Thursday, the Alabama State Board of Education unanimously approved a new K-12 digital literacy and computer science course requirement.
A committee of teachers, educational, technology and business specialists created a document outlining learning objectives. The courses are meant to help Alabama students compete in an increasingly technology-focused society.
“We actually are going to require computer science for high school graduation starting in the 2030s so this course of study will carry us through to that. And that’s why this was very important to get done,” Eric Mackey, state superintendent of education, said.
The Computer Science for Alabama Act required all K-12 public schools to offer computer science courses or integrate computer science instruction into their curriculum by the 2022-23 school year.
By the 2023-24 school year, 94% of Alabama high schools had met this requirement, compared to the national average of 60%.
In 2024, updates to the Alabama Administrative Code made the completion of a state-approved computer science course a graduation requirement, starting with the class of 2032.
The requirement places Alabama as the eleventh state in the nation to make computer science a foundational course.
Now that the board has adopted the change, schools have a year to voluntarily implement the digital literacy and computer science course.
The course will become a requirement within 18 months.
“If they need to get new textbooks and materials, they have time to purchase those things,” Mackey said.
Committee members researched and analyzed digital literacy and computer science curricula from other states, previous Alabama courses and national standards to develop the course framework.
For all grade levels, the content includes five learning objectives:
- Computational thinking
- Data science
- Computing systems
- Impact of computing
- Digital proficiency
Students will learn programming basics, digital tools, data analysis, cybersecurity, ethics and career paths, among other standards.
“The course of study this group has worked on has been broad enough that it will be relevant for years to come,” Mackey said.
The state board of education also unanimously voted in favor of appointing a committee to consider creating a world languages course. The committee will begin working in 2026.
“They’re all here working really hard on supporting schools who are asking to do languages that are not as widely spoken, things like Korean and Chinese,” Mackey said.
Board members said the new courses will prepare students for success.
“Cultivating computational thinking and digital proficiency is essential to preparing Alabama students for success in a rapidly evolving technology-driven world,” the committee document states.