Computer science classes in Utah K-12 schools
- Utah is one of 17 states that give science or math credit toward high school graduation for computer science classes. In Utah, computer science counts as a third math credit.
- Utah had the lowest percentage (less than 4 percent) of girls taking the AP computer science exam among states in which girls took it. No girls took the AP computer science exam in Mississippi, Wyoming and Montana.
- Computer science doesn’t count as a credit toward Utah’s Regent scholarship, which might dissuade talented students from taking it.
- Utah is one of eight states in which no black students took the AP computer science exam.
- A National Science Foundation grant to the Utah State Office of Education and Westminster College aims to train teachers in computer science and make a hands-on course called exploring computer science available to ninth-graders in many Utah schools. The goal is to expose students to computer science at a younger age and increase involvement for girls and minority students. Other colleges and universities in the state are also involved in trying to increase the number of high school students taking computer science.
- Utah State Office of Education is working with code.org to develop curriculum for junior high schools and middle school within career technical education (CTE) classes.
- Do you want to find Utah schools with computer science classes? Visit http://code.org/learn/local.
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Source: College Board; Carl Lyman, information technology education specialist, Utah State Office of Education — Celia Baker