The Illinois Workforce & Education Research Collaborative, part of the University of Illinois System’s Discovery Partners Institute, released the first report of a five-part series on high school computer science education in Illinois. This comprehensive research into computer science education was funded by a $1 million grant from an anonymous donor. The series, State of Computer Science in Illinois High Schools, analyzes the landscape, structures, and pathways of computer science education in the state and creates a baseline to measure the expansion of computer science education. Data analyzed in this series from school years 2017-18 through 2021-22 were provided by the Illinois State Board of Education. Key findings from the first report include:

• On average, 7.4 percent of Illinois high school students enrolled in at least one computer science course in a school year. 

• About one in five computer science students take more than one computer science course in their high school academic career. 

• Career and technical education, or CTE, offers students diverse and flexible pathways to access and participate in computer science education throughout the state.

For more information, visit www.dpi.uillinois.edu