Digital Equity
According to NYSED, “for New York State students to lead productive and successful lives upon graduation, they must understand and know how to use digital technologies. Technology knowledge and skills are vital for full participation in 21st Century life, work, and citizenship.” As such, the department has engaged with workgroups over the last three years to create new Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards, focusing on five key concepts:
- Impacts of Computing
- Computational Thinking
- Networks and System Design
- Cybersecurity
- Digital Literacy
The standards are crafted to allow for flexibility when delivering instruction, and schools must determine locally how to provide instruction in the Standards. In East Rochester, this will be accomplished by integrating the Standards into other subject areas and/or by developing stand-alone computer science courses.
From September 2021 through August 2023, ER Schools will be focusing on Computer Science and Digital Fluency curriculum development, resource acquisition and professional development, as outlined in NYSED’s Implementation Timeline.