New program will bolster computer science teaching ranks | Sacramento State News - Sacramento State University

Sac State's Computer Science, Teaching Credentials departments team up to help fill a critical regional need, inform Jonathan Morales, Writer/Content Editor at Scramento State.
 

A photo of a high school student sitting a desk programming a robot.

A high school student programs a robot during one of Sacramento State's Summer Academies for High School Youth in 2017. A new program at Sac State will provide local K-12 teachers with a special authorization to teach computer science classes, helping students learn this and other skills. 

The state of California has emphasized teaching computer science in K-12 schools. Millions of dollars have been invested in Sacramento-area school districts to create STEM career pathways including in computer science. Students and parents are clamoring for computer science classes.
There’s just one problem: California doesn’t yet offer a computer science teaching credential. For many districts, that means there’s no one who is actually certified to teach the classes...

Project coordinator Anna Baynes, a professor of Computer Science, said increasing the pool of computer science teachers will create interest in a larger and more diverse group of K-12 students and better prepare them for college.

“A lot of the skills you need to have before you can start to major or start to study computer science, like computational thinking, need to be developed a lot earlier,” Baynes said. “You can’t wait until you’re in high school or college to develop those skills.”
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Source: Sacramento State University