Defining computer science teacher qualification pathways

Abstract

While there has been an increased interest in making computer science a core K-12 academic subject in the United States, there is a shortage of K-12 teachers who can teach computer science. Experts in computer science education have expressed the importance of establishing clear expectations for who should be able to teach CS. To enhance the quality of computer science teachers, clear and consistent preparation and certification pathways are needed for teachers to implement computer science education. This study extends on prior work by creating a consistent framework of definitions for talking about and comparing CS teacher qualification pathways policies across states. We summarized the current landscape of the CS teacher pathways for all 50 states as of 2020. Nineteen states had an initial certification program, 42 states had an add-on license, and 24 states had an authorization pathway. There were five states that did not have any computer science teacher qualification pathways policy: Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oregon. We discuss the policy implications and recommendations for future research around CS teacher qualification pathways.