Congratulations to Carol Yarbrough, A+ College Ready’s Computer Science Content Director, for becoming Alabama’s first certified computer science teacher! Carol scored a perfect score on the certification exam, forging the way for educators to become certified to teach computer science in Alabama. This new certification is another step in ensuring all students have the opportunity to take high quality computer science courses in their schools.
Carol began teaching high school in 2007 at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, in Birmingham, Alabama, embarking on a second career after working in the computer industry for 20+ years. She currently serves as the Computer Science Content Specialist of A+ College Ready, a program of A+ Education Partnership.
“Many passionate and dedicated educators have worked for years to bring computer science education to Alabama students. The passage of HB 216 and all of its provisions, including teacher computer science certification, has created the infrastructure we needed to make this a reality. I am proud to be the first of what I expect will be many teachers to become certified in computer science in Alabama. With support from Governor Ivey’s Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative, the Alabama legislature, and numerous educators across the state, the future is bright for Alabama students who will now be able to take advantage of the many opportunities that a computer science education can bring.”
-Carol Yarbrough
A+ Education Partnership has been working with educators and policymakers to make computer science education a priority for Alabama since 2012. In 2017, our A+ College Ready co-hosted the inaugural Governor’s Computer Science Education Summit. That same year, the state adopted Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Standards, pushing closer to the goal of implementing high quality computer science education in every school. These DLCS standards are required for all Alabama students beginning this school year. In the 2019 Session, the Alabama Legislature passed House Bill 216, which requires computer science education be taught in all K-12 schools by 2023. To accomplish this goal, the bill:
- Provides funding for professional development for K-12 computer science teachers
- Provides a computer science specialist in the State Department of Education, and
- Provides multiple computer science certification pathways for both current teachers and computer science experts to become certified to teach in our schools.
Educators are now able to become certified to teach computer science in Alabama, and we are proud that our own CS expert is paving the path! If you’re an educator interested in pursuing this pathway, please contact the State Department of Education at (334) 694-4557 or click here.
A+ College Ready also offers computer science training! If you’re interested in participating in A+ College Ready’s K-5 Computer Science Fundamentals training, click here.
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