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In her two years of high school at Dearborn Public Schools’ K-12 Virtual School, junior Weaam AlAliyi has learned computer programming, understanding algorithms and data analysis through three computer science courses.
Weaam believes that high school computer science courses are essential for students to pursue higher education and enter the modern workforce.
Acquiring computer science skills is “increasingly important in today’s digital world,” Weim said.
High school students across the state could have similar opportunities to take computer science courses if Michigan lawmakers pass a bill requiring all public high schools to offer it by the 2027-28 school year. Michigan would become the 31st state with such a requirement, based on 2023 data.
The bill passed the state House of Representatives on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate. It has bipartisan support, but all 22 votes against it came from Republicans.
The bill has support from the Michigan Department of Education, among others. Cheryl Wilson, computer science adviser for MDE, said the department recognizes the need to prepare students for computer science positions within and outside the state.
The classes should be aligned with Michigan computer science standards. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Carol Glavnille, D-Walker and a former educator, hopes the courses will cover topics such as artificial intelligence capabilities, app development, data analysis and internet security. He believes the courses will prepare students for a wide range of computing jobs that pay above-average wages.
In 2023, Michigan had an average of 14,328 IT job openings per month with an average salary of $96,702.
Access to technology remains a barrier
A legislative fiscal analysis estimated the requirement would impose no additional costs on the state, but high schools without existing computer science programs could struggle. Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance, a group that advocates for public schools, said the state needs to make sure every school has enough teachers and devices for students.
“The reality remains that some students do not have access to the technology that other students have at home,” McCann said.
However, McCann believes grants to improve home access to technology during the pandemic will provide more students with the resources they need to learn computer science and make it easier for schools to implement new curriculum.
Schools that are unable to offer the program can provide an online option through online schools such as Michigan Virtual.
Granville suggested that existing online computer science programs, such as Code.org, could address the access problem. Code.org testified in support of the bill when Granville introduced it in the House of Representatives in May.
But Aman Yadav, a professor of computer science education at Michigan State University, worries that schools with limited resources will continue to struggle to offer high-quality computer science courses due to a lack of certified staff. He warns that wealthy students are more likely to succeed in online courses.
“This bill is a step in the right direction to ensure that all Michigan students can learn computer science at the high school level,” Yadav said. “However, schools with limited resources face significant challenges, both in our rural and urban communities, as teachers lack sufficient knowledge to teach computer science.”
In 2017, the Michigan Department of Education announced it would eliminate computer science teacher certification requirements by 2026. Wilson said the department did this to create pathways for more educators to teach computer science, especially in areas that don’t have enough qualified teachers.
But Yadav worries that the lack of quality teachers in computer science will prevent students from continuing their education in the field after completing their first course.
There are large differences in race and gender
Research shows that the enrollment gap disproportionately affects female and black students. In 2022, only 29% of Michigan students who took the AP computer science exam were female, and black students were less likely to take the AP computer science exam than white and Asian students.
Yadav said existing research on disparities in computer science education focuses too much on access and not enough on success rates. For example, 2022 data showed that black students in Michigan were less likely than other students to pass the AP computer science exam with a score of 3 or higher — only 29% of black students who took the AP computer science exam in 2022 passed, while 70.8% of all students passed.
Kady Robinson-Lasosa, a junior at Marygrove School in Detroit, has learned computer science skills in multiple classes and may even have the opportunity to earn college credits during her junior year. She said she believes that as a black DPSCD student, computer science classes are valuable because they can increase a student’s career opportunities.
“We don’t often think of engineering as a way to pursue a career in the future,” he said. He believes that as more opportunities to study the course increase, opportunities for high-paying jobs will increase. She thinks the skills she has learned will help her aspirations of entering the business and marketing fields after graduation.
Cuddy said she noticed more women than men in her classes at Marygrove. But he said more men signed up for a summer program at the University of Michigan focused on STEM careers.
How does the country address fairness issues?
Yadav said he hopes the Legislature will add provisions requiring educators to be certified in computer science before they can teach, and suggested the state invest in teacher certification.
“Computer science is hard to learn,” Yadav said. “For Michigan students, focusing on increasing access without focusing on the quality of access is problematic.”
Wilson said the MDE has no current plans to implement such a program, but may consider it in the future.
Yadav also believes that schools should offer the program at a younger age. By high school, students have already formed opinions about who will succeed in computer science or STEM fields.
Eva Burch, a recent Detroit Prep graduate, didn’t plan to take computer science courses when she started her freshman year at Cass Tech, but she said taking computer science courses early on might encourage her to take them now.
Keddie said the courses would be useful in high school anyway. “I think this is a great opportunity for all high school students, even if some don’t have it,” he said.
Glanville hopes that over time the state will be able to identify which schools teach computer science and figure out how to increase the availability of those courses throughout Michigan.
Correction: June 24, 2024: An earlier version of this story stated that Eva Burch is already a student at DPSCD. She is a former Detroit Prep student and will be a DPSCD student in the fall.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
Related:
Launch of district-wide computer science program for all grade levels
3 Ways Teachers Can Navigate the Evolving Field of Computer Science
For more computer science news, visit eSN’s STEM and STEAM Center
Alex Klaus, Chalkbeat
Alex Klaus is a summer intern at Chalkbeat Detroit. You can contact her at (email protected).
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