Expanding student access to and enrollment in computer science classes is both an economic development strategy and a student equity imperative.

Computer science has become a critical area of study that provides students with skills they need across numerous sectors and social contexts. It can open up a world of opportunity, leading to careers that provide job security and economic mobility.

National salaries for computer and information technology jobs are skyrocketing. Massachusetts is experiencing rapid growth in positions that demand advanced computer skills, but the demand for this labor has outpaced supply. At the same time, employers are deeply committed to increasing diversity in the tech workforce and addressing deep income and wealth gaps.

Now is the time to take bold steps to expand participation in computer science study and ensure we are providing equal access and opportunity. In 2019-2020, 90% of Massachusetts high schoolers attended a school that offered CS, but only 5.9% of students were enrolled in a foundational CS course, and 27% of urban high schools – which tend to serve high proportions of minority and low-income students – don’t offer a computer science course. The vast majority of CS enrollees across the state were white and male.

Requiring that all students take a foundational computer science class is the best way to enhance equitable access and participation and Massachusetts should move toward that approach.  However, there is a lot of work to be done to build capacity for that step. That’s why MBAE recommends the following steps:

1. Require that EVERY high school offer a foundational computer science course.
2. Allocate ample funding to help districts cover the costs of CS education infrastructure, expanding current funding streams and adding new ones.
3. Improve state capacity to support and oversee the expansion.
4. Substantially grow the educator workforce through enhanced professional development, creation of alternative pathways such as micro-credentials, and expanding the number of computer science teacher preparation programs.
5. Educating and informing guidance counselors who play a crucial role in helping students plan their schedules and often act as “gatekeepers” into CS.
6. Adopting other statewide policies that introduce Computer Science earlier in the K-12 student experience and require integration of computer science and digital literacy throughout the K-8 curriculum.