Communications of the ACM
Computer Science Education Getting Short Shrift, Study Finds
Credit: Canyon Crest Academy
Despite the expanding role of computing in society and the economy, quality computer science education is being "pushed out of the K-12 education system in the United States," according to a new report from the Computing in the Core coalition. The newly formed coalition, whose members include ACM, the Computer Science Teachers Association, Microsoft, and Google, will work to make computer science a core subject at the K-12 level.
"As the digital age has transformed the world and workforce, U.S. K-12 education has fallen woefully behind in preparing students with the fundamental computer science knowledge and skills they need for future success," the report says. Among the concerns the report cites are a "marked decline" in the number of schools offering introductory and Advanced Placement computer science courses, and the fact that few states allow computer science to count toward a student's graduation requirements.
"The basic issue is that the nation is understanding rightfully the importance of [science, technology, engineering, and math] education, and computer science is being largely left out of the conversation," says Bobby Schnabel, who chairs ACM's education policy committee. "This report simply shows very clearly how much computer science is being neglected in our K-12 system."
From Education Week
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