The bill H.318, introduced by Representative Priestley, aims to enhance computer science education in Vermont's public schools by mandating the offering of computer science courses at various educational levels starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Public high schools will be required to provide at least one computer science course for grades 9-12, while middle schools must offer exploratory computer science instruction, and elementary schools must teach the basics of computer science and computational thinking. The bill also establishes quality requirements for these courses, ensuring they meet or exceed standards set by the State Board of Education, and mandates school districts to report on the courses offered and student demographics. Additionally, it sets a graduation requirement for students to complete a high school-level computer science course starting in the 2027-2028 school year.

To support these initiatives, the bill introduces a Computer Science Professional Development Grant Program for teacher training, allocates $150,000 from the General Fund for a full-time computer science supervisor position within the Agency of Education, and requires all teacher preparation programs to include instruction in computer science and computational thinking by July 1, 2027. It also establishes a grant program for pre-service education programs to develop pathways for teaching computer science, allowing pre-service teachers to earn endorsements in this field. The bill mandates the Board to submit a report on the state strategic plan by December 1, 2026, and outlines the dissolution of the Task Force by December 1, 2027, with the act taking effect on July 1, 2025.