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Schools expanded the availability of foundational computer science classes this year at a faster clip than at any other time in the past five years, but stubborn gaps in access to those courses persist, concludes Code.orgs annual report on the state of computer science education.

Overall, 57.5 percent of high schools offer foundational computer science courses, a 4.5 percentage point jump over last year, the largest since 2018. But only 5.8 percent of high school students are enrolled in those courses in the 35 states where data is available. That percentage is similar to the percentage a year ago.

There are also gaps in access with respect to race, gender, English learner and special education status, geography, and income, Code.org found. For instance, 89 percent of Asian students and 82 percent of white students can take foundational computer science courses, whereas 67 percent of Native American students have such access.

Closing those gaps is particularly important as tools powered by artificial intelligencewhich have already become a force in other industries such as health care and businessbecome even more ubiquitous, the report says.

Learning fundamental computer science concepts gives students a deeper insight into how AI systems work, which benefits those building technologies that utilize AI and those who need to make decisions about AI in their personal lives, the report says. Foundational computer science and AI literacy will result in more diverse, critical creators and consumers of AI.

Other equity gaps in access to foundational computer science courses highlighted in Code.orgs research include:

The report outlines how policymakers and educators can help close these gaps. One significant move is for states to make computer science a graduation requirement. Thats something eight states have done so far: Arkansas, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Additionally, while Maryland and Mississippi havent created a specific computer science requirement, taking computer science courses is the primary way to fulfill an existing graduation requirement.

Having a computer science graduation requirement seems to be making a difference in Arkansas when it comes to gender. The state adopted the requirement in 2021, for the graduating class of 2026. This year, 43 percent of females in the states 9th grade class were enrolled in a foundational computer science class, 12 percentage points higher than the national average for all females in high school.

We are excited to see an increase in the number of high school students completing multiple computer science courses before graduation, said Kelly Griffin, the director of computer science education at the Arkansas Department of Education, in a statement cited in the report. These students develop a strong foundation that can be utilized in current and future careers.

States can also require all schools to offer computer science classes, the report recommended. For instance, even though Georgias requirement that all high schools offer computer science education wont kick in until the 2024-25 school year, the state is already seeing signs of progress.

Seventy-one percent of high schools in Georgia now offer foundational computer science classes. Theres been increased representation in those courses from female students, Hispanic students, students in special education, and English learners, though equity gaps remain, the report said.

Bringing computer science courses to high school is a key first step in building a workforce where these skills are likely to have deep value, the report concluded.

When exposure and access are in place, students confidence to pursue opportunities beyond their computer science K12 education becomes a reality, because students have become computer science advocates, said Maria Camarena, a computer science teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, in a statement featured in the report.

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Computer Science Courses Are on the RiseBut Girls Are Still Half as Likely to Take It - Education Week

Nov. 1, 2023 DENTON Rose Marie O'Brien Smith, Texas Woman's University alumna, former chair of TWU's Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science, professor emerita and for whom a scholarship for student teachers was named, passed away on Sept. 15, 2023. She was 89 years old.

The Rose Marie Smith Endowed Scholarship was established by the North Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics to honor Smith. This endowment provides two annual scholarships for students during their student teaching experience in mathematics and computer science.

"We wanted to acknowledge all that Dr. Smith had done to support mathematics education," said Catherine Banks, TWU senior lecturer emeritus and president of theNorth Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics. "This yearly scholarship is given to a student to help them during their semester ofstudent teaching."

Rose Marie O'Brien was born March 3, 1934, in Beaumont. After high school, she earned a bachelor's degree in music from Lamar University. She met Charlie Smith on a blind date, and they were married by Charlie's father the day after they graduated from Lamar.

They moved to Grapevine, where they taught math and music. She was invited by TWU for its National Science Foundation program promoting women in the sciences. After completing the program, Smith earned a master's degree in math from TWU, then a PhD in education from Oklahoma State, accomplishing all this while becoming a mother of three daughters.

She worked at TWU as vice president of public affairs and a math professor, ultimately becoming chair of the Mathematics Department. She also spent a year in Washington, D.C., overseeing the NSF's National Teacher's Appreciation program.

"Rose Marie was very open, honest and a very caring individual," Banks said. "I remember her being a great mentor to both students and faculty. Rose Marie was especially a great mentor to those who were mathematics education faculty. She helped develop the curriculum that was used in the classes to prepare students to become great mathematics teachers and she mentored the faculty to help deliver the curriculum. School districts would want to hire our students because they knew they were very well trained.

"I appreciated the mentoring that Rose Marie gave me when I was a new faculty member," Banks added. "She was one of the faculty who encouraged me to help create,develop andbecome the director of the Science and Mathematics Center for Women at TWU. The Centerwas known for our support of local science and math teachers. We also created the Access to Careers in the Sciences Camps for girls in grades 6-11, encouraging girls to pursue a science or math career. Rose Mariecontinued to mentor me andsupported my efforts and guided me in writing grants for the Center and the ACES camps."

Smith was also the accompanist for the Denton Community Chorus, and sang in the choir at Denton's First United Methodist Church. Smith retired in 1996, and she and her husband moved to Galveston. Charlie passed away in 2018.

Rose Marie passed away with her daughter Connie at her side.

She is survived by her brother, John O'Brien of Dallas; daughter Rozanne and her husband Michael Alvernaz of Missoula, Montana; daughter Connie and her husband Glenn Norton of Natalia, Texas; daughter Jennifer of Natalia; two grandchildren, Crystal and her husband Lee Calver of Waxahachie; and Patrick Norton and his wife, Jasmin, of San Antonio; and four great-grandchildren, Eva, Kyle, Deegan and Declan Calvert of Waxahachie.

Services for Smith were held in San Antonio.

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Former TWU math, computer science chair Rose Marie Smith had ... - Texas Woman's University

It was love at first sight for Conor Krystad BS22, and those first impressions of Willamette University have paid off.

Krystad, who majored in Computer Science and minored in Data Science, Mathematics, and Psychology, turned his passion for computers into a job right out of college as a software developer engineer with Cambia Health Systems in Portland. The company even allowed him to delay his start date so he could enjoy a little summer vacation and let him work remotely in San Diego.

During the college selection process, Willamette caught Krystads eye right away. I went on college tours and spent a day at Willamette, where I met Professor of Computer Science Haiyan Cheng, Krystad says. After doing an overnight with some first-year students in the dorms, Krystad knew the college was right for him. It felt like an open and welcoming community, and I thought I could make friends here. His conversation with Professor Cheng sealed the deal and she continued to make a big difference in his studies and career choice.

I showed up at Willamette knowing that I wanted to be a computer science major, Krystad continues. Ive been playing around making mods for Minecraft for a number of years. I knew thats what I wanted to do.

Meeting and studying with Willamettes dedicated professors helped Krystad decide which parts of computer science fascinated him most. Professor Cheng probably had the greatest impact on me: She was a great mentor for me over one summer when I had an internship with her. And her Analysis of Algorithms class, where youre blending computer science and mathematics, was fantastic.

Krystad also highlights Stanford Professor Emeritus and 202021 Mark and Melody Teppola Presidential Distinguished Visiting Professor Eric S. Roberts for challenging him to think critically about the field of computer science. His Computer Ethics class was probably my favorite in Computer Science. It was more humanities-focused, but thats the sort of thing a Computer Science degree at a liberal arts institution offers. Krystad says the liberal arts focus continues to be relevant today, for example, with subjects like the Therac-25 bug a bug in a medical device that caused overdoses that killed several people from radiation poisoning the current focus on J. Robert Oppenheimer and the role of science and computers in the creation of the atomic bomb, and some of the less favorable applications for my particular field.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Calvin Deutschbein, who arrived during Krystads last year at Willamette, also made an impression, with his course Introduction to Cybersecurity. The course asked such questions as, What purpose does cybersecurity serve and why, and who benefits from it? and Why do cybersecurity breaks happen? Kyrstad adds.

When it came time to find a job, Krystad again credited Cheng for her help. After sending out plenty of resumes, he got a response from Cambia through a contact of Chengs. I don't think thats a coincidence that thats the one that I got the interview with, and that was the one where I ultimately got this job.

Today, Krystad works as a backend Java developer with a team of four others, managing insurance claims, converting them to different file formats, and saving them on databases. He plans to stick with the company but admits his interests in computer science are all over the place.

I think these large language models are pretty cool, and youre hearing about them in the news all the time. So perhaps I may go into the field of computational linguistics, which thanks to Professor Deutschbein, I still have a soft spot for.

Whats Krystads advice for prospective students and incoming first years? Willamette is about the people you meet and the connections you make, more so than your set of technical skills. In addition, Krystad notes that he loved some of the courses he took beyond his key interests, like Neuroscience class and Medical Anthropology. His key advice? Going to a liberal arts college, you should study broadly and differentiate yourself that way.

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Conor Krystad BS'22 fine-tuned his love of computers at Willamette - willamette.edu