Status of Computer Science in Education

According to a report from the Code.org Advocacy Coalition and the Computer Science Teachers Association, dozens of states have adopted a wide range of policies to promote K-12 computer science education. However, early data suggest only about one-third of U.S. public high schools are currently teaching computer science. This report contains the status of computer science education policy across the nation and a first look at school-by-school data on the availability of computer science in high schools. Across 24 states, only a third of high schools in the US teach computer science. In addition, Black and Hispanic students, students receiving free and reduced lunch, and students from rural areas are less likely to attend a school that provides access to this critical subject.

Code.org Advocacy Coalition, & Computer Science Teachers Association (2018). 2018 state of computer science education – Policy and implementation. Computer Science Teachers Association and Code.org Advocacy Coalition. https://code.org/files/2018_state_of_cs.pdf

Digital Technologies Around the World

This study discusses how digital technologies have spread rapidly in much of the world. Digital dividends—that is, the broader development benefits from using these technologies—have lagged behind. In many instances, digital technologies have boosted growth, expanded opportunities, and improved service delivery. Yet their aggregate impact has fallen short and is unevenly distributed. The study states that for digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere it requires closing the remaining digital divide, especially in internet access. But greater digital adoption will not be enough. To get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on the “analog complements”—by strengthening regulations that ensure competition among businesses, by adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and by ensuring that institutions are accountable.

World Bank Group (2016). World development report 2016: Digital dividends. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/23347/9781464806711.pdf