An initial look into the computer science and cybersecurity pathways project for career and technical education curricula

Abstract

Computer science and cybersecurity have gained the attention of various stakeholders, industry representatives, educators, parents and students who are thinking about their future careers. Teaching computer science courses has moved into K-12 education, no longer introduced in the college classroom. There are various reasons for this trend. One is that in this way more children have access to the curriculum that integrates computer science principles, not just those undergraduate students in specific STEM majors. Other industries need different levels of computer science and cybersecurity education. There are various programs across the nation that are focusing on introducing these topics as early as elementary school through various outreach programs or even in the regular curriculum. In 2014, Governor Terry McAuliffe (Commonwealth of Virginia) established the Cyber Virginia and the Virginia Cyber Security Commission with recommendations that a cybersecurity workforce pipeline should start in K-12 education and that various pathways should be developed and implemented across the Commonwealth. This paper will provide an initial look into a project funded by the Department of Education that is focused on the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in Computer Science and Cybersecurity. It is the first year of implementation.