Computer Science for All
By some estimates, just one quarter of all K-12 schools in the United States offer computer
science with programming and coding. The President’s 2017 Budget includes a Computer
Science for All plan that builds on momentum at the state and local level to offer rigorous
coursework in computer science to all students in preschool through grade 12. The 2017
Budget proposes $4 billion in mandatory funding at the Department of Education (ED),
available over three years, for states to increase access to hands-on computer science (CS) in
P-12 classrooms. Under the program, all fifty states would be able to submit comprehensive
five-year Computer Science for All plans, and every state with a well-designed strategy would
receive funds. In addition to state-level grants, the 2017 Budget also dedicates $100 million in
competitive grants specifically for leading districts to execute ambitious CS expansion efforts
for all students—with a focus on reaching traditionally underrepresented students—and to
serve as models for national replication. Participating states and districts would also be
encouraged to create plans for expanding overall access to rigorous STEM classes, utilizing CS
as a catalyst for increased interest in STEM more broadly, and reducing course equity gaps for
all students including underrepresented groups such as minorities, girls, and youth from lowincome
families.
The Computer Science for All initiative also includes a $20 million investment from NSF in FY
2017. The Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the Directorate for
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) will build on ongoing efforts to
enable rigorous and engaging computer science education in schools across the Nation. Funds
will support the development and assessment of prototype instructional materials, scalable and
sustainable professional development models, approaches to pre-service preparation for
computer science teachers, and teacher resources. The NSF effort will also fund research that
will add to knowledge of effective approaches to the teaching and learning of computer science
across grades P-12.
More information on this initiative can be found in the January 2016 Computer Science for All
fact sheet.
The 2017 Budget also includes additional investments to help narrow STEM course gaps,
including:
$500 million for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, a new block grant at
ED authorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that would provide flexibleformula
grant funds to assist school districts in delivering a well-rounded education to
their students through a range of locally determined activities, including STEM
education, the arts, student support services, and effective use of educational technology
in schools. In addition, building on the STEM Education Act of 2015 and the new ESSA,
this year ED will release guidance on funding opportunities for STEM and CS to states,
districts, and the broader education sector.
Creating Next Generation High Schools. Building on the momentum from the first-ever
Summit on Next Generation High Schools held last year, the 2017 Budget proposes a
new $80 million competitive program at ED to equip communities across America with
the resources to launch Next Generation High Schools that will be laboratories for
cutting-edge STEM teaching and learning. These schools will showcase the tenets of high
school reform that the President has championed: promoting active and personalized
learning for students, strengthening relationships with business and post-secondary
partners, and linking student work to real-world expectations and experiences that reflect
college and careers in order to better prepare students for their futures. The 2017 Budget
also supports a number of complementary ED investments in high school reform more
generally, including an increase in Title I to support school improvement, $350 million
for charter schools, and $115 million for magnet schools.
Identifying and Scaling What Works in STEM Education. The 2017 Budget funds $180
million for ED’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program, the successor to the
Investing in Innovation (i3) program. The EIR program expands support for evidencebased
initiatives to develop, validate, and scale-up effective education interventions—
including interventions involving STEM education—that will help states and districts
meet ESSA requirements emphasizing the use of such interventions wherever possible. A
portion of these funds will be reserved for the proposed Advanced Research Projects
Agency - Education (ARPA-ED), which would pursue the development of breakthrough
educational technology and tools. Complementary investments in building evidence for
effective STEM programs include the Administration’s proposal for $83 million to
support NSF’s Discovery Research PreK-12, which invests in research and development
on STEM teaching and learning.
Expanding course access for military-impacted students. The 2017 Budget calls for the
Department of Defense (DoD) to invest $11 million in expanding STEM opportunities
for children of military families. The DoD investments build on a multi-year record of
success under the National Math and Science Initiative’s (NMSI) Initiative for Military
Families. In FY16, the Department of Defense (DOD) is investing $8 million to expand
STEM opportunities for children of military families. To promote STEM education
among military dependents, DOD is continuing to partner with the NMSI in militaryconnected
schools, building on documented success in improving students' performance
in rigorous STEM coursework and associated assessments. Results have been dramatic,
with an 87- percent average increase in Advanced Placement (AP) Math and Science
scores within the first year of implementation and 139 percent after three years. Benefits
among underrepresented minority and gender groups are even higher. Up through the
FY15 investment, through this partnership with NMSI, DOD will reach 117 militaryconnected
public high schools with the potential of reaching over 31,000 military
children. DOD will explore additional opportunities to build cross-agency partnerships to
leverage its science and engineering workforce, expertise, and resources to enhance this
multi-year record of success in STEM learning for military children.
Leveraging the disciplinary expertise of the Federal agencies. The 2017 Budget provides
$17 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to invest in the Science Education
Partnership Award (SEPA) program, leveraging the expertise of the biomedical research
community to support innovative STEM curricula in P-12 schools, and $4 million for the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to invest in environmental education grants.