A blog from Code.org.
We're a non-profit dedicated to giving every student in every school the
opportunity to learn computer programming.
Chicago just became the first US city to
make computer science a core subject
Today Chicago becomes the first major city in
the United States to announce it will make computer science a graduation
requirement for all high schools after a vote by the School Board.
Every student deserves to learn how software
and computers work and gain skills to help them pursue the best opportunities
in any future career. At a time when computer science is only offered in a
quarter of American schools — with black and Hispanic students and girls
especially underrepresented in the field as early as high school — this news is
a major step in ensuring that every student in the nation’s 3rd-largest school
district will leave school with a foundation for success.
This decision has been years in-the-making.
Chicago was one of the first cities to introduce a nationally recognized course
Exploring Computer Science to high schools in 2011 through a National Science
Foundation grant. In December 2013, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a 5-year plan to
make computer science a core subject and Code.org partnered with Chicago Public
Schools to provide curriculum and prepare existing teachers to support it.
Courses established in partnership with
Code.org are already reaching more diverse students (34%
of students are female and 60% are black or Hispanic). Curriculum is
specifically designed to engage students who may not typically gravitate to the
field.
There is still hard work to be done. About
half of Chicago’s 106 public high schools now offer computer science, with
courses available in a portion of K-8 schools. The city will need additional funding to
roll out courses to every school.
Code.org is proud to continue to work with CS4All and other
partners to help all Chicago students access this foundational 21st-century
field and excited to see the city set an example today.
