IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association Help High School Students Boost Computer Science Skills

IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association Help High School Students Boost Computer Science Skills

IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) today announced that they will collaborate to accelerate computer science and technology skills among high school students. This marks the first time that CSTA has partnered with an IT vendor to co-develop customized courseware for secondary school audiences.

IBM and CSTA will provide more than 36,000 teachers with free access to computer science resources in an effort to improve teachers’ expertise and help students acquire necessary skills for jobs in the 21st century. The new resources are being introduced based on a pilot program involving a half of a dozen high schools nationwide. With just a few clicks, teachers can access a series of lesson plans, guidebooks and topic overviews to incorporate concepts of computer programming and Web design into everyday math and science classes.

Although computer science is an established discipline at the collegiate and post-graduate levels, its integration into the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace in the United States. For example, according to the Department of Education, 82 percent of United States high school seniors are below proficient levels in science. Ensuring that there are skilled individuals prepared for jobs in the IT industry has become a major issue worldwide, but even more acutely in the U.S.

Read the complete Press Release