69ý

Teaching Profession What the Research Says

States Are Calling for More Computer Science Classes. Now They Need the Teachers

By Sarah D. Sparks — October 05, 2023 2 min read
Photo of teacher helping students with their tablet computers.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

When trying to ensure all students get access to the knowledge they need for college and careers, sometimes policy can get ahead of teacher capacity. Computer science is a case in point.

As of 2022, every state in the nation has passed at least one law or policy intended to promote K-12 computer science education, and 53 percent of high schools offered basic computer science courses that year, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Code.org.

“There’s big money behind making [course offerings] go up higher and faster,” thanks to federal and state grants as well as private foundations, said Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “But then that raises the question, well, who are we getting to teach these courses?”
Bruno spoke at a symposium on school staffing at a meeting of the Society for Research in Educational Effectiveness last week, where he was presenting his own research on national staffing issues overall as well as teacher certification issues in states with rapid enrollment growth in computer science classes.

differs widely from state to state. As of 2020, 19 states had an independent certification program, 42 allowed teachers to add computer science to an existing license, and 24 states had alternative pathways to approve teachers in the subject.

But Bruno’s work in states such as and North Carolina suggests that few of those new computer science classes are staffed with teachers who are certified in that subject.

In North Carolina, for example, Bruno and his colleagues found only 1 percent of computer science teachers have specifically certified in computer science. The vast majority were business or math teachers.

“We need to think more strategically about the teacher supply,” Bruno said. “I think we need to be thinking more about individual teaching positions” rather than more general teacher recruitment.

For example, after a 2014 survey found Texas had only 25 teachers statewide who had graduated from a computer science pre-service program, the University of Texas-Austin launched WeTeachCS, in the Lone Star state who participated in virtual and on-the-job professional development to help them qualify for the state’s computer science certification exam. The state also helped fund the , which provides a $1,000 stipend to any Texas teacher who earns a computer science teaching certification.

A recent meta-analysis in the journal also suggests computer science teachers who come to the classroom from different fields can benefit from participating in professional learning communities that have a platform for matching new teachers with mentors, sharing lesson materials, and collaborating.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Why Teachers Likely Take So Few Days Off
The perception coincides with teachers' low levels of job satisfaction.
3 min read
survey teachers static
via Canva
Teaching Profession What the Research Says The More 69ý Miss Class, the Worse Teachers Feel About Their Jobs
Missing kids take a toll on teachers' morale, new research says. Here's how educators can cope with absenteeism.
4 min read
An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year.
An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. Now research suggests the phenomenon may be depressing teachers' job satisfaction.
Brittainy Newman/AP
Teaching Profession Will Your Classroom Get Enough 'Likes'? Teachers Feel the Social Media Pressure
Teachers active on social media feel the competition to showcase innovative lessons and beautiful decorations.
5 min read
Image of a cellphone on a desk.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession New Findings on Teacher Morale Highlight Ways to Make It Better
A new College Board survey on teacher morale echoes some previous findings. But it also highlights opportunities for schools to improve it.
4 min read
A student raises her hand to share her work with her teacher.
A student raises her hand to share her work with her teacher.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed