Tag:

LOTE

AP and IB Computer Science Credits

by Jennifer Bergland November 21, 2019

written by Jennifer Bergland

As districts are creating their course selection sheets for their secondary students, some questions surrounding the actions by the State Board of Education are circulating among districts. At the center of the conversation is the fact that completion of AP Computer Science A now receives two credits. Some districts are interpreting this to mean that AP CS A must be scheduled for a two-hour block instead of the traditional one hour, while others are viewing this as optional. Which is it?

Background

For years, AP Computer Science A counted as an elective or as a math credit. If the student needed an advanced math credit, they could use AP CS A to satisfy this requirement. If they already had all of their required math credits, then it would count as an elective.

In 2016, as a result of HB 5 passed in the 83rd Texas Legislative session, the SBOE approved three computer science courses to satisfy the languages other than English credit. These courses were:

Computer Science I
Computer Science II
Computer Science III

The board did not include AP Computer Science A because it had already been designated as a math or an elective credit. This inhibited some students from taking advantage of the provision in HB 5 that allowed students to substitute two computer programming courses for their LOTE credits. Many districts did not offer Computer Science II. Instead they offered CS I and AP CS A as the second course. This meant that students who did not want to take an AP course, but were enrolled in districts that only offered AP CS A as the second course in the sequence, were not able to substitute two computer programming courses for their LOTE credits as specified in HB 5.

In April of 2018, the SBOE expanded the list of courses that could count as a computer programming language that would meet the languages other than English requirement. The rule went into effect on June 2018. The courses that satisfy this option are:

Computer Science I
Computer Science II
Computer Science III
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Computer Science A
International Baccalaureate Computer Science Standard Level
International Baccalaureate Computer Science Higher Level

In addition, the SBOE made some changes that affected the IB and AP computer science courses. Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic school year, students shall be awarded two credits for the successful completion of AP CS A and two credits for the completion of IB Computer Science Higher Level. The board also adopted a rule that a district shall allow a student who successfully completes AP Computer Science A or IB Computer Science High Level to satisfy both one advanced math requirement and one language other than English requirement (TAC 74.11(k)). This rule when into effect on August 27, 2018.

PEIMS

On August 1, 2018 TEA posted the following PEIMS numbers for these courses. Note that for each course there are two PEIMS numbers:

Implementation of These Computer Science Credits

According to the SBOE rules, districts do not have an option as to whether they give one or two credits for these two courses. However, they do have the option to how much time is necessary to learn the standards. The education code stipulates that districts are required to provide sufficient time for teachers to teach and for students to learn the content of a course. This is a local decision. If your students were able to master the standards in one period a day in prior years, there is no need to increase the seat time.

lt is important to note the reason the SBOE decided to provide two credits for AP CS. It now counts for both an advanced math credit and a LOTE credit. When the SBOE was deliberating this issue, the rationale they used for making this change, pivoted on this question: If a course had enough content to count as a math credit or a LOTE credit, then shouldn’t a student be given both. It is one course that satisfies both an advanced math AND a LOTE credit. If a student does not need one or both of these graduation requirements, then AP CS A counts as two elective credits.

If you or your district has any questions, contact the Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division of the Texas Education Agency at curriculum@tea.texas.gov.

Photo of computer screen with code by Sai Kiran Anagani on Unsplash

November 21, 2019 0 comment

Texas SBOE Moves CS Policy Forward

by Jennifer Bergland May 3, 2018

written by Jennifer Bergland

Texas teachers and districts have been asking for more options for students who want to take computer science courses, as well as asking the state to establish some interoperability standards for digital instructional materials. The Texas State Board of Education responded to these requests at their April 2018 board meeting.

Substitute Computer Programming for LOTE

Donna Bahorich, SBOE Board Chair, Champion of CS.

In 2013, the Texas Legislature enacted HB 5 which provided a new graduation requirement option of substituting two credits in computer programming languages for two Language Other Than English (LOTE) credits. In January 2014, the SBOE designated Computer Science I, II, and III as the courses that could satisfy this new option. At the April board meeting, the SBOE broadened this list to include AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, IB Computer Science Standard Level, and IB Computer Science Higher Level (19 TAC, Subchapter 74.12, b, 5, ii). In addition, the board approved a provision that allows a student who successfully completes AP Computer Science A or IB Computer Science Higher Level to satisfy both one advanced mathematics requirement AND a LOTE requirement for graduation (19 TAC, Subchapter 74.11, k). The student would not earn two credits, but could use one of these two computer science courses to satisfy two graduation requirements.

SBOE These changes will give more options to districts as they decide which courses they can staff. Many districts offer Computer Science I, Computer Science II, and AP Computer Science A. However, because many districts only have one teacher who is certified to teach computer science courses, some districts must choose whether to offer Computer Science II or AP Computer Science. Since AP CS was not on the list of courses that a student could take to satisfy the LOTE graduation requirements, students at these schools were precluded from substituting a computer programming course for a LOTE graduation requirement. This change will eliminate that barrier.

Hal Speed, the past-president of TA/CS-SIG (Technology Applications/Computer Science Special Interest Group), advocated on behalf of TCEA to make this change. It has taken several years to gather the necessary support for it. However, his hard work has resulted in additional options for students. This is an excellent example of the difference one individual can have in changing policy.

Recommended Prerequisites for AP CS

In addition to these changes, the SBOE changed the recommended prerequisites for AP Computer Science A from Computer Science I and Algebra II to only recommending Algebra I. The board enacted these changes upon the advice of the College Board (19 TAC, Subchapter 126.62, a).

Interoperability Standards

The SBOE also took some positive steps toward adopting interoperability standards for digital products. TEA has worked with school districts to create standards for machine-readable TEKS. The board adopted rules on April 13 that will require companies that submit digital instructional materials for Proclamation 2020 to use these new standards. This will make it much easier for districts to import the TEKS into their LMS. Over time, the TEA-created machine-readable TEKS will also be incorporated into digital products purchased by the district, which again will aid a district’s implementation of instructional materials.

sboe In addition, the SBOE is requiring publishers who submit digital instructional materials for Proclamation 2019 to complete The Report on Interoperability and Ease of Use. This report will provide the SBOE with valuable information about what standards the different companies are using, which will help them decide which standards are the most common. This will aid in deciding which interoperability standards they should adopt and require for future proclamations. This has been a huge headache for districts. They have invested countless hours uploading and downloading student information. Each company uses different file formats for inserting and changing student data. Therefore, when students enroll or leave a district, someone has to upload and download many different files just to ensure that the date is accurate. Districts have been clamoring for this type of action for several years. The state is one step closer to adopting interoperability standards, which, I’m sure, will be greeted with much applause.

TCEA applauds the Board on the changes they made at the April meeting. The elimination of these barriers will enable districts to offer students more opportunities, both in the field of computer science, but also in the ease of use of digital materials.

Photo of man on the floor typing on a computer taken by Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash. Photo of two laptops on table taken by Marten Bjork on Unsplash.

May 3, 2018 0 comment

Advocacy Coding/Computer Science Leadership

SBOE to Consider Two Computer Science Issues in April

by Jennifer Bergland March 16, 2016

written by Jennifer Bergland

The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) will take up two computer science-related issues at their April meeting. The first issue is related to the provision of letting students take two computer programming courses to substitute for the Language Other Than English (LOTE) graduation credits. Currently, there is a provision in the SBOE rules that would eliminate this option for students in September 2016. The board will vote in April on whether or not to remove the expiration date for this provision. If they do, it will mean that students will continue to be able to take Computer Science I, II, or III to satisfy the LOTE graduation credits.

The second issue involves the approval of AP Computer Science Principles as a Technology Applications course. This is a new AP course that will be tested for the first time in the 2016-2017 school year. The board will need to approve this course so that the Texas Education Agency can create a PEIMS code. TEA has indicated that if the board approves this course in April, the earliest they can post the course PEIMS number will be July 1, 2016.

Neither of these issues have any known opposition on the SBOE, so the approval of both is highly likely. Below are the contents of an email that was sent on March 15 by the Enrichment division of TEA regarding these issues.

Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses

Public Comment Period: March 2, 2015 – April 6, 2016

Earliest Possible Date of Adoption: April 2016 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting

In January 2015, the State Board of Education approved for first reading and filing authorization Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses, §126.65, Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles (One Credit), Adopted 2016. The proposed rule action would add a new AP computer science course as an option for a student to use to earn credit toward high school graduation requirements.

The SBOE is scheduled to consider the proposed amendments for second reading and final adoption at its April 2016 meeting.

The official public comment period is now open. Please visit the Proposed SBOE Rules page to view the proposed amendments and submit public comments.

March 16, 2016 0 comment