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

Different Ways Students Use Technology

This two‐year, mixed methods study with surveys, observations, and interviews, documented student technology use and skill before and after the implementation of a new one‐to‐one tablet computing program at a private middle school in the United States. Results showed that after one year with tablets, several differences in students' technology use and skill were documented, including: higher satisfaction with school technology, greater frequency of technology use in specific subjects such as math and science, greater frequency of certain classroom activities such as two‐way communicating, and greater technology skills on competencies such as editing collaborative wikis. New modes of student collaboration were evident after implementing the tablet program, including sharing notes and co‐editing wikis. Differences were inconsistent across grade levels and subjects, suggesting teachers are adopting the tablet innovation differentially. In general, technology use increased most in math, science, and social studies classrooms, with smaller increases in language arts and foreign language classrooms.

Oliver, K. M., & Corn, J. O. (2008). Student‐reported differences in technology use and skills after the implementation of one‐to‐one computing. Educational Media International, 45(3), 215-229. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523980802284333?scroll=top&needAccess=true

School Library Programs

The annual survey by American Association of School Librarians is open to library centers at all schools teaching at the primary and secondary levels. The first survey was conducted in 2007 and results from each year are available for review. Most of the questions are tracking questions, though, each year the survey includes a short series of topical questions. In 2012, the topical questions were focused on filtering and online access. 

In the major areas of reporting these changes were reported between the 2011 and 2012 data.

-       American school libraries are in a steady state with hours open, average number of hours worked by total staff and overall staffing levels consistent with 2011.

-       While the number of visits, both individual and group remains consistent compared to 2011, the average number of computers outside of the library with networked access to library services has increased significantly from 2011 to 2012.

-       Expanded access is on the upswing with schools continuing the trend to increase remote access to their library licensed databases.

American Association of School Librarians (2012). School libraries count: National longitudinal

survey of school library programs. United States: American Association of School Librarians. http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/2012/AASL-SLC-2012-WEB.pdf