Following a unanimous vote by the Tennessee General Assembly, computer science is now a course requirement for every public middle and high school student in the state. The new requirement, which takes effect this fall, stems from a 2020 report by the state’s Computer Science Task Force and is an effort to close the equity gap in computer science education and prepare students for 21st-century jobs.
With 60% of Tennessee high schools previously offering a CS course and only 18% of elementary or middle schools using a computer science curriculum, some schools need more time to prepare for the requirement. MNPS’ West End Middle School isn’t one of them.
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