Teaching Tech: MDE Deploys Groundbreaking Computer Science Curricula

Will Graves

The Computer Science for Mississippi (CS4MS) Initiative is now reaching younger pupils through new middle school curricula that will equip all students with important computing and technology skills essential in today’s workforce and for tomorrow’s economy.

The rollout of these new curricula marks a milestone for computer science education, as Mississippi is one of the first states in the nation to implement computer science content at the middle school level.

School districts across the state began a two-phase transition to the new curricula this academic year. In the fall, Cyber Foundations (CF) I replaced the previously offered Information and Communication Technology (ICT) I and Technology Foundations.

Continued technological advancements require students have a strong foundation of basic technology and computing skills if they are to grow as critical thinkers and adapt to changes in society and the workplace. CF I is designed to teach these foundational skills to students in grade 6 or higher while expounding on fundamental computing concepts — problem-solving and coding, for example — and other topics including digital citizenship, technology applications and career exploration.

Districts will continue with the second phase of the curricula transition in the 2021-2022 school year, as Shelly Hollis, Mississippi State University Center for Cyber Education Assistant Director

CF II replaces ICT II. With this change, students in grade 7 or higher will utilize skills learned from CF I and build upon that knowledge by exploring new content in areas such as databases, graphic design, mobile application development and microcontroller programming.

Both classes will be available to middle and high school students depending on how school districts implement the new curricula; however, beginning computer science education at the middle school level will allow students to begin learning about technology and computer science at a younger age as well as provide more equitable access to a variety of STEM learning opportunities, which the CS4MS Initiative has found to be crucial in the improvement of computer and technology literacy.

“CS4MS will be transformational in confronting computer illiteracy, which plagues students and districts throughout Mississippi,” said Dr. Louella Mack-Webster, the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE’s) STEM program supervisor. “Through coding, Web development, marketing and various other industry opportunities, socio-economically disadvantaged students are afforded opportunities to explore computer science programs early in their educational trajectory.”

Center Hill Middle School (DeSoto County Schools) Cyber Foundations I teachers Ashley Hileman (front) and Alecia Reese work on developing distance-learning plans for their students in the fall to make sure their learners have normalcy, consistency and security in their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a continuation of stable daily learning agendas and a means to connect virtually.

The addition of the new middle school curricula comes at the culmination of the initial CS4MS pilot program that began in 2016. The pilot period allowed schools across the state to opt into and sample the computer science content of the curricula, which was initiated by the Mississippi State University (MSU) Center for Cyber Education (CCE).

Throughout the pilot period, participating schools provided valuable feedback to the curriculum writing team. The team used the feedback from these first-hand classroom experiences to further refine and improve the content to meet the needs of all students in the state. After reviewing all suggestions and considerations, the writing team prepared and submitted the final curricula to the state board of education, which approved the curricula last spring.

Lafayette High School (Lafayette County School District) freshmen computer science students Ethan White (left) and Andrew Jordan collaborate in the computer lab during the fall semester.

“At the time when we first started the CS4MS Initiative in 2016, we were purposeful in choosing the elementary and high school levels because there was much more material to choose from,” said MSU CCE Assistant Director Shelly Hollis. “People were doing a lot in those two areas, but there wasn’t a lot happening in the middle school space. When we started looking at this and pulling everything together, we were one of the first in the country to start putting together middle school computer science curricula.”

To ensure educators are best prepared for these changes, the MDE Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development, with consent of the Mississippi State Board of Education, approved a new educator license endorsement — the 933 Computer Science Endorsement — required for teaching the new middle school computer science content.

As students are introduced to fundamental computer science concepts, teachers and administrators hope they develop valuable critical thinking skills that will carry on throughout their educational journey and enhance employability as adults when they join the workforce. By providing access to these learning opportunities, students today will be even more prepared to take on the challenge of adapting to technological advances in society by becoming innovative thinkers.

“Providing employability skills is essential to workforce development,” Mack-Webster said. “The new computer science curricula will train students via preparatory fostering of perceptions, technology application, problem solving, CTE and industry and business opportunities. Mississippi’s CTE instructors and students enrolled in computer science courses have a unique opportunity to learn and apply innovative computer technology skills in a global community. The new curricula are a welcome addition to our current CTE STEM programs.”

... There wasn’t a lot happening in the middle school space. When we started looking at this and pulling everything together, we were one of the first in the country to start putting together middle school computer science curricula.

Shelly Hollis, Mississippi State University Center for Cyber Education Assistant Director