Schools in Radford City and Floyd County on list of $1.3M in computer science grants
Governor Ralph Northam has announced more than $1.3 million in state grants to support starting Computer Science Standards of Learning in many schools.
In 2016, the state General Assembly passed legislation requiring that the Standards of Learning include computer science and coding. The standards were then adopted by the state Board of Education in 2017, and are the nation’s first mandatory K-12 computer science standards.
“Knowing the basics of computer science can open doors to virtually any career in our fast-growing 21st-century economy,” said Governor Northam. “We are working to expand career-connected learning and integrate computer science into the curriculum at every grade level. With these grants, we have a tremendous opportunity to put today’s students on a path to developing the key computer science and coding skills they need to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.”
The 2019 General Assembly authorized up to $1.35 million in grants to provide professional development for teachers, plus create computer science curriculum, instructional resources and assessments, support summer and after-school programs, and provide career exposure and work-based learning opportunities for high school students. The legislature directed that underserved students and schools performing below state standards receive priority in the awarding of the grants.
“Computer science is a core competency Virginia students need to succeed in the workforce, but educational inequities too often limit access to the resources schools can provide for students to receive a world-class STEM education,” said Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. “Through funding work-based learning, after-school programs, and other hands-on learning opportunities, with an emphasis on equity, these grants will catalyze a love of computer science within students across the Commonwealth.”
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