Computer Science for All Schools?
Posted on November 23rd, 2017 by Mary Lord
Not comfortable teaching computer science? Join the crowd – but not for long. With well-paying tech jobs across the country going begging, states, local school districts, and the federal government are making computer science education a priority.
Filed under: K-12 Education News, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features | Comments Off on Computer Science for All Schools?
Tags: Computer Science, Computer Science for All, Congressional app challenge, Public Policy, state education policy, STEM education, STEM jobs
Hurricane Sandy’s devastating floods exposed the need to re-engineer coastal communities for resilience and sparked a novel method to generate innovative design solutions: Crowd-sourcing. The six competition winners are now putting their ideas into practice. 
Results from America’s first-ever test of K-12 technology and engineering literacy point to the power of hands-on, applied STEM learning – both in and outside of school – to increase diversity and achievement. The National Assessment of Educational Progress found that girls scored higher on average than boys. And while suburban and rural students outperformed their urban peers, the achievement gaps between race and income groups were much smaller than typically posted on national tests in other subjects.
African-American males represent a sliver of engineering enrollment. More could succeed if schools understood what it takes to beat the odds. In its summer 2014 cover story, ASEE’s Prism magazine explores the challenges and experiences of black engineering students, including their lessons for higher education.
Ever wonder who sets STEM education policy – or yearn to influence it? Apply to become an Einstein Fellow and spend a year at the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, NASA, NOAA, or a congressional office.
Last year, President Obama fielded basketballs lobbed from a hand-built catapult and test drove a search-and-rescue robot at the 2014 White House Science Fair. On Monday, March 23, the White House agaim will host dozens of young scientists and engineers – and you can watch it live online. 
Summer is a great time to recharge, refresh, and learn new things. Check out eGFI’s collection of engineering education and STEM learning opportunities!
Computing is all around us, from movies to manufacturing to marketing. But only a handful of Americans learn how computers work or can create software, websites, or applications. Computer Science Education Week (December 9-15, 2013) aims to change that equation. This year’s effort: an Hour of Code that organizers hope will engage 10 million students.
On May 24, Rhode Island became the first state to approve the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Kentucky’s state board of education followed on June 5. Both are among the 26 states that helped develop the new academic standards, which include engineering design as a stand-alone strand.
