1. Identify a district and/or school lead for computer science- This will demonstrate to your school and stakeholders that you are serious about computer science (CS)
- A CS lead should be a teacher or administrator that is passionate about CS, even if they don't teach it
- This person should connect with the #CSforAR / #ARKidsCanCode team as soon as possible
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| 2. Identify potential teachers for your computer science programs- Schools that have a certified teacher see higher student enrollment across all levels of CS courses
- There are many pathways to become a CS teacher (http://bit.ly/ARTeacherPathways):
- Traditional licensure program of study (people new to the teaching field)
- Complete an approved bachelor's program
- Pass the CS content knowledge PRAXIS testing (http://bit.ly/CSPRAXISPrep)
- Pass a background check, apply for licensure through ADE, and start teaching CS
- Existing teachers adding CS
- Professionals in the field that hold a bachelor's degree
- Identify an alternative pathway that works best for your situation (APPEL, PPTL, MAT)
- Pass the CS content knowledge PRAXIS testing (http://bit.ly/CSPRAXISPrep)
- Pass a background check and apply for a provisional license through ADE
- Start Teaching CS
- Complete selected program
- Teachers may be eligible for numerous stipends and reimbursement programs if they get CS endorsed and teach high school CS courses (http://bit.ly/CSforARStipends)
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3. Build a strong K-8 computer science program to feed into your high school programs- Ensure that schools are teaching the required K-8 standards at each grade level and the Coding Block for Grades 7 & 8 (http://bit.ly/ARCSCourses)
- Encourage educators to enter the K-8 CS Lead Teacher Program (http://bit.ly/2k6aUZ7)
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| 4. Encourage your teachers to continue learning- The ADE Office of CS and #CSforAR Specialists team provides multiple levels of training in all education service cooperatives in Arkansas. (http://bit.ly/CSforARPD)
- These trainings are provided at no cost to schools or teachers and some even have bonuses for attending. (http://bit.ly/CSforARBonuses)
- All Arkansas educators have access to over 4,000 Linkedin Learning (formerly Lynda.com) tech lessons at no cost through https://ideas.aetn.org/.
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5. Build pathways for careers and college- Go beyond the minimum requirement of one course at high school by building a pathway of at least three courses.
- Seek program of study approval for the three courses through ARCareerEd. (http://bit.ly/ARCSCourses)
- Select pathways that lead to industry certifications needed by industries; contact local companies to find out their needs.
- Ensure at least one pathway includes AP CS A and/or concurrent CS course options for students.
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| 6. Allocate resources to ensure educators have the technology tools, curriculum, and training needed to provide access to computer science content |
