Three Ways to Meet the Growing Demand for K-12 Computer Science Educators

Understanding computer science isn’t just for software engineers or data scientists—it’s vital for everyone. Computer science fosters problem-solving, critical thinking, and digital literacy, a set of skills that are increasingly necessary for everyone to thrive in an era of rapid digital transformation.

I realized this in graduate school last year, when I enrolled in a machine learning course. The course wasn’t just about algorithms or coding. It was about learning to break down complex, abstract problems and tackle them with structured, creative thinking.

Sixty percent of U.S. high schools offer a foundational computer science course, according to recent data from Code.org. That’s a significant increase from a decade ago, largely due to states implementing policies to promote computer science education. But there’s a major roadblock standing in the way of students learning these important skills: a shortage of qualified computer science teachers.  

As a research associate intern at AIR, working closely with the Center for Evolving Computer Science Education (CS@AIR), I’ve had the opportunity to explore ways to expand K-12 computer science access. There are at least three main lessons to learn from AIR’s work with states—such as Pennsylvania and Wyoming—and organizations, including the Computer Science Teachers Association, Teach for America, and UTeach at the University of Texas at Austin.
 

Key Takeaways

1. Teacher preparation programs should include computer science requirements.

Of more than 150,000 newly certified teachers in 2020, just 82 received certifications to teach computer science, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Integrating computer science into teacher preparation coursework might be one way to increase that number.

Currently, only a handful of states require preservice teachers to gain computer science exposure. Implementing such a requirement could help many more teachers discover and develop their passion and aptitude for teaching computer science, ultimately leading to a more robust computer science teacher workforce. For instance, AIR’s analysis of 28,000 Teach for America applicants found that completion of even a single postsecondary computer science course was highly correlated with a preference to teach computer science. Further, AIR research suggests that requiring computer science as part of teacher preparation could help diversify the computer science teacher workforce, which is overwhelmingly white. 
 

2. By offering micro-credentials as a path to certification, schools can unlock the potential of their existing teacher workforce.

Micro-credentials are recognitions, usually short and competency-based, that allow educators to demonstrate mastery so they can teach specific topics like computer science. This approach is particularly valuable in places like Wyoming, where geographic isolation and a lack of higher education institutions make traditional routes to certification, like college courses, less accessible.

When Wyoming mandated in 2018 that all districts offer computer science, just eight of the state’s 48 school districts had a teacher qualified to instruct the subject. The state developed and offered micro-credentials, providing a pathway for current teachers to add computer science to their licenses through a program that could be completed while staying in their current teaching roles.

The Wyoming Department of Education partnered with AIR to enhance the micro-credential initiative by offering online coursework that guides and supports teachers through the process of earning these credentials. This partnership created a highly flexible and accessible pathway for teachers from across the state to become credentialed in computer science and quickly enter classrooms where they are urgently needed. 
 

3. Grassroots coalitions play a key role in securing state investments to broaden the computer science teacher pipeline.

In 2023, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that created a workgroup tasked with developing new, effective pathways to credential teachers in computer science. This initiative was a critical step in a state where about half of high schools do not offer foundational computer science coursework.

The bill was one of a series of policy wins for Computer Science for California, a coalition that has advocated for quality computer science education for every student in California since 2012. The group has also been instrumental in integrating computer science into postsecondary requirements and establishing K-12 computer science content standards.

AIR identified what makes the coalition effective, including support from influential stakeholders, the ability to provide policymakers with actionable information, and aligning policy efforts with values that resonate with California’s leaders, such as economic growth and equity. Additionally, the coalition’s broad, diverse membership of educators, industry leaders, and community members enhances its ability to advocate effectively for policy changes.

These key ingredients have helped the coalition tap into broad, bipartisan support that generally exists for computer science. As one coalition member put it in an interview, “Democrats, Republicans, everybody loves it.”
 

Next Steps

Approaches like micro-credentials, alternative certification pathways, and strong coalitions offer promising solutions. With a stronger teacher pipeline, we can help ensure that every student has access to a quality computer science education, the potential to gain well-paying jobs that use computational tools, and the ability to use computational thinking to take on routine life tasks, such as managing a schedule, troubleshooting, and decision-making.