Vviewpoints

DOI: 10.1145/1562164.1562178
it policy
the Long road to Computer
science Education reform
Viewing the factors impeding improvements to CS education
from kindergarten through grade 12 from a policy perspective.

WHEnEVEr CoMpUtEr sCi- Entists discuss the hu- man capital issues that plague the computing fields—the significant lack of diversity among computer science graduates (especially at the master’s and Ph.D. levels),a the underrepresentation of women in computing, and the general decline in interest among U.S. students in the science and engineering fields—inevitably, the lamentable state of computer science education in the U.S.’s primary and secondary schools figures prominently.

PHo ToGRAPH CoURTEsy oF THE UnITED s TATEs nAVAL ACADEMy

While there are significant issues within higher education, there is a growing realization that we must address challenges at the beginning of the education pipeline. Excellent computer science classes are being taught in U.S. schools today, but looking across the country they are the exception to the rule. In general, we find too few students have the opportunity to take engaging and rigorous computer science courses in high school; there is little diversity among those that do. Too few opportunities exist for professional development for teachers. Too little innovation has happened in creating an engaging and rigorous curriculum for

 

a Traditionally underrepresented minorities (Black or African-American, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native) are even more underrepresented at the master’s and Ph.D. levels, according to the 2007–2008 CRA Taulbee Survey; see http://www.cra.org/taulbee/CRA- TaulbeeReport-StudentEnrollment-07-08.pdf

approximately 200 7th–10th grade students from around the u.S. attended the 2009 Summer Science, Technology, engineering and math (STem) Program at the u.S. Naval academy in annapolis, mD. The five-day program offered real-life applications in subjects including forensics, mechanics, robotics, biometrics, and computer stimulation and encourages students to pursue engineering and technology studies in high school and college.

 

students. There is general agreement that this is a national failing—and one that we can ill afford—as computing is a central part of society, and key enabler of innovation and economic growth.

If “fixing” computer science education in kindergarten through grade 12 (K– 12) is so clearly necessary, why has there not been more progress in the U. S.? In an age when the ability to think computationally already is, or certainly will be, a prerequisite for success in so many endeavors, why do we still strug-

gle to reform K– 12 computer science and make it more relevant?

In large part, it is because reform of the K– 12 education system at any level or in any subject is notoriously difficult. Control over education is decentralized. States and school districts play varying leadership roles in determining what students must learn. Federal policy and bureaucracy, driven largely through strings attached to federal funds, layer on top of state and local responsibilities. Add to this