As part of the Mayor’s and CPS’ commitment to expanding access to a STEM education, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced that 46 schools will pilot the District’s new computer science curriculum beginning next fall, the most comprehensive K-12 computer science education program of any major school district in the country.

The curriculum, first announced in December, will equip students with skills necessary for the 21st Century, creating a pipeline for foundational computer science skills in elementary schools, expanding computer science classes to every high school, and elevating computer science to a core subject. By partnering with Code.org, Google, and other technology leaders, CPS will be able to increase the quality of and access to computer science and coding classes.

Under the five-year Computer Science for All (CSA) plan, one in four CPS elementary schools will be able to offer computer science programming for students as early as Kindergarten. At least one computer science course will be offered at every District high school and become a requirement of graduation. The curriculum will be fully aligned with the framework of the Next Generation Science Standards, and the Common Core State Standards in elementary schools.

Starting in School Year 2014-15, the initial group of 25 elementary schools will incorporate computer science lessons into their math and science coursework. An additional group of 21 high schools will offer the entry-level computer science course called Exploring Computer Science (ECS).

While computing occupations are among the highest-paying jobs for new graduates, fewer than three percent of college students across the nation will graduate with a degree in computer science – and of all students taking Advanced Placement Computer Science, fewer than 20 percent are women and fewer than 10 percent are African American or Latino. To view the list of schools participating in the new curriculum, visit www.cps.edu.