This bill requires LEAs serving students in grades 9-12 and public charter high schools to create and implement a plan to expand computer science education by the 2024-2025 school year, and creates grants, subject to appropriation, to support computer science education, all as discussed below.
COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE AND CONTENT PLAN
This bill requires:
(1) The department of education to require each LEA serving students in grades 9-12 and public charter high school to implement a computer science course and content plan by the 2024-2025 school year. The plan developed must include a wide array of computer science course options. This bill specifies that it does not create a computer science graduation requirement;
(2) Each LEA serving students in grades 9-12 to:
(A) In the 2021-2022 school year, develop a computer science course and content plan that will be implemented by each high school;
(B) In the 2022-2023 school year, offer at least one introductory computer science course in at least one high school;
(C) In the 2023-2024 school year, offer at least one introductory computer science course in at least 50 percent of the high schools; and
(D) In the 2024-2025 school year, offer at least one introductory computer science course in all of the high schools;
(3) Each public charter high school to:
(A) In the 2021-2022 school year, develop a computer science course and content plan to be implemented by the charter school; and
(B) In the 2022-2023 school year, offer at least one introductory computer science course;
(4) The department to annually publish a list of all computer science courses approved by the state board to meet the requirements of this bill. The state board may approve virtual courses, career and technical education computer science courses, and courses eligible for college credit. This bill sets out in detail other requirements for state board approval of a course;
(5) The state board of education to develop enrollment goals for inclusion in LEAs' and public charter schools' course and content plans. The enrollment goals must strive to increase the number and diversity of students enrolled in computer science courses, including the number of female students, racial and ethnic diversity, students living in rural areas, low-income students, and students taking courses eligible for college credit; and
(6) The department to establish a waiver process for LEAs and public charter schools demonstrating a need, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, for additional time to comply with implementing a course and content plan. The department may not issue a waiver that would delay the implementation of a course and content plan for more than two school years and may not grant more than one waiver to any one LEA or public charter school.
GRANTS
Computer Science Grant Fund
This bill:
(1) Subject to appropriation, requires the department of education to establish and administer a grant program during the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 school years, to provide one-time grants to LEAs serving students in grades 9-12 and public charter high schools to assist the LEAs and charter schools with implementing a course and content plan under this bill;
(2) Creates in the state treasury a fund to be administered by the department of education and to be known as the "computer science grant fund" or the "CSG fund." At the completion of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, or should the grant program be discontinued, any funds remaining in the CSG fund will revert to the general fund of the state;
(3) Requires the commissioner to develop an application process for LEAs and public charter schools to apply for one-time computer science grants from the CSG fund. This bill sets out in detail the information to be included in the grant application. The commissioner will develop a selection process and determine the amount of grants awarded to applicants; and
(4) Requires an LEA or public charter school to use the grant funds for workshops, high-quality professional learning programs, or facilitator programs that lead to the development and implementation of the LEA's or charter school's course and content plan.
Computer Science Professional Learning Grant Fund
This bill:
(1) Subject to appropriation, requires the commissioner to establish and administer a grant program during the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 school years to assist with the development and implementation of high-quality professional learning programs for teachers in grades K-5;
(2) Creates in the state treasury a fund to be administered by the department of education and to be known as the "computer science professional learning grant fund" or the "CSPLG fund." At the completion of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, or should the grant program be discontinued, any funds remaining in the CSPLG fund will revert to the general fund of the state;
(3) Requires that a grant recipient be:
(A) An LEA, public charter school, a consortium of LEAs and public charter schools, or any combination thereof; or
(B) A high-quality professional learning provider, including institutions of higher education in this state, nonprofit organizations, or private entities working in partnership with LEAs or public charter schools;
(4) Requires the commissioner to develop an application process for LEAs, public charter schools, and high-quality professional learning providers to apply for grants from the CSPLG fund. This bill sets out in detail information to be included in the application;
(5) Requires the commissioner to develop a selection process and determine the amount of grants. This bill requires the commissioner to prioritize grant applications that include any one or more of the following:
(A) LEAs or public charter schools that are working in partnership with a high-quality computer science professional learning provider;
(B) Proposals that describe strategies to enroll groups of students underrepresented in computer science, students eligible for free and reduced-price meals, students with disabilities, and English language learners;
(C) Proposals from rural or urban areas with few K-12 computer science course offerings; or
(D) LEAs and public charter schools that partner to form clusters of implementation;
(6) Authorizes the use of grant funds to: develop and administer high-quality professional learning programs for computer science educators in K-5; provide mentoring, coaching, and support computer science educators in K-5; create resources to support computer science course implementation; and recruit new computer science teachers; and
(7) Requires grant recipients to report to the department each school year the recipient receives a grant the number of teachers who participated in a high-quality professional learning program funded by a grant award under this section and any other information requested by the department.
OTHER PROVISIONS
This bill:
(1) Requires the department to submit an annual report, each of the following four years, to the education committee of the senate and the education instruction committee of the house, detailing certain information, including:
(A) The implementation of computer science course and content plans developed by LEAs and public charter schools under this bill;
(B) The number of licensed educators with an endorsement in computer science who are employed by each LEA and public charter school;
(C) The number of educators who participated in high-quality professional learning programs and the number of students taught by such educators in the most recent school year;
(D) The number and names of computer science courses offered in each public high school and each public charter high school;
(E) Student participation in computer science courses broken down by course and disaggregated by student demographic, including, but not limited to, gender, race and ethnicity, rural students, low-income students, students taking exams for college credit, and students taking courses eligible for college credit; and
(F) Certain information regarding the grants awarded pursuant to this bill; and
(2) Requires the Tennessee higher education commission to:
(A) Encourage each public institution of higher education to, among other things, review admission requirements and allow high school computer science courses to be used for admission purposes as a math or science course; and
(B) In coordination with the department of education, annually convene a gathering to connect postsecondary computer science educators with kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) computer science educators.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-8-803