High School
For high schools, we offer two years of Computer Science courses for beginners. The first course, Computer Science Discoveries, is designed for grades 7-9, and will be rolling out Summer 2017. The second, Computer Science Principles, is broadly available and can be implemented as an AP course or an introductory course. If you want to go even further with your students, the third party resources below provide additional courses in programming, game design, and more. Our curriculum is available at no cost for anyone, anywhere to teach. You can read more about our curriculum values here.
Computer Science Discoveries
A semester or year-long introductory course designed for grades 7-9
Computer Science Discoveries is a full-year introductory computer science survey course (can be implemented as two standalone semesters) targeted at upper middle school and lower high school (grades 7-9). The course takes a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as programming, physical computing, HTML/CSS, and data. Students are empowered to create authentic artifacts and engage with CS as a medium for creativity, communication, problem solving, and fun. This course will be piloted in Spring 2017, and will be rolling out Summer 2017.
Units of Study
- Unit 1: Problem Solving
- Unit 2: Web Development
- Unit 3: Animations and Games
- Unit 4: The Design Process
- Unit 5: Data and Society
- Unit 6: Physical Computing
Computer Science Principles
A year-long course that can be implemented as AP or non-AP designed for grades 9-12
The College Board has proposed a new AP® course called AP® Computer Science Principles.* The course is designed to be far more than a traditional introduction to programming - it is a rigorous, engaging, and approachable course that explores many of the big, foundational ideas of computing so that all students understand how these concepts are transforming the world we live in. The official AP® exam is set to go live in the 2016-17 school year with an exam and portfolio-based assessment.
90% of workshop attendees ranked it the best professional development ever.
"This is my 18th year of teaching and CSP is the best curriculum I have ever implemented."
"It was absolutely rich and the most meaningful training I have ever attended in 16 years of teaching."
Code.org's curriculum consists of daily lesson plans, videos, tutorials, tools, and assessments that cover learning objectives from the CS Principles Curriculum Framework. Course materials teach this class in the context of learning about the the Internet and programming in the JavaScript language.
Computer Science Fundamentals - Accelerated
A 20-hour course designed for grades 6-12
For a lighterweight option that can be integrated as a unit in an existing technology or programming class, or as a high school after-school program, Code.org offers the the 20-hour Accelerated course. The 20-hour Accelerated course covers the core concepts from the first four courses of the Computer Science Fundamentals progression for elementary school students, but at an accelerated pace designed for students ages 10-18.
AP Computer Science A in Java
There are two AP computer science offerings, and students can take either course in any order. The AP Computer Science A course and exam focuses on computing skills related to programming in Java. The new AP Computer Science Principles course complements AP Computer Science A as it aims to broaden participation in the study of computer science.
While Code.org does not have an AP Computer Science A curriculum, there already exists a number of great curricula and programs available to teacher and students.
Other Resources
3rd Party resources for high school CS
| Organization | Curriculum | Professional Development |
|---|---|---|
| Beauty and Joy of Computing | Year-long CS Principles course, FREE | In-person in NYC, Berkeley, CA and North Carolina, FREE, stipends in NYC, stipends + travel elsewhere paid as available |
| Bootstrap | Teach algebra through video-game programming, with a 20-hr module to go alongside or inside a math class | 3-day workshops for schools and districts. Fees range |
| CodeHS | 4-year high school CS pathway. Intro CS JavaScript, Intro CS Python, AP CS Principles, AP CS in Java, Computing Ideas, Web Design and more, FREE. Pro plans for schools start at $2500 | Online PD for Teaching Intro CS, Teaching AP Java, and Teaching AP CS Principles, 30-40 hour course, $1500/teacher |
| Edhesive | Year-long AP Computer Science course, FREE | Online PD, community and content/technical/program support available, $2,200 per school |
| Exploring Computer Science | Year-long introductory high school course aimed at broadening participation in CS. 6 units, 6 weeks each | Week-long summer institute and quarterly one-day academic year workshops |
| Globaloria | 6 game-design courses, $75/student | 3-day, in-person training and ongoing online PD, fee included in student price |
| Mobile CSP | Year-long Computer Science Principles course, materials available online, FREE | Online, regional in-person offered in CT, MA, NH and CA (others may be available), FREE, stipends available |
| NMSI | Year-long AP CS Principles/AP CS A course, FREE | In-person summer training + 4 days of PD throughout the year. One-on-one mentoring available to partner schools, FREE |
| Project Lead The Way | 3 courses, $2000/school | 5 or 10-day in-person training, $1200 or $2400, depending on course |
| ScratchEd | 6-unit course, FREE | In-person educator meet-ups and online MOOC, FREE |
| TEALS | 3 courses, including AP CS A, FREE | Program implemented by TEALS volunteers, $5000 |
| UC Davis C-STEM | Multiple academic year-long courses on computing in math, programming, and robotics. Annual subscription/$1000. Software $300/computer lab. Free PDF files. | $150/day for training held at UC Davis campus. Costs vary for on-site training |
Overview of all Code.org courses
Code.org is building a full K-12 curriculum pathway on our
Code Studio learning platform.
Learn more about the courses that are still in development as well as our other courses already being taught in thousands of classrooms.
Inspire students
We have created videos, posters, and other resources you can use any course to explain key concepts of computer science and inspire your students.
Find a guest speaker for your classroom
Thousands of engineers and individuals passionate about computer science have signed up to volunteer as a mentor or a guest speaker. You can use our map of volunteers to contact local volunteers to visit your classroom, or search in any city to find computer science students or technical professionals who are ready to inspire your students remotely, via video chat.
*AP® is a registered trademark of the College Board.
