ACM Urges Obama to Include Computer Science as a Core Component of Science and Math Education
AScribe Newswire (12/16/08)
ACM has released a set of recommendations supporting U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s goal of making science and mathematics education a national priority, and urged the new administration to make computer science a critical part of the nation’s education system. “Computing education benefits all students, not just those interested in pursuing computer science or information technology careers,” says ACM Education Policy Committee chair Bobby Schnabel. “To meet the nation’s educational and professional needs in the face of insufficient numbers of undergraduates majoring in computer science, we need to work harder to increase interest at the K-12 level, and to expand the pipeline supplying the necessary workforce for an information-based economy.” The recommendations highlight the role of computer science in driving the technology sector, which is expected to make significant contributions to economic growth. Specific recommendations include focusing on research funding for K-12 computer science education to address the gaps in understanding how students engage computer science, and reviewing how states can better coordinate and improve existing teacher certification requirements, particularly for computer science teachers. The recommendations also cite several challenges that prevent students from experiencing the excitement and creativity computer science has to offer. One problem is that courses in computer science fundamentals are often general electives and not college-preparatory electives, so many college-bound high school students are not able to explore the field.
