Did you know that Indiana is one of the top states in the nation for computer science (CS) education? A very interesting report was released recently that puts the Hoosier state in the highest percentile for our statewide policies, along with only a handful of other states. Experts and state officials are saying this type of education is one of the best ways we can position our state for economic success in the 21st century. Given our top standing, that’s seriously great news for business.
“As we prepare current and future generations to meet Indiana’s evolving workforce needs, computer science education provides students with skills that are applicable in a number of different career paths,” said Governor Eric Holcomb. “Continuing to expand quality computer science education in Indiana will be essential to the future economic prosperity of our citizens and therefore our state.”
Way Above Average
Currently, about 57.5% of public high schools in the United States offer a foundational CS class. Here in Indiana, however, all of our public high schools are required to offer these types of courses. Based on the most recent school year data, a whopping 91% of our students had access to foundational CS classes. Way above the national figures. In terms of access, Indiana ranks sixth in the nation.
This data comes to us from an annual study called the 2023 State of Computer Science Education, which is considered to be the most comprehensive analysis of national progress in this category of education. The report was developed by several groups, including Code.org, the Computer Science Teachers Association, and the Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance.
“Indiana has positioned itself as a national leader in computer science education with over 90% of high schools offering at least one course,” said Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org. “It's inspiring to think about how many more kids in Indiana have access to computer science from just a few short years ago, and what that will mean for those students, and also the economy and security of our world.”
9 out of 10 Boxes Checked
According to the report, Indiana checks nine out of ten boxes that cover key CS education policies. These policies were developed by Code.org as recommendations to make CS a fundamental part of a state’s education system.
(We actually would have scored a nine of nine, but a tenth policy was added this year for the very first time that we don’t currently have.)
Those nine policies that makes Indiana a top state include:
Indiana has met or exceeded each one of those policies. The only one we currently lack is the newly added requirement that all students take computer science to earn a high school diploma. But although we didn’t score a perfect 10 out of 10, there are still a wide range of things Indiana has been doing lately to level up our programming.
Taking Things Even Further
Given how important this type of education is for future economic growth and high-wage careers, Indiana has been focused intently on further developing computer science education in our state. For example, since 2018 the Hoosier state has invested over $18 million in computer science and has taken steps to advance this type of programming across all grades.
Our state has also been working to boost other closely related STEM pathways too, like our efforts to streamline academic standards in areas such as math, science, and computer science. Indiana has also launched its first AI-Powered Platform Pilot Grant, which provided over $2 million to support students at 112 schools with a new AI-powered platform and supported professional development for 2,500 educators.
On Top for Tomorrow
Being a top state for computer science education will have huge long-term benefits for business in Indiana. All kinds of employers across industries are actively on the hunt for people with these kinds of skills. The more we can train young people early in this field, the more we’ll have to gain through the business innovations of tomorrow.
