According to a report on the , 24% of teachers in 聽high-poverty schools reported suspending computer science instruction due to COVID-19, with only 14% of teachers in low-poverty schools doing the same.

This, of course, is just one example of what happened to our educational system during the pandemic, but it is particularly problematic when we look at the importance of tech literacy in the workforce of tomorrow.

51风流has continued to be a strong advocate for universal and equal access to computer science courses in every classroom by partnering with organizations like the . CSTA鈥檚 work centers around building capacity in K-12 educators to provide relevant computer science curricula with the overarching goal to reduce barriers, support teachers, and advance computer science education across the U.S.

To learn more about the state of computer science education in today鈥檚 classrooms and where it is headed in the future, we sat down with CSTA Director of Education Shaina Glass.

Glass鈥� relationship with computer science has evolved over her 19 years in education. While teaching at a STEAM magnet school, she became curious about the topic, which was simply referred to as 鈥渃oding鈥� back then. This started an impressive journey of making her way from a CSTA chapter member and leader to CSTA Equity Fellow to her leadership role today.

Q: How would you define the state of computer science education today?

A: In a word, evolving. Back when I became a CSTA member in 2019, it was hard to identify exactly what to teach or how computer science intersected with career education. These conditions have changed drastically. The U.S. is unique: we don’t look at education outcomes nationally, every state evaluates individually. If you want to see how states rank you can look at the that is released every year.

Another changing aspect of computer science education is diversity within the teacher pool. When I started 19聽years ago, there were few teachers that looked like me. Despite some progress in diversifying computer science teachers, classrooms are still far more diverse than the teacher pool.

Primarily, we are falling short in preparing teachers to feel confident teaching the subject. There are new policies going in place to make sure all students learn computer science, yet we don鈥檛 have anyone to teach it. We鈥檙e putting the cart before the horse. 

Why is computer science such an important topic? 

Everything we use in our life is a program. Nearly every job you can fathom today includes some layer of computing. Schools are focused on just needing one computer science teacher when, really, we need all teachers to understand and incorporate it across all content areas and curriculum. This is controversial, but it should touch our social studies and English classes as well as math and science.

One area we struggle with in student standards is the impact of computing. The question is: How do we help the teachers who teach other areas see how computer science impacts their subject?

We must make sure that students know that computer science is not one standalone class and there are no limitations on how they can use it. Students walk around every day with it in their pockets, which makes computer science one of the most vital areas for teaching today. 

What are some of the barriers to getting computer science into the classroom? 

The biggest component in my mind right now is teacher preparation — and not just preparing current teachers, but also preparing those who want to become teachers. We must be proactive and build skills for the outcomes we want to see later.聽In the聽world of computing, we are constantly investing in the potential of new ideas. Why aren’t we doing that with people?

Preparing the teachers who prepare the next generation should be at the forefront of what we are doing for the future of computer science education.聽

As technology continues to evolve, what does the future of computer science education look like? 

There is a place for artificial intelligence (AI), but more so for teachers to understand it from the creator lens versus the user lens. The story of computer science so far has been more about helping students to become the producer versus the consumer. We need to prioritize students鈥� ability to utilize this technology safely, ethically, and effectively.聽

Right now, people are full of excitement about the power of AI, but we don’t have enough聽infrastructure built around how we should appropriately utilize AI in classrooms. Some are rushing to keep up with this demand for using AI, but we don’t have structures in place for protecting聽or educating students on how AI can impact them, or how it already is.聽Can we steer away from kids just using AI to them understanding what it is, how it impacts them, and how they want to see AI utilized?

As part of the future of computer science education, we should be creating spaces where students can evaluate the field as much as use it. Let them be the creators and innovators of the next ideas — especially those whose voices have been historically missing in these conversations. Learning to listen and collaborate is critical in the field and can be done in any classroom, making every classroom a computer science classroom. Setting that foundation will change how education moves forward.

Chelsey Lerdahl is a senior manager for Corporate Social Responsibility in North America at SAP.

Yet, a pressing question remains: are people being left behind? that the rate of bachelor鈥檚 degree attainment among the U.S. White non-Hispanic population to be 42%. Meanwhile, for the Black and Hispanic population, this is at 28% and 20.6%. More specifically, looking at among science and engineering shows that Hispanic and Black rates are at 15% and 8.5% compared to 58% for the White non-Hispanic population.

The Pathways

51风流not only acknowledged this gap a decade ago but took action, establishing the Early College High School program in 2013. Since its inception, this program has supported over 2,000 students from under-resourced and historically marginalized communities across North America. The goal of the program is to empower public schools to curate distinct educational programs centered around inclusion in STEM, postsecondary readiness, and workforce skill development.

What鈥檚 more, the program鈥檚 flexibility meets schools and educators where they are at. Currently implemented in four schools within the U.S. and Canada, the program is seen within a wide range of STEM and technical skills pathways, from Skyline High School in Oakland, California, which focuses on the arts and visual media, to the hands-on STEM incubator for students at Templeton High School in Vancouver, British Columbia. Specificity and customizability are some of the unique aspects of this larger umbrella of programs.

We鈥檝e shared stories of the program鈥檚 impact on individuals, but are these one-off examples or are these programs truly impactful for the students? To find out, we worked with , a nonprofit focused on building equity through education and research, engaging current students, educators, and community members. Together, we set out to foster reconnection and survey alumni from the participating high schools.

The survey, , was completed by 128 program alumni, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the graduating cohorts that the early college high schools decided to survey. It examined topics relating to alumni demographics, educational attainment, high school experiences and impact, and career intentions. Instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all program or survey, 51风流and Digital Promise consistently worked to meet the varied and changing needs of the partnering schools.

The Findings

While it鈥檚 important to keep in mind that not all alumni responded to the survey, the results were incredibly promising and exceeded our expectations. Of the alumni who responded to the survey, 85% completed or are pursuing post-secondary degrees and 63% are in STEM-related degree programs. This contrasts starkly with the U.S. national average, where only had received post-secondary education and just pursue STEM-related degrees.

This reveals significantly higher numbers of STEM majors within the program and an increased likelihood that students would pursue STEM and technical careers after graduation. Impressively, program alumni report expected careers in fields such as IT, engineering, computer science, healthcare, arts and design, and business and financial operations.

The Impact

In the survey, alumni highlighted the benefits of the program in preparing them for college and giving them access to early college credits, especially in STEM. One alumnus from Charlestown High School in Charlestown, Massachusetts, recounted that the program 鈥済ave me a taste of what college courses would be like if I took them, and it challenged me intellectually.鈥� Likewise, at Business Technology Early College High School (or BTECH) in Queens, New York, alumni highlighted the benefits of the program preparing them for college, giving them access to college credits, communication skills, guides, mentors, and belonging. One former BTECH student explained that 鈥淭aking college classes early in high school has helped me bypass several classes in my bachelor’s degree program. The program鈥hallenged me a lot and helped me improve my writing and communication skills. I loved this early college program and wouldn’t choose anything else if I had to go back again.鈥�

These programs gave many students unprecedented access to sophisticated STEM educational pathways and opportunities for experiential learning in science and technology. At Templeton Secondary School, the program serves as an incubator for early STEM and tech talent by giving students hands-on experience with science experiments, lab work, and creative problem-solving. One Templeton alumni highlighted the sophistication of Templeton鈥檚 STEM preparedness programs, stating, 鈥淸In college] I am often the only one that has used tools and machines and worked in a self-taught environment, and it鈥檚 helped me get into design teams, do well in project courses, and get jobs.鈥�

Similarly, students at Skyline High School echoed the aforementioned benefits of college credits, career exposure, and even coding. In addition to providing pathways to STEM and professional development, Skyline鈥檚 program focuses on preparing students for careers in film and media. Alumni from this unique program spoke to the value of training in multimedia, professional software, and project management experience, explaining that 鈥淲orking on a professional film set opened my eyes to the possibilities for my future career.鈥�

The Future

As we work towards a more equitable society, connecting students and early talent with opportunity is essential. Our results reveal a wide range of diverse benefits from our Early College High School program. 51风流hopes to continue working with Digital Promise to build out an alumni database for the program, expand survey offerings, and help other programs reconnect with their alumni. As our workforce continues to evolve, there is an ever-growing need to create inclusive educational pathways for all students to develop future skills, and gain access to a higher education. It is incumbent upon all of us to make sure all students are empowered and supported as they decide their path to the future.

Chelsey Lerdahl is part of 51风流North America Corporate Social Responsibility.