Sponsored by:
Senator RICHARD J. CODEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Pou
SYNOPSIS
Requires public school students in grades 6 through 12 to take courses in computer science.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning computer science education and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Computer science is transforming industry, creating new fields of commerce, driving innovation in all fields of science, and bolstering productivity in established economic sectors.
b. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by the year 2020, there will be 4.2 million jobs in computing and information technology in the United States, putting these fields among the fastest growing occupational fields.
c. The College Board reports that of the 3.4 million Advanced Placement exams given in 2011, only about 20,000 of those were in computer science.
d. In the 2012-2013 school year, only 9 states allowed computer science courses to count toward secondary school core graduation requirements, chilling student interest in computer science courses.
e. Many states’ middle and high school curriculums are almost exclusively focused on skill-based aspects of computing and have few standards on the conceptual aspects of computer science that lay the foundation for innovation and deeper study in the field.
f. Computer science education has been encumbered by confusion with technology education and the use of technology in education, which are related but distinct concepts.
g. Exposing middle and high school students to computer science education in New Jersey would give them a deeper knowledge of the fundamentals of computing, yielding critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives in numerous fields.
h. It is appropriate at this time that the Department of Education and the school districts in the State revise curricula to better educate young people in this important subject area and thus better prepare our students for effective citizenship in the 21st century.
2. Within 180 days of the effective date of this act, the State Board of Education shall develop rigorous curriculum guidelines in computer science at the middle and high school levels. The goal of the curriculum guidelines shall be:
a. to prepare students to understand the nature of computer science and its place in the modern world;
b. to foster an understanding that computer science interweaves concepts and skills;
c. to enable students to use computer science skills, primarily computational thinking, in their problem-solving activities in other subjects; and
d. to complement information technology and Advanced Placement computer science curricula in school districts in which they are currently offered.
3. Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, a school district shall require a student in grades 6 through 12 to complete a continuum of courses in the field of computer science. The courses shall be in conformance with the curriculum guidelines established by the State board pursuant to section 2 of this act.
4. As used in this act, “computer science” means the study of computers and algorithmic processes and includes the study of computing principles, computer hardware and software design, computer applications, and the impact of computers on society.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State Board of Education, within 180 days of the effective date of bill, to develop rigorous curriculum guidelines in computer science at the middle and high school levels. Under the provisions of the bill, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, a student in grades 6 through 12 will be required to complete a continuum of courses in the field of computer science, which will be aligned with the curriculum guidelines established by the State board.
The confusion over the terms and curriculum related to computing, technology, and computer science is considered to be one of the fundamental reasons why computer science standards, course classification and credits, teacher certification programs, and curriculum are inadequate or non-existent in our classrooms today. In order to clarify the subject matter, the bill defines “computer science” to mean the study of computers and algorithmic processes and includes the study of computing principles, computer hardware and software design, computer applications, and the impact of computers on society.