Governor, ASMSA tout computer science education
HOT SPRINGS — Computer science education was at the forefront May 1 during the annual Community of Learning Luncheon sponsored by the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts at the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the “visionary speaker” at the event, which was emceed by District 26 state Rep. Laurie Rushing, R-Hot Springs, who is a parent of an ASMSA alumna.
Hutchinson campaigned on the promise to increase computer science education opportunities in the state, and in February, he signed legislation that requires all Arkansas public and charter high schools to offer computer science courses beginning with the 2015-16 school year.
ASMSA has offered computer science classes since it opened in 1993, according to information found on the school’s website, www.asmsa.org.
Students at ASMSA must complete at least one semester of computer programming in order to graduate. The school offers several computer science classes.
“This is not something that is just unique to Hot Springs,” Hutchinson said of the school. “It is not something that just our legislative delegation here should be excited about. Everybody in the state should, and does, value the incredible asset here.
“It’s exciting to see what is happening here. Look at the history of this school. It’s extraordinary.”
Hutchinson said the school “has been a leader in not only computer-science education, but also in creating entrepreneurs across the United States” who are key to running businesses.
“We’re expanding [computer science
opportunities] based on your leadership,” he said.
The governor said that although it is mandated that schools offer computer science classes, there is no mandate requiring students to take the classes.
He said he hopes 20 percent of high school students obtain a background in computer science. He said that would equate to 6,000 students every year who would have sufficient computer skills to impact the workforce.
Hutchinson told the students in the audience that he knows some of them “are going to be tempted by the world beyond Arkansas. That’s OK,” he said.
“But let me ask you: When you finish your education and start the entrepreneurial spirit, come back to Arkansas. We want those jobs. We want to be the next Silicon Valley right here.”
Following Hutchinson’s remarks, Bob Gregory, the school’s dean of academic affairs, told the audience ASMSA is taking the next step in advancing computer science education with its Coding Arkansas’ Future program.
Gregory said Coding Arkansas’ Future will provide expanded computer science education courses for schools across Arkansas through ASMSA’s digital learning program. ASMSA will also provide training, support and mentoring to teachers across the state in computer science — with no cost to participating school districts. These teachers will then provide computer science courses to students in their districts.
“Similar to the ASMSA ethos of investing centrally in resources to benefit students from across the state, we believe a focused investment in course development and teacher training will produce greater results for districts across Arkansas who are eager to lead the way but may lack the adequate expertise and resources to meet their students’ needs,” Gregory said. “That’s why I’m excited that this program will be offered at no cost to partner schools.”
Gregory said the goal of Coding Arkansas’ Future is to guide 10 districts through the first cycle of teaching the state’s new Essentials of Computer Programming course while preparing them to move ahead independently in subsequent years. A new group of teachers will begin the process the following year.
He said the program could annually increase by at least 200 the number of students studying coding if each new
teacher introduces the subject to 20 students.
Gregory said the goal is to build a professional-development network for these teachers through collaboration with the Arkansas Computer Science Teachers Association.
He said fewer than 500 high school students took a class in computer coding last year, and of that number, 25 percent were ASMSA students. Gregory said there are about 24 districts in Arkansas currently offering computer science classes.
“While some teachers have said they will grow the opportunities at their schools, other districts that lack the technical and human resources have chosen to use Virtual Arkansas as a turnkey solution,” Gregory said.
“We quickly realized that the state needed an option somewhere in between these two ends of the spectrum,” he said.
“For ASMSA, supporting teachers who want nothing less than to engage, challenge and inspire students is the heart of everything we do. Why limit that to just our campus?”
As of May 1, five school districts had already agreed to participate in the program, including Hot Springs High School.
Daniel Moix, a 1998 graduate of ASMSA, will lead the Coding Arkansas’ Future program.
For more information on the Coding Arkansas’ Future program or the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, visit
www.asmsa.org or call (800)
345-2767.