Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill revises various provisions relative to computer science education. Under present law, the department of education is required to develop a state plan for computer science in grades kindergarten through 12. The state plan for computer science must set strategic goals and make recommendations to: (1) Ensure public high school students have access to at least one computer science course; (2) Integrate computer science into elementary education; (3) Allow computer science course completion to count as a core admission requirement at state institutions of higher education; (4) Develop educator preparation program standards and requirements for computer science; (5) Increase the number of underrepresented student groups earning college credit in computer science while still in high school; and (6) Ensure opportunities for educators who teach computer science to earn the computer science endorsement approved by the state board of education. This bill rewrites the above provisions and instead requires the department to: (1) Provide an online computer science course, in which public school students across the state may enroll at no charge to satisfy state requirements to attend a computer science course, if the course is approved by the state board of education; (2) Submit to the state board for approval, instructional materials for computer science education that are aligned to the state's computer science academic standards, and that may be used by a student enrolled in an LEA or public charter school, for purposes of the present law requirement (as amended by this bill and as discussed below) that every candidate for a full high school diploma receive a full year of computer education at some time during the candidate's educational career; (3) Provide, at no charge to educators, a computer science education professional development program for educators that includes professional learning modules to provide educators with the opportunity to learn and demonstrate competency in computer science education by earning a micro-credential for purposes of the present law requirement (as amended by this bill and as discussed below) that the state board of education create an endorsement in computer science for all teachers who demonstrate sufficient content knowledge in the course material, as determined by the state board; (4) Provide incentives for schools and educators to offer high-quality professional development opportunities for educators in computer science education and to offer high-quality computer science education for students; (5) Create a computer science education network that may be integrated into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) school designation and Tennessee STEM Innovation Network regional hubs; and (6) Submit, no later than the 2023-2024 school year, to the state board for approval comprehensive academic standards for computer science education that must be included in the computer science curriculum for students in grades K-12. As referenced above in (3), present law requires the state board of education to create an endorsement in computer science for all teachers who demonstrate sufficient content knowledge in the course material. This bill rewrites this provision to instead require the department of education to develop and submit to the state board for approval an endorsement in computer science for individuals enrolled in a state board approved educator preparation program who demonstrate sufficient content knowledge in the course material. This bill further requires the department to develop and submit to the state board for adoption standards for professional learning modules that prepare educators to teach computer science education and that provide educators with the opportunity to demonstrate competency in computer science education by earning a micro-credential. This bill defines "micro-credential" as a competency-based recognition of demonstrated mastery by grade band, receipt of which results in an endorsement for computer science education. As referenced above in (2), present law requires the state board of education to require every candidate for a full high school diploma to receive a full year of computer education at some time during the candidate's educational career. This bill rewrites this provision to instead require the state board of education to require, no later than the 2024-2025 school year, that: (1) High school students receive one full school year of computer science education to satisfy graduation requirements; (2) Middle school students receive one course in computer science education that includes instruction for a minimum of one grading period per school day for one full school year based on the academic standards for computer science education adopted by the state board; and (3) Elementary school students receive grade-appropriate computer science education based on the academic standards in computer science education adopted by the state board. Under this bill, beginning with students enrolled in the ninth grade for the 2024-2025 school year, high school students must receive a full year of computer science education in order to receive a traditional high school diploma. Present law requires the state board of education to approve appropriate computer science courses that every candidate for a full high school diploma may enroll in and complete to satisfy the elective focus requirement for graduation. This bill rewrites this provision to instead require, by the 2024-2025 school year, the state board to approve appropriate computer science courses that LEAs and public charter schools may offer to students to satisfy the requirements described immediately above in (1)-(3). ON MARCH 21, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2406, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to require the department to: (1) Provide, no later than the start of the 2023-2024 school year, computer science courses, including online options, in which public school students across the state may enroll at no charge to satisfy the present law requirement that students receive a full year of computer education, if the courses are approved by the state board of education; (2) Subject to available funding, provide, at no charge to educators, a professional development program in computer science education for educators that includes professional learning modules that provide educators with the opportunity to learn and demonstrate competency in computer science by earning a micro-credential; (3) Subject to available funding, provide incentives for schools and educators to offer high-quality professional development opportunities in computer science education to educators, and to offer high-quality computer science education to students; and (4) Create a computer science education network that may be integrated into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) school designation and Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) regional hubs; and (5) Recommend academic standards for computer science education to the state board of education for adoption. This amendment requires the state board to adopt academic standards for computer science education, which must be included in the computer science curriculum for students in grades K-12. The standards adopted by the state board must be available for implementation beginning with the 2023-2024 school year; however, schools will not be required to implement the computer science standards until the 2024-2025 school year. This amendment rewrites the micro-credential provisions to require the department to develop and submit to the state board for approval an additional endorsement pathway to provide educators with the opportunity to demonstrate competency in computer science education by earning a micro-credential that results in an additional license endorsement for computer science. In regard to the required one year of computer education, this amendment rewrites the provision so as to require the state board of education to, no later than the 2024-2025 school year: (1) Require each public high school to offer its students access to at least one credit of computer science education; (2) Require each public middle school student to take one course in computer science education that includes instruction for a minimum of one grading period for one full school year; (3) Approve appropriate computer science courses that allow LEAs and public charter schools to meet the requirements of items (1) and (2). A computer science course may include, but is not limited to, grade-appropriate instruction on how and why technologies work; exploring whether and how technologies may solve real-life problems; investigating procedures; creating solutions; and learning about computing systems, programming, data, networks, and the effects of technologies on society and individuals; and (4) Require each elementary school to provide each student grade-appropriate computer science education based on the academic standards in computer science education adopted by the state board of education. Under this amendment, a high school student pursuing a traditional high school diploma, as described in the state board of education's rules, must receive at least one credit of computer science education in high school. This requirement will only apply to students who enroll in the ninth grade in the 2024-2025 school year, or in a subsequent school year. A student who transfers to a Tennessee high school during the student's senior year will not be required to receive one credit of computer science education in high school in order to receive a traditional high school diploma. Under this amendment, by July 1, 2024, and each July 1 thereafter, the department of education must submit a report to the education committee of the senate, the education instruction committee of the house of representatives, and the education administration committee of the house of representatives regarding the implementation and status of computer science education in Tennessee.