EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0980*
SENATE BILL 980
F1, S2 4lr2714
By: Senator Hester
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Computer Science – Content Standards and Requirements 2
FOR the purpose of requiring public high schools to promote and increase the enrollment 3
of certain students in high school computer science courses; requiring, beginning on 4
or before a certain date, the State Board of Education to update computer science 5
content standards to include certain information; requiring county boards of 6
education to provide certain computer science instruction in public elementary and 7
middle schools in the county; and generally relating to content standards and 8
requirements for computer science instruction in public schools in the State. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Education 11
Section 4–111.4 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Education 17
4–111.4. 18
(a) (1) [Beginning in the 2021–2022 school year, each] EACH county board 19
shall require each public high school in the county to offer at least one computer science 20
course. 21
(2) EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCHO OL SHALL MAKE EFFORT S TO PROMOTE 22
AND INCREASE THE ENR OLLMENT IN COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSES TO STUDENTS 23
OF ETHNIC , RACIAL, AND OTHER DEMOGRAPHI C GROUPS THAT ARE 24 2 SENATE BILL 980
UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE FIELD OF COMPUTE R SCIENCE TO REFLECT THE 1
DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSIT ION OF THE SCHOOL TO THE EXTENT PRACTICAB LE. 2
(b) (1) The computer science course OFFERED UNDER SUBSEC TION (A) OF 3
THIS SECTION shall be of high quality and meet or exceed the curriculum standards and 4
requirements established by the State Board IN THE MARYLAND K–12 COMPUTER 5
SCIENCE STANDARDS. 6
(2) ON OR BEFORE JUNE 1, 2025, AND EVERY 3 YEARS THEREAFTER , 7
THE STATE BOARD SHALL UPDATE THE COMPUTER SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS 8
AND FRAMEWORK TO ENSURE THAT INSTRUCTION IS CONSIS TENT WITH RECENT 9
ADVANCES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE , INCLUDING: 10
(I) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ; AND 11
(II) CYBERSECURITY . 12
(c) (1) [The] BEGINNING IN THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH county 13
board shall [make efforts to: 14
(1) Incorporate] REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND MIDDL E 15
SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE instruction 16
in computer science [in each public elementary and middle school in the county; and 17
(2) Increase the enrollment in middle and high school computer science 18
courses of: 19
(i) Female students; 20
(ii) Students with disabilities; and 21
(iii) Students of ethnic, racial, and other demographic groups that are 22
underrepresented in the field of computer science as identified by the U.S. Equal 23
Employment Opportunity Commission]. 24
(2) THE INSTRUCTION IN COMPU TER SCIENCE PROVIDED UNDER 25
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE ALIGNED TO THE STATE CONTENT 26
STANDARDS FOR COMPUT ER SCIENCE INSTRUCTI ON FOR GRADES 9 THROUGH 12 27
TO: 28
(I) INCREASE THE ENROLLMENT IN HI GH SCHOOL COMPUTER 29
SCIENCE COURSES ; AND 30
(II) PROVIDE THE APPROPRIA TE PREPARATION AND S UPPORT 31 SENATE BILL 980 3
TO STUDENTS INTEREST ED IN PARTICIPATING IN COMPUTER SCIENCE –RELATED 1
COURSES IN A POST –CCR PATHWAY. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
1, 2024. 4