CodeHS Helps Broaden CS Education to Students in Alabama School District, Shelby County Schools

CodeHS Helps Broaden CS Education to Students in Alabama School District, Shelby County Schools

Shelby County Schools has been trying to make a high quality programming course available to its students for years, but says it was a challenge finding the right solution. CodeHS is excited to heed that call! This year, high school students from across Shelby County Schools are taking advantage of a new class, Fundamentals of Computer Science using Java Script, that uses the CodeHS curriculum to help teach an engaging introductory computer science class.

“This isn’t your typical programming class,” said Susan Poling, the district’s technology coordinator. “The fact that it was designed by programmers who once taught the course is exciting. They know what students who are new to programming struggle with and have designed the course accordingly. In a field that changes quickly, they also have the real world experience to be sure that the course content stays relevant.”

Although the lessons and programming assignments are done online, two Shelby County staff will guide students through the course and grade their work. “We liked this approach because it lets us be part of the whole process and gives students someone they can reach out to as they work through the class,” said Mrs. Poling.

Two members of the technology staff have paired up to administer the course. Faith Pack is a former high school math teacher who now provides software support and training at the district level. Jason McGinnis is a network administrator who helps develop applications that the district utilizes. Both completed the CodeHS Online Professional Development course this summer and are currently making the rounds to meet all of the students in person.

“Faith and Jason’s skills along with the online course are going provide our students with a lot of expertise and support.” said, Mrs. Poling. If our folks run into situations where they need support in grading student work or helping them get their code working correctly, they can turn to the CodeHS tutors who are real world programmers.

“We’ve quickly discovered that a few of our students have already been programming, but for most it’s their first exposure to computer science,” said Mrs. Pack. Students can move through the course at their own pace. CodeHS provides additional programming challenges for those who move through the course quickly so they continue to build their skills throughout the year.

Jonathan Lewis, a Chelsea High student, says he is taking the course in order to learn how to code. “I want to use this as a foundation to learn different languages in the future,” he said. Not only is computer programming one of the top jobs in the nation, but at many colleges it also counts as a foreign language.

“We can’t wait to see what our students create by the end of the year with their new programming skills,” said Mrs. Poling.

CodeHS wants to say a huge thank you to Susan Polling and the Shelby County team for all of their hard work getting this program in place for this year!