Expanding Access to Computer Science
Despite booming demand for computer and information technology professionals across all sectors of our economy, too few students in the Commonwealth have access to and are enrolling in computer science courses. As a result, the state is missing an opportunity to connect students from every corner of the state to careers with high wages. MBAE is working to change that.
MBAE created a state-level strategy to ensure equitable student access to computer science classes and to dramatically increase enrollment, particularly among students traditionally underserved and underrepresented in key sectors of our economy.
Proposed legislation requires every public high school in MA to offer at least one foundational computer science course and to ensure that all students can access that course, by the start of the 2025-26 school year. The foundational CS course must include rigorous math or science concepts as outlined in standards issued by DESE. (An Act to Expand Access to Computer Science Coursework–HD. 3571/SD. 1294).
2020–21 School Year
“Increasing access to computer science education for all Massachusetts students is one important way that the state can expand career opportunities for its high school graduates, promote a more equitable Commonwealth, and ensure the state’s employers have access to the skilled workforce they need.”