Computer Science Instruction

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Instruction

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Opportunities
Computer Science Bytes Newsletter
Definition
Standards

Guidance
Laws, Rules & Policy
Resources

Computer science is a basic skill in today’s economy and Iowa wants to ensure all K-12 students experience high-quality computer science education that prepares them for personal and professional success in a digital world.

Computer Science Instruction

Computer Science Definition

Computer Science is understanding how and why technologies work and learning how to create new technologies.
Professional Development Incentive Fund

Helps schools pay for professional learning or university coursework for teaching endorsements in computer science.

Opportunities

Credentials to Computer Science Careers Grant

The Credentials to Computer Science Careers Grant is a new $850,000 grant opportunity to support high schoolers’ attainment of computer science available to Iowa public school districts and all Iowa accredited nonpublic school systems.

Artificial Intelligence Partnership

Iowa students and educators now have free access to Google Career Certificates and AI training, thanks to a new partnership between Google and the Iowa Department of Education.

Students and faculty at K–12 schools and all 15 community colleges across the state can access Google Career Certificates at no cost. These online programs offer job-ready training in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support, project management, digital marketing, e-commerce and UX design.

In addition, participants can explore AI Essentials, Google’s new course designed to build foundational knowledge in artificial intelligence through real-world scenarios and hands-on learning.

Teachers will also have access to Generative AI for Educators, a free, self-paced online course developed by Google and MIT RAISE. The two-hour training introduces educators to practical uses of AI in the classroom.

See Artificial Intelligence Partnership: Google and the Iowa Department of Education for more information.

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Definition

See the Computer Science Definition webpage for a definition and an understanding of the two foundational concepts of computer literacy and digital citizenship.

Standards

Iowa’s computer science standards are the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards, which were developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association.

The standards were approved and adopted by the Iowa State Board of Education in June 2018, based on an Iowa team’s recommendation. The standards can be viewed and filtered from the CSTA Standards webpage.