ATLANTA — The State Board of Education voted in September to post standards for three new computer science courses for public review and comment.

The courses, which are all part of the Information Technology Career Cluster Pathway, will be posted for public comment for 60 days. If approved, students in any of the proposed courses — Embedded Computing, Web Development, and Game Design: Animation and Simulation — would be eligible to receive a core math, science, or foreign language credit.

In August 2014, Governor Nathan Deal recommended that the State Board of Education allow students to take a computer programming course to satisfy one of three core requirements for receiving a high school diploma (math, science, or foreign language). Students already have access to five computer science courses that can replace a fourth math, science or foreign language credit; if approved, the courses currently posted for comment would bring the total to eight.  

“We need computer science and programming in our public schools,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Skilled programmers, software developers, and engineers are in demand in Georgia, but without a pipeline of skilled workers to fill those jobs, businesses will look outside Georgia to find the employees they need. We cannot afford to let our Georgia graduates miss out on those opportunities. These computer science courses, which have been developed with involvement from industry representatives in related fields, give Georgia students more chances to develop their knowledge and skills in this fast-growing field. These Computer Science courses not only expand opportunities for our students, but also are in line with my commitment to continue to expand the avenues for graduation.”

“Preparing students to succeed in the modern workforce is a top priority of my administration,” said Deal. “Computing is currently one of the fastest growing occupations in the country with average salaries nearly twice the national rate. Training our students to fill these high-wage, in-demand positions is necessary for Georgia to maintain a world-class workforce.”

Each course was developed collaboratively by K-12 teachers, postsecondary educators, and industry representatives.