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Oklahoma Education Department Introduces New Computer Science Standards

Flickr / vancouverfilmschool

The State Department of Education released a first draft of new computer science standards on Wednesday.

Once the standards are finalized, Oklahoma will be one of three states to have grade-specific expectations for computer skills.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister says coding, programming, and data analysis are increasingly necessary in today’s job market.

"Coding is not only a universal language of the future, it is an art. Computer science is quickly becoming a field that affects every other discipline, from heath and medicine to agribusiness and finance. Today's competitive education must include a foundation in computer science."

She says these new standards—written for each grade level starting in kindergarten—will guide teachers on how to weave computer science lessons in other subject areas, such as reading, science, and math.

The State Department of Education plans to use funding from a grant to train teachers on the new standards.

They are currently on the agency’s website and open for public comment. After a final round of revisions, the standards will be submitted to the State Board of Education for approval.

Emily Wendler was KOSU's education reporter from 2015 to 2019.
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