Computer Science

Computer Science News and Updates

Save the Date! Colorado AI Summit: On March 28, 2025, CDE and CEI are co-hosting a FREE, virtual AI Summit for all Colorado educators, students, and school leaders to celebrate National AI Literacy Day. Click here to register for this event.
FREE Professional Learning Series | Webinar Wednesdays: CDE invites all K12 educators to join us for a free professional learning series focused on innovating instruction in K-12 classrooms. Visit our CS Instructional Resources Page to view the full lineup and watched archived webinar recordings.
Call for Presenters: The 4 Corners Computer Science Convening returns this summer from June 22-24th in Flagstaff, Arizona. Registration is now open and organizers are looking for presenters Click here to register or apply to present for this event
Upcoming Opportunities for Educators and Students: Visit the Get Involved page for a curated list of both state and national computer science, or computer science related events and opportunities.
Quantum in Colorado: Colorado stands at the forefront of Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST), with a thriving ecosystem of industry leaders and support networks. As this field expands and creates new career opportunities, we're focused on building strong educational pathways from K-12 to workforce. Our mission is to understand and develop the resources needed to prepare Colorado students for these emerging high-tech careers. To learn more about Quantum in Colorado and upcoming opportunities for K12 education, consider joining one of the upcoming webinars listed below and follow our Quantum in Colorado page for updates. Learn more about quantum initiatives on our CDE Quantum page.
Celebration! Colorado Educator Named 2024 CYBER.ORG Educator: This spring, Cyber.org announced the winners of their 2024 CYBER.ORG Educator Awards and among those winners was Colorado's very own Beth Cerrone. Beth is a Cybersecurity Instructor for 6-12th grade at the Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools in Longmont, where she teaches where she teaches cybersecurity and information and communications technology. Beth is also, "a recipient of the 2023 Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award, an annual recognition presented by the U.S. Secretary of Education to outstanding educators in cybersecurity. This award underscores Beth’s dedication to teaching cybersecurity and her exceptional work to increase cybersecurity awareness among her students." Read more about this amazing accomplishment here. We are so proud of Beth and grateful for her dedication to her students and computer science education. To highlight and celebrate other educator and student accomplishments in our state, please complete the brief Google Form titled, "Submit Nomination Here"

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Academic Standards

During the 2016 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 16-1198 requiring CDE to develop voluntary academic standards for computer science for secondary students. The Colorado State Board of Education approved the standards on 4/11/18. Colorado House Bill 20-1032 (section 22-7-1005(6) C.R.S.) amended the provision that required the regular review and revision of the Colorado Academic Standards. The statute previously required the revisions to occur within six years of the prior cycle which occurred in 2018. The changes now require the state board to review and revise approximately one-third of the standards beginning in 2022 and an additional one-third every two years thereafter. These review and revision cycles are not intended to re-write the standards, but to update them to be most current with national and international benchmarks.

On May 9, 2024, the Colorado State Board of Education adopted the newly revised K12 Computer Science Standards, and they are available for viewing. The newly adopted K12 Computer Science standards include revisions to the 9-12 standards, as well as new standards for K-8, including AI (Artificial Intelligence), Cybersecurity, and Digital Citizenship. It is understood that the 2026-27 school year is the first year of implementation of the standards that were revised in 2024. Click here to view Colorado State Board of Education Agenda Items for approved revisions to the Computer Science Standards.
Colorado Computer Science Standards
Click here to access the Computer Science Standards Review and Revision Page

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Computer Science Teacher Education Grant

See below for the list of recent grantees and to learn more about this program, visit our Computer Science Teacher Education Grant page.

CDE is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024-2025 Computer Science Teacher Education Grant. This was a highly competitive process as CDE had approximately $395,668 available for this competition and received almost $927,816 in funding requests. Grantees were awarded in November 2024, approved by the Colorado State Board of Education.

Adams-Arapahoe 28J
Aspen 1
Ault-Highland RE-9
Canon City RE-1
Center 26
Custer County School District C-1
Fountain 8
Fremont RE-2
Monte Vista C-8
Northeast BOCES
Pueblo City 60
Westminster Public Schools

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Instructional Support

Suggested text is something like: Instructional support is grounded in CDE's shared approach to Best, First Instruction as well as practices and strategies supported by professional organizations and scholars at the leading edge of YOUR CONTENT AREA education.

Computer Science Resource Bank | The online Computer Science Resource Bank was created through a collaboration with educators and industry experts. Authorized by the legislature in 2017, the online resource bank includes a wide variety of ideas for teachers, including sample curricula and materials – even information about scholarships for students. This FREE resource has a search feature that allows you to search by resource type, topic area and grade level. Additional resources include computer science organizations and associations as well as partners.

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Community

There are many opportunities to connect and grow as a professional educator with the larger mathematics education community, including mailing lists, professional organizations, and events.

Click here to be added to our Colorado Computer Science ListServ to receive monthly newsletters from CDE
Link to page about your local professional organizations on the "Get Involved - CS Educator and Student Opportunities page
Link to page about your national professional organizations
Explore our Computer Science Events Calendar

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For further assistance, please contact:

Pam Lewis
Computer Science Content Specialist
P 720-576-4622
Lewis_P@cde.state.co.us

Please complete this form to have an upcoming event or opportunity added to this list. Requests will be sent to Pam Lewis, CDE Computer Science Senior Consultant, who will add items to the list if deemed appropriate and relevant.