Efforts to Bring Computer Science to High Schools Locally

Partner4CS is a non-profit organization centered in Delaware trying to bring a high quality computer science classes to middle schools and high schools.  This program hopes to broaden participation in computing, increase awareness of computer science and its impact on the world around us, and increase enthusiasm for computer science.  Professors and undergraduates at the University of Delaware are working side by side to make this goal a reality.  These people volunteer their time to teach the fundamentals of computing to students in grades 6-12.  

While partner4CS is currently in its first year, other programs like it have already initiated the school reform.  In a case study on school reform, Jane Margolis and Joanna Goode worked alongside the rest of the Exploring Computer Science team to implement a prerequisite to the AP CS course in various high schools in the Los Angeles area.  This case study reached out to 7 high schools and almost 300 students.  
After recording data from pre and post class surveys, results showed that students were more likely to stick with a difficult problem, and they were less likely to seek out answers from a superior.  Further, students reported that they were more likely to consider computer science as an academic major after enrolling in the course.  Many students even learned applications of computer science that cross over into different fields and learned how important these skills are for their future. After taking the class, one student noted:

"I plan to pursue a career in either Pediatrics or Biomedical Engineering and the problem solving techniques as well as the programming tips are definitely useful for my future career plans."

[See a full list of student testimonials here]

This data bodes well for the future implementation of computer science courses around the nation.  It suggests that computer science increases student’s eagerness to learn and it boosts their confidence to tackle tough problems.

This high school reform has been very successful in the past, and it can be just as successful in the future too.  In order to be able to scale this up to the national level, high schools need accept computer science as a highly valuable class in make room for it in the schedule currently centered around core classes as defined by the NCLB act.  This reform could ultimately provide a vital boost to our economy by filling the major void in the field of computing and other STEM related fields.  

Computer Science Helps Everyone

There are way more jobs in computer science than there are
qualified people to fill the positions.

              Jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have grown significantly in the past decade, and they are projected to keep growing at that rate.  In fact, STEM occupations are expected to grow by 17% from 2008 to 2018, which is almost double the growth for their non-STEM counterparts.  People who have degrees in STEM related fields enjoy more salary, less unemployment, and more job security. 
            New technology is the key to sustained economic growth, and our country depends on these innovators to develop this new technology.  Some of the greatest minds of the 21^st century all learned to program a computer before college.  Take Mark Zuckerberg, for example, or Steve Jobs, or Bill Gates – these people completely transformed the way we live our lives, and they owe a lot of their success to computer science.  
              But since most high schools focus so much on testing, very few students have the opportunity to learn computer science before college.  Despite the growing need for qualified workers to fill these positions, high schools are not meeting the STEM demand. The high demand for talented computer programmers is increasing at a much faster pace than the supply at which colleges are producing these coders.  As a result, companies tend to outsource these high paying positions, and America loses out on a large sector of the economy.  America needs to bring these jobs back within its borders – and it all starts by exposing students to computer science at an earlier age.  Preparing students to fill these positions has to start with a better high school curriculum – one that incorporates computer science.  A computer science implementation would do much more than fill the void in STEM positions; it would also prepare college prospects for the rigors of college and provide job-seekers with an upper hand in the job market.

71% of jobs in STEM fields are in computing.  These jobs depend heavily on
computer programming to create mathematical models and
produce simulations.

Computer science is a great class because it induces critical thinking and builds problem solving skills, but it also has many practical applications.  Computer science is class that everybody should take because it provides students with the tools they need to succeed whether they join the work force or go on to college.  With an economy that relies so much on technology, advanced computer literacy is becoming increasingly important.  Additionally, the problem solving and critical thinking skills developed in a computer science course apply to many jobs outside of the engineering discipline.  Kevin Carey says “Computer science is a lens and an entry into skills in critical and logical thinking that apply across all disciplines.”  According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, high school graduates have a much harder time in the labor force than college graduates.  By giving high school students the chance to take practical classes that induce critical thinking, students will be more prepared to join the workforce after graduation.  Further, since computer literacy is becoming increasingly important in today’s job market, students who take computer related classes in high school have a distinct advantage over other qualified candidates.

Academic disqualification is a big reason why students drop out of college.

            College is much more demanding than high school; in fact only 56% of students who enter college earn a degree within 6 years.  Although some people drop out for monetary reasons, others just can’t handle the higher expectations of college.  Part of the problem is that high school classes are not demanding enough.  By offering an introductory computer science course, however, the transition to college will be easier for students who take the class.  The logical reasoning and critical thinking skills developed in computer science will also go a long way in rigorous college classes.  
              It is better to introduce students to computer science in high school than in college because the stakes are lower.  Furthermore, high schools allocate twice as much time to cover the same amount of material as in college.  This slower pace will give students a little more breathing room to actually enjoy and appreciate the power of computer science.

Rethinking What We Teach and How We Teach it

              Since former President Bush initiated the NCLB act, computer science classes have declined to near-negligible levels.  In fact, only 5% of public and private high schools in the US offer introductory computer science courses.

                 The NCLB act main focus is in English, mathematics, and science, and most schools ignore other classes such as computer science.  Many high schools argue that there is not enough room in the schedule to offer non-core classes.  Since high schools often overlook computer science, the class becomes difficult to implement at the college level.  

              Additionally, because teachers often teach test-taking strategies in favor of practical applications of material, students go into college without the critical thinking or analytic kills they need to succeed in a rigorous college classes such as computer science.  

             As Albert Einstein once said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”  This fundamental idea should be at the heart of every high school curriculum.  Unfortunately, this is just not the case, as most schools are more concerned with test performance than student growth. 

             Once high schools around the country adjust their curriculum and stop spending so much time teaching test preparation, there will be more room in the schedule to offer computer science classes.  Computer science is an important subject because it requires logical reasoning and creativity, which are skills that all successful college students need to have.  

This diagram shows the process computer scientists
use to create new technology.

           Designing a computer program is a multi-step process that requires a well thought out approach, an understanding of basic programming principles, and the ability to break up a large problem into a set of smaller, more manageable problems.  It’s necessary to understand the underlying concepts that drive a computer, because something as small as a misplaced parenthesis can be detrimental to the overall function of a program.  Mastering this process requires thinking at multiple levels of abstraction, and it often involves exploring new (to you) and creative solutions. 

Passive learners are at the top half of the pyramid,
while active learners occupy the bottom half.

             After all, students who figure out problems on their own using related information that they learned in class are much more likely to retain the information they learn in class than students who are simply shown the answer.  Further, students who ask questions because they are genuinely interested in the solution are much better off than people who just wait for the teacher to address the problems in class.  These active learners are much more prepared for the rigors of college than the passive learners, but high schools continue to produce passive, task-oriented students with no motivation to learn.

Problems With the Education System

Only 50% of students who start college ever reach graduation.  This startling fact arises from our poor secondary education system, where students are not getting adequate preparation for college.  Due to the pressures presented by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, educators are more focused on test scores than student growth.

The No child left behind act emphasizes standardized
testing as a means to measure academic performance

  Although average test scores have increased since President Bush implemented the act in 2002, these tests scores do not provide an accurate measure of college and career readiness.  The testing culture that has arisen since the NCLB act was implemented has greatly shifted the focus of high school educators.  Since schools get funding based on test performance, teachers are forced to alter their curriculum to adequately prepare their students for the breadth of information they are responsible for on these standardized tests.  
These tests are meant to provide a basis of comparison between schools and between students, but they do not adequately portray student performance.  Experts agree that the current exams are insufficient to measure student analytic and reasoning skills which are the keys to success in college. 
 David Conley points out “What students need to know in high school is not every detail.  They need a structure of knowledge, big ideas, and large organizing concepts.”   Instead, however, students develop study habits to prepare for these tests that ultimately backfire at the college level.  While students who lean toward memorization over comprehension may succeed on standardized tests, they will later find themselves unprepared for the higher expectations of college classes.  
High school teachers have expressed various concerns regarding this act – most notably about "students becoming passive learners and task oriented “do-ers” instead of self-directed learners."  These students expect answers to be handed to them rather than learning the techniques to discover answers for themselves.  Higher education institutions expect their students to be able to think critically, work collaboratively, and solve problems outside the domain of the classroom.  However, with the new breed of students that came along with the NCLB act, fewer and fewer students are able to meet these expectations.