SPRINGDALE -- U.S. Education Secretary John King Jr. listened Friday as Anna Holleman talked about her computer science education in high school.
He watched as Holleman, a 19-year-old senior at Springdale High School, clicked through pages on a computer screen and showed him a program she used to teach teens coding during a summer camp at the high school. King asked about her aspirations.
Computer Science for All
• Proposal by President Barack Obama
• A request for $4 billion to assist states in expanding computer science education
• Included in president’s 2017 budget proposal
Source: U.S. Department of Education
"I'm going to go to college and get my education," Holleman said. "I love computers."
Holleman, who wants to study information systems in college, was among 20 students from Springdale High School's Information Technology Academy chosen to show examples of their work to King during a 90-minute visit Friday.
The visit marked the end of King's three-city tour to promote a renewed focus on a well-rounded education.
The tour began Thursday at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts in Nevada, where King emphasized the need for students to learn science, history and art along with math and literacy.
Earlier Friday, King discussed President Barack Obama's plan to eliminate unnecessary testing during a stop at Will Rogers College junior and senior high schools in Tulsa.
Arkansas and the Springdale School District are leading the nation in computer science, King said.
At a panel discussion, King took notes as students talked about what interested them in computer science and as teachers and students discussed the need to introduce computer science in elementary school.
Teachers talked about the relationships they have built with the leading employers of information technology workers and the institutions that train them.
Obama asked Congress for $4 billion over the next three years for a Computer Science for All initiative for states to expand access to computer science education.
The president also proposed a $100,000 grant program for school districts as a "down payment," King said.
King plans to share what he learned in Springdale when he talks to federal lawmakers about the president's proposals.
"I will point to what I heard here today about the ways in which computer science can be a central part of a well-rounded education for students," King said.
Holleman said students learn logic, building programs and how technology works.
"Maybe it's not everybody's thing," Holleman said. "It's definitely fun, learning coding and how the logic works."
Gov. Asa Hutchinson emphasized computer science education during his campaign, and last year signed legislation requiring all high schools to offer courses in computer science.
The Arkansas Department of Education gave school districts four options for courses and a fifth will be added in the 2016-17 school year, Owen said.
The state Board of Education this school year adopted standards that will require all kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers to include computer science in their lessons beginning in 2017-18, Owen said.
While some states have adopted computer science standards for younger students, Arkansas is the first to write specific grade-level computer science standards for kindergarten through eighth grade.
Springdale High School is doing a trial run of the fifth course the state plans to offer, Principal Pete Joenks said.
The Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles class is a beginning computer science course for sophomores.
Computer science became a focus for Springdale High School with the opening of an Information Technology Academy in the 2008-09 school year, said Marilyn Carroll, a leader in developing the program who retired from teaching in 2012. Computer science teachers involved leading employers of information technology workers, as well as the University of Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas Community College and Northwest Technical Institute in building the program.
The academy allows students to choose "majors" in computer science, such as graphic design, web design or computer infrastructure and networking, Carroll said.
The academy enrolls about 230 students. Students have options to learn from professionals from J.B. Hunt, Tyson Foods and Wal-Mart, said Kathy Johnson, a teacher in the academy.
"There's a big need," she said. "Technology is moving so fast. There isn't any career technology is not touching."
State Desk on 04/16/2016