WEST virginia Legislature
2017 regular session
Introduced
House Bill 2337
By Delegates Howell, Frich and Eldridge
[Introduced February 10,
2017; Referred
to the Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-2-12 of the Code of West Virginia,1931, as amended, relating to required computer science classes for public schools.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18-2-12 of the Code of West Virginia,1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-12. Computer science courses of instruction;
learning standards; state board plan development. Required Computer
Science Course Offering.
(a) Legislative
findings:
(1) Computer technology
increasingly is pervasive in nearly every function of society from consumer
products to transportation, communications, electrical infrastructure,
logistics, agriculture, medical treatments, research, security and financial
transactions;
(2) The U. S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics predicts that by 2024, there will be more than 800,000 new
jobs in the STEM fields and more than two-thirds of these directly will be in
computing occupations;
(3) Studying computer
science prepares students to enter many career areas, both within and outside
of computing, teaching them logical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, design and
structured problem solving skills applicable in many contexts from science and
engineering to the humanities and business;
(4) Computer science is
an established discipline at the collegiate and post-graduate levels but,
unfortunately, computer science concepts and courses have not kept pace in the
K-12 curriculum to the point that the nation faces a serious shortage of
computer scientists at all levels that is likely to continue for the
foreseeable future; and
(5) Organizations such
as the Computer Science Teachers Association, the International Society for
Technology in Education and technology industry leaders have developed recommendations
for standards, curriculum and instructional resources for computer technology
learning in K-12 schools.
(b) Prior to the 2017
regular legislative session, the state board shall submit a plan to the
Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability for the
implementation of computer science instruction and learning standards in the
public schools. The Plan shall include at least the following:
(1) Recommendations for
a core set of learning standards designed to provide the foundation for a
complete computer science curriculum and its implementation at the K–12 level
including, but not limited to:
(A) Introducing the
fundamental concepts of computer science to all students, beginning at the
elementary school level;
(B) Presenting computer
science at the secondary school level in a way that is both accessible and
worthy of an academic curriculum credit and may fulfill a computer science,
math, or science graduation credit;
(C) Encouraging schools
to offer additional secondary-level computer science courses that will allow
interested students to study facets of computer science in more depth and
prepare them for entry into the work force or college; and
(D) Increasing the
availability of rigorous computer science for all students.
(2) Recommendations for
teaching standards and secondary certificate endorsements if necessary for
teachers to deliver curriculum appropriate to meet the standards;
(3) Recommendations for
units of instruction or courses in academic and vocational technical settings that
complement any existing K–12 computer science and IT curricula where they are
already established, especially the Advanced Placement computer science
curricula and professional IT certifications; and
(4) Proposals for
implementation of the recommendations over a period not to exceed four years
and estimates of any associated additional costs.
(c) Nothing in this
section requires adoption or implementation of any specific recommendation or
any level of appropriation by the Legislature.
(a) Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, a public high school shall offer at least one computer science course at the high school level.
(b) A computer science course offered by a public high school shall:
(1) Be of high quality;
(2) Meet or exceed the curriculum standards and requirements established by the State Board of Education; and
(3) Be made available in a traditional classroom setting, blended learning environment, online-based, or other technology-based format that is tailored to meet the needs of each participating student.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require each public high school to offer a course in computer science.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.