In the Massachusetts Economic Growth and Relief Act (Chapter 268), the Legislature asked for a recommendation on a graduation requirement for a foundational CS course. In mid 2023, in order to understand the scope of such a requirement, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) commissioned SageFox Consulting Group and CSforMA, Inc. via a competitive RFR procurement process to conduct (1) a National Landscape Analysis Report and (2) a Recommendation Report for a foundational CS course requirement for high school graduation for the state of Massachusetts. The Landscape Report is designed to learn what it takes to make Computer Science (CS) a high school graduation requirement by examining states that are already implementing it. Much of this complexity can be attributed to policy levers that differ by state, critical funding strategies and the varying influencers of important advocacy approaches.
Landscape Analysis Report: “Computer Science as a Graduation Requirement: A Landscape Analysis Report,” SageFox Consulting and CSforMA, Inc., January 2024.
This report provides an overview of states with and without a graduation requirement, and the initiatives put into place to support their implementation.
Video Overview of Landscape Analysis Report (18 minutes)
View this informational video giving an overview of the findings from the Landscape Analysis Report, and the questions it poses regarding next steps in our state.