In January 2018 the Pennsylvania State Board of Education endorsed the 2017 Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) K-12 Computer Science Standards. Local education agencies (LEAsare encouraged to voluntarily adopt these standards to guide the implementation of Computer Science education.
About the CS Standards
The standards are designed to:
- Introduce the fundamental concepts of CS to all students, beginning at the elementary school level.
- Present CS at the secondary school level in a way that can fulfill a computer science, math, or science graduation credit.*
- Encourage schools to offer additional secondary-level CS courses that will allow interested students to study facets of computer science in more depth and prepare them for entry into the workforce or college.^
- Increase the availability of rigorous computer science for all students, especially those who are members of underrepresented groups. 1
The CS standards are organized in grade-level bands, providing flexibility for LEAs in determining how to address them, however; it may take time to acclimate to the way that the standards are organized and named. 
High School CS
* Act 86 (signed into law on July 13, 2016) amended section 1605 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code to allow high school students to apply up to one credit towards a math or science high school graduation credit requirement upon successful completion of computer science or information technology coursework. 3
^Standards in the 3B grade level band are designed for use in advanced elective courses, not general pathways. Courses aligned to the 3B standards are for students who have demonstrated mastery of all 1A - 3A standards and are interested in pursuing CS education beyond their K-12 experience.
Resources
CS Priorities
This document identifies areas of focus in instruction and critical standards for Computer Science instruction in grades K-2. Where applicable, potential cross-content connections are provided.
K-12 CS Framework
Learn more about the CS concepts and practices addressed by the CS standards.
CSTA
Use the “Explore the Standards” tool to find standards by grade level, CS concepts, and CS practices.
Note: A CSTA membership (basic membership is free) is required to access the standards through the CSTA website. PDF versions of CSTA resources are available here:
CS Standards (CSTA)
CS Standards Progression Chart (CSTA)
Supporting Research
1 Computer Science Teachers Association (2017). CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards, Revised 2017. http://www.csteachers.org/standards
2 K–12 Computer Science Framework. (2016). http://www.k12cs.org
3 “Fulfilling High School Graduation Requirements with Computer Science Coursework.” Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2017.