Illinois to Adopt CS Standards and Require Computer Science for High Schools

Illinois to Adopt CS Standards and Require Computer Science for High Schools

There are some exciting updates happening in Illinois for computer science education from CS standards to new requirements.

Illinois Computer Science Education Standards

The Illinois State Board of Education passed House Bill 2170 in 2021, announcing that they would be adopting K-12 computer science education standards. The standards have now been adopted and released. View the full details for CodeHS’ standards mapping for Illinois 6–8, Illinois 9–10, and Illinois 11–12.

New Illinois Computer Science Education Requirements

• By the beginning of the 2022–23 school year, all school districts must offer students opportunities to gain computer literacy skills at each grade level from K-12.
• By the beginning of the 2023–2024 school year, all high schools with grades 9–12 are required to offer a computer science course aligned to the newly adopted state standards.
• Schools that belong to a cooperative career center can use a computer science course offering at such a center to fulfill this requirement if all students in grades 9–12 from the home school have access to the course.
• Participation in computer science coursework is not a requirement for graduation. Local districts may set requirements for graduation or participation beyond the State minimum requirements.

These are big steps in expanding computer science education throughout Illinois and providing all students in the state the computer science knowledge to meaningfully impact the future.