Putting Computer Science In Every High School

Press Release

Computers are here to stay. Knowing and understanding computers (particularly how to code) is a skill that our students will need across all industries. Because if we don't teach our kids how to author technology, they won't be in control of their future.

And this is not just about the tech industry. Computers are becoming more pervasive in all industries. It is not hard to find examples in agriculture, hospitals, manufacturing and our personal lives.

When I ran RightNow Technologies, we hired many new graduates of Montana universities. However, our universities aren't graduating enough computer science and engineering graduates to meet the demand. In 2013 there were only about 40 college computer science graduates in all of Montana. A recent survey of the 270 member firms in the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, a non-profit trade organization, sited lack of skilled labor as their #1 impediment to growth. That Montana group plans to hire over 900 people this next year right here in Montana -- if they can find them.

Plus these computer science grads are like seed to a farmer and enable these companies to hire many other high-wage non-tech positions in sales, marketing, accounting and administration. And all those hires build or buy homes in our communities creating construction and real estate jobs. And these families enroll their kids in the local schools making them stronger too.

That's why we helped promote a number of programs to increase college enrollment in computer science including:

CodeMontana which made computer science curriculum available to all Montana middle school and high school students. 1,200 kids participated the first year.

Looney the Robot, an engaging robot presentation, was presented to 15,000 middle school and high school students per year in Montana.

The Joy and Beauty of Computing class curriculum was adapted for high school delivery and piloted in a number of Montana public schools.

Montana STEM teachers have been trained at MSU the last few summers to certify them in the Joy and Beauty of Computing curriculum.

We've seen results, too. Since we started, enrollment in the Computer Science program is up over 50% at Montana State University and over 25% at the University of Montana.

But we should do more. Right now Montana sits at 49th in the country in wages. We're last in the country in income for Millennials. Our kids have become our most precious export. A study from the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research found that, since 1991, Montana has seen a net outmigration of college graduates from the state.

It is imperative for our state's economic future that we build an economy where our kids can stay and raise their own families. This starts with a vibrant private sector, but the next factor is having an education system that educates Montana students for the Montana jobs of the future.

This is a good start. However, Montana needs computer science in every high school. It's time for us to recognize that Computer Science is just as vital a subject for our students to learn as Algebra and Biology.

Not enough Montana schools offer computer science, and too few students are learning about it. According to code.org, zero Montana high school students took the AP Computer Science exam in 2015. As recently as the 2013-2014 school year, zero Montana high schools offered the AP Computer Science class.

Part of the solution to this issue is a culture change where students, parents, and their teachers to realize that computer science is a vital skill for success into today's world. We need our students in education environments where computer skills are emphasized.

As policy makers, I think there are some concrete steps we can take to get computer science into every high school. It starts with allowing computer science to count as a core graduation requirement for science. Right now, more than half the states allow for computer science to count. Montana does not.

We should also think outside the box and allow coding classes, such as Java, to count toward a foreign language credit. There have been several proposals in others states (such as Florida and Georgia) to allow coding to count as a foreign language. Montana has a great opportunity to be one of the early leaders in this effort.

In order to teach these students, we'll need more computer science teachers. Right now, there is little in the way of computer science teaching certification programs at Montana's colleges and universities. Why not have every state university with a computer science major offer a teaching option, as they do for other degrees such as physics or biology?

And until we get more computer science teachers, we can use the Montana Digital Academy to jump start computer science in all schools just like we did with CodeMontana.

These are sImple, straightforward ideas that will expose more Montana students to computer science, strengthen our education system, and prepare our kids for Montana high-wage jobs.
A strong education system is vital to Montana's economic future. I think we can all agree that goal of our education system should be to help every student reach their full potential. It's a goal that we have a moral obligation to pursue. A well-rounded education is imperative for all of our students.  We have great schools, and even greater teachers. But we can do more.

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