High school computer science classes could expand in Michigan: Will that solve equity concerns?

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In his two years of high school at Dearborn Public Schools’ K-12 virtual school, junior Weaam AlAliyi has already learned about computer programming, understanding algorithms and data analysis in three computer science courses.

Weaam believes that computer science courses in high school are critical to preparing students for higher education and the modern workforce.

Gaining computer skills is “increasingly important in today’s digital world,” Weaam said.

High school students across the state could have similar access to computer science courses if Michigan lawmakers pass a bill requiring all public high schools to offer a computer science course by the start of the 2027-28 school year. Michigan would become the 31st state to have such a requirement, based on 2023 data.

The bill passed the state House on Tuesday and is headed to the Senate. The bill received bipartisan support, but all 22 votes against it came from Republicans.

The bill has garnered support from the Michigan Department of Education, among others. Cheryl Wilson, an information technology consultant for the MDE, said the department recognizes the need to prepare students for information technology jobs in the state and beyond.

The classes would have to be aligned with Michigan’s computer science standards. Rep. Carol Glavnille, a Democrat from Walker and a former educator who sponsored the bill, hopes the courses will cover topics such as artificial intelligence functions, app development, data analysis and internet security. These courses, she says, will prepare students for the plethora of computer science jobs available with higher-than-average salaries.

Michigan had an average of 14,328 computer science jobs open each month in 2023, with an average salary of $96,702.

Access to technology remains an obstacle

A legislative fiscal analysis estimates that the requirement would not create additional costs for the state, but high schools without computer science classes could struggle. Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance, a group that advocates for public schools, says the state should ensure that every school has adequate teachers and equipment available to students.

“It’s still a reality that some students don’t have access to the same technology that other students have at home,” McCann said.

Still, McCann believes grants to improve access to technology in homes during the pandemic will give more students the resources they need to study computer science and make it easier for schools to implement the new courses.

Schools that are unable to offer the course may provide an online option through online schools like Michigan Virtual.

Glanville suggested that existing online software programs, such as Code.org, can compensate for access problems. Code.org testified in favor of the bill when Glanville introduced it in the House in May.

But Aman Yadav, a computer science professor at Michigan State University, worries that under-resourced schools will still struggle to offer quality computer science courses because of a lack of certified staff. He warns that wealthy students are more likely to succeed in online courses.

“The bill is a step in the right direction to ensure that all Michigan students have access to computer science at the secondary level,” Yadav said. “However, there are significant challenges for under-resourced schools in both our rural and urban communities due to the lack of requirements for teachers to have sufficient knowledge to teach computer science.”

In 2017, the Michigan Department of Education announced it would eliminate requirements for computer science teacher certifications by 2026. Wilson said the department did that to open pathways for more educators to teach computer science, especially in districts that lacked enough qualified teachers.

But Yadav fears that the lack of quality computer science teachers will discourage students from continuing their computer science education beyond the first year.

Racial and gender disparities are wide

Research suggests that enrollment disparities greatly affect women and Black students. Only 29% of Michigan students taking an AP computer science exam in 2022 were women, and Black students were less likely to take AP computer science exams than their white and Asian peers.

Yadav said existing research on disparities in computer science education focuses too much on access and not enough on success rates. For example, 2022 data indicates that Black students in Michigan were less likely to pass their AP computer science exams than other students, with scores of 3 or higher: Only 29% of Black students who took an AP computer science exam in 2022 passed, while 70.8% of all students passed.

Kady Robinson-Larsosa, a junior at Detroit School at Marygrove, has learned computer science skills in several classes and may even have the opportunity to earn college credit as a junior. She said she sees value in computer science courses as a Black student at DPSCD because of the increased career opportunities for students.

“We don’t normally see engineering as a way to pursue a career in the future,” she said. As access to courses expands, she believes it could increase opportunities for well-paid careers. She believes the skills she has acquired will help her achieve her aspirations of entering the business and marketing field after graduation.

Kady said she notices more women than men in her Marygrove classes, but at a summer career-preparation program focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the University of Michigan, there were more men enrolled.

How can the State address equity issues?

Yadav said he hopes the legislature will add language requiring educators to be certified in computer science to teach the class and suggests the state invest in teacher certification.

“Computer science is hard to learn,” Yadav said. “Focusing on increasing access without focusing on the quality of that access is problematic for Michigan students.”

Wilson said MDE has no plans to implement such a program now, but may consider it in the future.

Yadav also believes that schools should offer classes at an earlier age. By high school, students already have a clear idea of ​​who is successful in computer science or STEM.

Eva Burch, who recently graduated from Detroit Prep, doesn't plan to take computer science courses when she starts her freshman year at Cass Technical High School, but said having early access to learning computer science courses might have encouraged her to take them now.

Kady said the courses will be useful in high school anyway. “I think it's a great opportunity that all high school students can take advantage of, even if some don't,” she said.

Glanville hopes that over time, the state will be able to identify which schools teach computer science and figure out how to increase the availability of those courses across Michigan.

Correction: June 24, 2024: An earlier version of this story stated that Eva Burch was already a DPSCD student. She was a student at Detroit Prep and will become a DPSCD student in the fall.

Chalk rhythm It is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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