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Southside High School Teacher Tom Rogers: South Carolina--a Computer Science Education Leader?

by Tom Rogers, Teacher, Southside High School, Greenville, SC

Last summer I attended a Computer Science Teachers Association training session on promoting computer science in K-12 education and made an amazing discovery. After talking to teachers from all over the United States including major centers of commerce like New York City and far away places like Hawaii, I discovered that South Carolina is actually ahead of the curve in K-12 computer science education! We require a whole year of computer science for graduation from high school, while the vast majority of states do not. The bad news is that just about any course making regular use of a computer including keyboarding counts toward the requirement.

While keyboarding is a necessary step in the path to computer science ability, it's the kind of step that should be taken before reaching high school. A class that teaches the common use of applications such as Microsoft Word is a further step in the right direction, yet, even it needs some additional rigor if it's going to be considered high school level computer science.

Solving problems with software is the backbone of computer science and goes well beyond just the use of common application programs. Computer science involves the study of how to produce, optimize, modify, and link together software. It also involves the use of algorithmic reasoning and while algorithmic reasoning has similarities to mathematical and logical reasoning it is a unique thinking skill in itself.

Sometimes it seems like computer science is evolving so fast that what is taught in high school will be obsolete by the time a student enters the workforce. However, like mathematics, computer science has a core of vocabulary and principles that remain consistent over time. Although today's hot programming language or commonplace application may be obsolete in 10 years, a student who has mastered the core principles of computer science will be able to absorb the next hot language or application in a fraction of the time. Giving students the core knowledge and teaching them how to continue learning should be the goal of high school computer science.

A complete listing of all the reasons we should care about K-12 would be lengthy but would definitely include the following:

1. Strong job growth projections: Yes, we are in the midst of a recession, and yes, some computing professionals have been laid off. Some computing jobs have gone over seas and computer programmer jobs are indeed expected to decline. However as figure 1 shows, the projected growth rate for many computing jobs remains strong. Any slowdown in hiring is likely to be short term.
2. Shortage of supply: The number of students choosing computer science as their college major declined by over 34% from 2002 to 2006 and has not yet recovered in spite of a robust employment outlook. Each year, the United States allows 66,000 new foreign workers with technical skills to work in the U.S. for six years with H1B temporary permits. Many work in computing jobs that would otherwise go to Americans if Americans were available.
3. Difficulty of predicting exactly who needs computer science knowledge: Over 50% of professional level computing workers don't have degrees in computer science (see Figure 2). Many students won't know they're headed toward computing careers until they join the workforce. Even if they don't make computing a career, many will need to communicate with computing professionals. The situation is similar to the need for algebra. Although many students will not regularly use it in their future jobs, having no knowledge of it would seriously narrow their employment opportunities.
4. Key economic asset: Part of the reason over 50% of computing professionals lack computer science degrees stems from a shortage. Still, expertise in the field a problem comes from can be as critical as expertise in the computing knowledge needed to solve it. Knowledge in both areas is ideal. It increases worker flexibility while decreasing training needs. Since computing is a critical part of any modern business, a workforce with basic computer science knowledge is a key economic asset.



5. Value for teaching higher order thinking skills: Teaching higher order thinking skills as described in Bloom's Taxonomy is the pinnacle K-12 teachers ascribe to reach. Using the algorithmic thinking of computer science shoots students to the top and can be done in just about any type of class. It doesn't require esoteric software and years of training. For example, sophisticated programs can be written in Excel spread sheets. Animations and games can be produced in easy to program applications like Scratch and Alice. NetLogo can simplify the creation of sophisticated simulations and with the exception of Excel, all these software packages are available for free.

Reference: Table A-3 Educational attainment of employed U.S. scientists and engineers, by level and field of degree and broad occupational category: 1999, National Science Foundation, Science Resource Statistics, 09-28-09

Creating a strong K-12 computer science education system will require modifications to existing curriculum and teacher certification standards. It will probably also require some new K-12 courses. At the moment there aren't enough well trained teachers to support the changes. However, based on the experience of industry, there's good reason to think that people with skill at teaching can be trained, on the job, to have the needed computer science skills. Teachers are already required to have 30 hours of technology training for recertification.

Although there are many courses available for teachers to learn how to use computers for delivering classroom content, these generally do not give teachers the background to teach computer science or to use computer science principles such as algorithmic thinking in teaching their own subjects. Few genuine computer science courses exist for teachers because, at the moment, there are only a few teachers asking for them--often not enough to attract funding and fill classes. It's a little like the chicken or egg question, which should come first, the courses or the demand? In this case it's the courses. It may be necessary to tolerate lower attendance and subsidized these courses with grants from foundations and funds from local businesses, but eventually they will build the demand to be self sustaining.

The recent AP Computer Science training class taught by Dr. Duncan Buell at the University of South Carolina is a success story of this type. The class was subsidized by the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management and earned 14 teachers AP Computer Science endorsements or in other words the right to teach the course. Without the subsidy the teacher training course would not have been possible.

While enabling fourteen AP Computer Science classes might not sound impressive, in 2008 only 257 students in the entire state took an AP Computer Science Exam as compared to 2564 who took the AP Calculus exam. Fourteen new AP Computer Science classes would be a significant increase. Here's the real surprise, even in 2008, South Carolina ranked 17th in the nation for students taking an AP Computer Science exam (not including Washington DC or Connecticut--data was not available). Take into account population and South Carolina rises to 14th in the nation.

With a little effort South Carolina could be considered a major AP Computer Science leader. If South Carolina had as many students take the AP Computer Science exam in 2008 as it had taking the AP Calculus exam, the state would have been second only to Texas and clearly first on an exams per capita basis. While this level might seem unattainable, with some time and effort it's doable.
A student who can handle AP Calculus can most certainly handle AP Computer Science. So why are so many students taking AP Calculus and not AP Computer Science when both can be used for fulfilling various graduation requirements? A well developed system has been put in place to prepare students for AP Calculus but not for AP Computer Science. With proper preparation in the earlier grades, qualified high school students would be meeting their computer science graduation requirement by taking an AP course instead of less rigorous options. The state would benefit greatly.

However, a good K-12 computer science education system is not just for advanced students. Creating the infrastructure to better support AP Computer Science would give all students more choices and a better background in critical 21st century computing skills.

Much of the pre-high school infrastructure needed to prepare advanced students for AP Computer Science is already in place in the form of various computer technology classes, but it will take an expansion in the number of computer science savvy teachers and some modifications to curriculum to reach the desired level. Fortunately, in the area of curriculum, a set of standards already exists. CSTA already has a detailed K-12 curriculum guide guide available, complete with support documents.

In the meantime, summer computer camps for students are needed to help build student enthusiasm and bridge the gap between current and ideal levels of computer science education. Like teacher training classes, the camps need to be subsidized to keep them going while attendance builds.

The University of South Carolina successfully held a summer game programming camp in Greenville during the summer of 2008. The camp was filled to capacity. However, in 2009 it had to be cancelled do to a lack of participants. This was most likely due to the downturn in the economy and a significant tuition increase needed to cover costs. Given a low cost camp there are numerous students who would jump at the opportunity to attend.

Formation of a South Carolina CSTA chapter will be another step in the right direction and is underway (email tkrogers@greenville.k12.sc.us for details.) Membership in CSTA is free and open to anyone including, teachers, university professors, parents, and computing professionals from industry. A South Carolina chapter can help organize and provide summer computer camps for students and additional resources for teachers.

Having taken one of the most important first steps--the creation of a computer science graduation requirement--South Carolina could become a powerhouse for computer science education. At this moment the competition is not that strong but the potential rewards are significant.