Among the big-ticket items in the legislature’s recently passed economic development bill is an amendment to ensure computer science programming is offered in all Massachusetts public schools by 2025.
The amendment, which passed last week and is waiting for Gov. Charlie Baker's signature alongside the rest of the bill, will create a $2.5 million fund to support the recruitment, certification and training of computer science educators in public schools across the state. The Executive Office of Education will also be required to publish a strategy for bringing this curriculum to all schools by 2025 and for increasing the gender, racial and socioeconomic diversity of students in CS courses.
“The more we can introduce people to coding and computer science, the better off we’re going to be as a society,” said Senator Barry Finegold, who introduced the amendment.
A state report found that 84.7% of Massachusetts high schoolers attend a school that offers foundational computer science courses. That percentage drops to 71% for urban schools. Massachusetts ranks 10th amongst all states for its percentage of high schools offering computer science in the most recent school year.
Only 5.8% of students in grades 9-12 are enrolled in a computer science course. When comparing student demographics in those grades and the percentage of enrollment in computer science courses, the report found that Black and Latino students were underrepresented in these classes.
Access to these courses has been increasing. In the 2016-2017 school year, 58% of the state’s public schools offered a foundational computer science curriculum.
Finegold said his son plays football and hockey through school, but the senator pays for him to take coding lessons outside the classroom. Finegold said his son loves learning Python and C++ but these aren’t taught in his fifth grade classroom.
Finegold expects the number of jobs in computer science to only increase in the future, and said Massachusetts needs to prepare its students to take advantage of these well-paying roles.
“Our job as leaders is to make sure they have the skill set to get these jobs and these opportunities,” Finegold said.
In addition to recruiting and certifying teachers in computer science instruction, this amendment will also help teachers with different certifications learn about integrating computer science and digital literacy into their K-12 curriculum.
Finegold said the Executive Office of Education must have its plan for expanding CS education complete by Feb. 1, 2023. The report will also include a recommendation on whether a foundational computer science course should be required to graduate high school and, if needed, a timeline to have this change implemented.
Finegold’s team worked with the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and TechNet on this computer science policy.
“Computer science has become a critical area of study that provides students with the skills they need across numerous sectors and social contexts. It can open up a world of opportunity, leading to careers that provide job security and economic mobility,” Ed Lambert, executive director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, said in a statement. “Senator Finegold’s language, if it becomes law, will allow more high school students in Massachusetts to access the computer science coursework that will prepare them for success in higher education and the workforce.”
The economic development bill is now under review with Gov. Charlie Baker. Baker has until Nov. 13 to approve the legislation. Justin Curtis, Finegold's chief of staff, said their office is hopeful that the amendment will survive this final review and be codified into law.
