Roadmap for administrators bringing computer science to their school or district

Identify a district lead for computer science

  • Show that your district is serious about computer science by identifying or appointing a district lead.
  • Often Math, Science or Career and Technology Education departments have staff who are already working on computer science education and programs.
  • If there is enough momentum behind computer science in your district or if there is not already an owner you should consider adding a dedicated position.
  • This person will lead the district's work on computer science and be your point of contact with Code.org’s Regional Partner.

Identify a computer science course pathway for your existing teachers

  • The Code.org curriculum is the most popular in K-12 computer science, with courses for every grade band. It's free of charge, and is also the highest-rated by teachers. Your students will love it!
  • Teachers from other subject areas should attend a professional learning workshop before they begin teaching. For Code.org courses in grades K-12, contact a regional partner.
  • If you want to consider alternatives to the Code.org courses, see our recommendations of 3rd party computer science curriculum, and particularly our recommendations for AP Computer Science A.
  • You can also supplement the Code.org curriculum by offering computer science integrated into science.
  • Once you've decided on your course offerings, make sure to set up district-level course codes for your new computer science courses. Work with your principals to recruit teachers to attend workshops and to implement changes in master schedules.

Make computer science courses count

Understand teacher certification requirements

  • Identify teachers who will lead CS classes in your district next year.
  • Code.org's curriculum and professional development is designed for teachers from other subjects to become computer science teachers. As you identify potential future computer science teachers in your district, it’s important to understand what, if any, requirements your state has in place for computer science teachers.
  • Most states have a certification or licensure for computer science; find your state here.

Spread the word

  • Highlight the importance of all students learning CS! Use these sample emails and announcements to let your community know about your new computer science programs.
  • Add these recruitment videos to websites and school updates.
  • Provide guidance to school counselors and schedulers on why computer science is important for all students.
  • Ask your principal to email your community and recruit administrators and parents to advocate for expanding computer science in your school district.

Allocate funding

  • Thanks to the generous support of our funders, all curricular resources from Code.org are free for anyone to use. However, there are still costs to consider when starting a computer science program. You should begin thinking about how you’ll support:
    • Professional development costs - Code.org's courses are designed to be taught by teachers new to computer science. This means you do not have to increase your full-time employee budget or hire additional teachers to support computer science.
    • Computers and internet access - In order to teach our 6-12 courses, students will need to be in a 1:1 computing environment every class period. For our K-5 courses, students can be on a computer, tablet, or do our unplugged activities which require no technology at all. If you don't have enough devices, we highly recommend pair programming. Check here to see if your school meets all the technical requirements for teaching Code.org.
    • Classroom supplies - Code.org's courses include hands on excercises that use standard classroom materials. We estimate these costs to be less than $100 per 30 students.
    • Administrative support - As your computer science program grows, there will need to be additional administrative support. We recommend dedicating at least 0.15 full-time employee to this initiative to start, and growing up to 1 full-time employee per 30 teachers offering computer science in the district.

Help us track the momentum

Every day more schools and districts are pledging to bring computer science education to their students. Help us track progress of the movement by telling us about computer science education in your school or district.