rigorous and taught by a professional. In this same time period, Advanced Placement courses have seen an increase from six percent of students to seven percent—a small number, but progress nonetheless.
Some universities and school districts have taken it upon themselves to make computer science courses available for their students. A notable example is Purdue University in Indiana (a state in which computer science credits count towards graduation), which announced in November 2014 that it would offer an introductory programming and computer science course to high school students in Indiana for free. Schools in Chicago have also rolled out K-12 computer science programs, which are designed to ensure that every high school offers a foundational computer science course to its students. In the next couple of years, at least half of these schools will be offering Advanced Placement computer science courses as well.
Despite the initiatives launched by these schools, there are still some restrictions blocking the full implementation of these ideas. In a 2013 survey of computer science instructors, about 40 percent said their greatest challenge was a lack of support or interest from school staff. Another 35 percent cited lack of student interest as the major obstacle in implementation. The absence of an established computer science curriculum and rapidly changing technology were also cited in the report.
Also, schools are sometimes discouraged from scheduling computer science courses for logistical and financial reasons as most computer courses thrive on small class sizes, which might not be suitable for a lot of schools. Logistically, schools might also be trying to get students to fulfill their already-required science or math credits, so they don’t always have room for computer science and coding courses.
In making computer science mandatory for high school graduation, it’s important that we remember that kickstarting this process early is crucial. This allows for instructors teaching early education computer science programs and languages, like HTML, CSS, and JAVA, to infuse them into their K-8 programs. These programs might seem a bit advanced for most students, but there are platforms, like Code.org, which offer step-by-step tutorials for these programming languages. Codemoji, another company with an innovative idea of replacing regular coding scripts with more familiar emojis, is also doing a great job in this regard. Beyond these companies, there are several other free coding courses and coding websites for kids, which come in handy.
At Eduporium, we’ve partnered with some of the most innovative companies in the world to try to get coding technology in the hands on students of all ages. With products suitable for teaching coding in all grade levels and plenty to choose from, Eduporium is a very useful resource for helping schools implement coding-focused classes.
The new age is the age of information and relevance will require that today’s students are able to be efficient and creative in solving problems, many of which will demand coding skills across the workforce. At least 90 percent of parents want their high school students to learn computer science, but less than half of US schools currently offer viable instruction on the subject. Half of the top paying jobs require that workers possess coding skills and computing jobs are the No. 1 source of wages for most families. Clearly, computer science needs a larger role in K-12 education and it needs to begin as soon as possible.
Coding Programs for Schools
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