CCSD schools listen to Obama, add more computer classes

Clark County School District and the nation’s six other largest school systems have heeded the call of President Barack Obama to bring computer science courses to more students because of a growing demand for these skills, the White House announced Monday.

“Learning these skills isn’t just important for your future – it’s important for our country’s future,” Obama told students in his call to action during Computer Science Education Week in December 2013.

Other participating districts are the New York City Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Broward County Public Schools and the Houston Independent School District.

In addition to the nation’s seven largest districts, more than 50 public school systems around the country have made the same commitment: Offer introductory computer science courses districtwide in middle or high school, the White House said. Together, these districts reach more than 4 million students from middle through high school.

Some of these districts, like Clark County, already have computer science as an elective at limited middle and high school campuses. The district offers Advanced Placement computer science courses at some of its 49 high schools, but didn’t specify how many.

Nevada’s high school graduation requirements include 0.5 credit in “computers.” But that’s more of a survey course, skimming the surface of computers with spreadsheets and presentation tools, like Microsoft Office, said Jhone Ebert, the district’s chief innovation and productivity officer.

“There’s that basic knowledge that all students need,” she said.

But it’s not computer science, which requires some math and science. For the existing AP course, students must have passed Algebra II and possess basic computer science skills, Ebert said.

In Clark County, the nation’s fifth-largest district, the goal is to eventually make computer science courses an integrated part of the curriculum at all levels. But the district will start by making it a part of all 49 high schools.

The first hurdle will be teaching the teachers, few of whom have degrees in teaching computer science.

In November, the Clark County School Board signed an agreement with Code.org, which trains computer science teachers and provides curriculum and computer science exams for kindergarten through 12th grade. For next school year, the district agreed to implement Code.org computer science courses in at least 30 elementary schools and about 15 high schools.

The district will receive this training for teachers as well as course materials and online tools from Code.org at no cost, as long as it offers the courses and promotes them to students and parents.

“That’s the biggest piece,” Ebert said of the Code.org agreement.

Nationwide, the plan is to train 25,000 teachers in computer science by the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, using Code.org. The bill will be paid by $20 million in donations from companies, such as Google, Microsoft and saleforce.com, as well as by individuals including Bill Gates and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The College Board also has announced a new Advanced Placement course called Computer Science Principles designed to recruit more people – namely women and under-represented minorities – into computing.

As for Clark County, the number of public schools offering computer science next year under the expansion won’t be known until April, after high school students register for classes. In addition to teacher training, student demand will drive how many schools opt in, Ebert said.

The plan is to eventually offer computer science through online courses from the district’s online school, the Nevada Learning Academy, Ebert said.

That way, the courses would be available to all students from small, rural schools to urban Las Vegas schools.

“If we want America to stay on the cutting edge, we need young Americans like you to master the tools and technology that will change the way we do just about everything,” Obama said in his call to action.

Contact Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279. Find him on Twitter: @TrevonMilliard.