High School Computer Science

Ellipsis Education computer science curriculum is grade-level differentiated, aligns with all state and national computer science standards, and is continually updated to reflect changes in computer science. Since computer science is more than just coding, Ellipsis Education courses include coding, unplugged, digital citizenship, and STEM career lessons as well as hardware integrations.

According to Code.org, all 50 United States allow computer science classes to count toward high school graduation.  Of these 50 states, 42 of them offer a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.  Given this, there could be many options for students to take a computer science high school class during grades 9-12.  Some options may include high school computer programming curriculum that involves JavaScript, Java, Python, and more. Some other interesting course options could be Artificial Intelligence, Game Development, Animation, Web Design, App Development. Computer Programming, Music Production depending on school course offering. Here at Ellipsis Education, we offer JavaScript, Python, Java, and Game Development courses for high school. View all of our K-12 offerings on our courses page.

If students develop a passion for CS from their high school courses, they may even seek high school computer science internships. Participating in internships may help students jumpstart their computer science career or undergraduate degree. Check out the best computer science internships for high school students, including the Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) and the Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) Internship. These internships serve as a great next step or supplement to their high school computer science classes.

Oftentimes, students do not have the opportunity to learn computer science until they go to high school.  However, it is important to provide computer science education to students in grades K-8.  To learn more about why it is important, check out our blog Top 3 Reasons Why Students Should Learn CS Before High School.

We understand that teaching computer science is a big task and that takes a lot of preparation and planning. That’s why our lessons include materials, resources, instructions, and assessments. Take a glimpse at the free computer science lesson plans that we offer for high school students listed below.

• Coding – It’s All in the Details: Students will spend time predicting, running, and investigating code to enhance their understanding of output and print() functions. Then, they will explore the effects of bugs in a Python program and discuss common Python errors to avoid. Students will debug a prewritten program through the modification process. After being exposed to basic debugging, students will independently develop two programs to demonstrate their understanding of bugs in Python.

• Unplugged – API Applications: Students will review APIs through an analogy. Then, students will discuss the three main types of APIs and their applications. Finally, students will complete an activity to help an app development agency decide on potential APIs to implement in their apps.

• STEM Career – Augmented Reality Engineer: Students will learn about the role of an augmented reality (AR) engineer. After examining the history of AR and how it differs from virtual reality, students will consider how this technology could evolve in the future.

In addition to our free lessons, there are many other resources and online computer science programs for high school students to help you teach CS in your classroom. Code.org offers free online computer science courses for high school students, including courses for AP computer science. In addition, Google high school programs like CS First provide free lessons to help you teach computer science.

As the field of computer science advances, methods of effective instruction also need to be evaluated. Educators have an exciting opportunity to become a computer science teacher, engaging and learning alongside students.

High school computer science teacher jobs and high school computer science teacher salary can vary greatly depending on the school or district. While some institutions have high school computer science teacher requirements, many task other subject-matter classroom teachers with the subject. Oftentimes, educators may teach computer science alongside English, math, social studies, or art. As a result, you don’t need a computer science degree or years of experience in the field. Regardless of your teaching background, Ellipsis Education is confident that any educator can become a high school computer science teacher

Programming languages come and go, and it’s important for teachers to know the foundational building blocks of coding. Luckily, though, success in computer science is much more than just coding. It’s being a problem-solver, thinking critically, and having the ability to collaborate effectively with peers. Seeking growth in those essential skills is just as applicable for teachers as it is for students. If you are teaching these skills in your classroom (which we are confident you are), then you already have what it takes to be a computer science teacher. If you’re looking for additional words of wisdom, we spoke with teacher, blogger, and podcaster Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) in our My STEM Career podcast. In this interview, listen to her advice for starting to learn and teach computer science in your classroom.

Ellipsis Education provides full-year K-12 computer science curriculum. The curriculum offers grade level differentiated learning pathways, aligns with all state and national computer science standards, and is continually updated to reflect changes in computer science. Ellipsis Education computer science education courses are customized to districts’ unique instructional strategy for computer science integration. This can mean incorporating computer science into an existing class period, adding to a Specials rotation, or introducing a stand alone class. Courses are delivered with instructional resources teachers need to feel confident teaching computer science. Explore our full course offerings on our courses page, including computer science curriculum for elementary school, middle school, and high school. Below, learn more about our high school grades 9-12 courses. Each course page includes a high school computer science curriculum pdf to help you learn more about the course.

Our computer science high school curriculum (grades 9-12) helps empower your students with courses that expand their skills. Coding lessons use JavaScript, Java, Python, and Godot to develop websites, programs, and games. Download a free Python lesson to try with your high school students. Explore the courses in this grade band to see each high school computer science curriculum pdf:

• High School Computer Science JavaScript

• High School Computer Science Python

• High School Computer Science Java

• High School Computer Science Game Development

Explore our full course offering on our courses page, and learn about the suggested K-12 pathway. To see how Ellipsis Education aligns with national sets of standards, including CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (2017) and the K-12 Computer Science Framework, visit our K-12 Computer Science Standards page.

After being introduced to computer science curriculum in K-12, students may be inspired to continue their computer science education. On a professional level, companies are recruiting for computer science degree jobs in cloud computing, app development, and statistical analysis with a median computer science salary of about $130,000. On an individual level, computational thinking, problem solving, and relationship building are all deeply influenced by computer science. This understanding of computer science jobs leads to much broader applications. You don’t necessarily need a degree in computer science; anyone that uses technology to solve problems can be considered a computer scientist!

Introducing computer science in the K-12 experience opens doors for students to pursue a computer science degree in college. The top computer science colleges in the United States, including MIT, Stanford University, and Princeton, offer concentrations in various areas of computer science, like computer information systems, information technology, computer software and applications, and computer systems networking.

The reality is, though, computer science is useful to students of all disciplines. Even non-STEM majors, like business, biology, and English use computer science skills to communicate ideas. Likewise, computer science skills taught in K-12 can be applied directly to any career students pursue after high school. Computational thinking, problem solving, and teamwork can be applied in trades (like electrician, plumber, and HVAC) and other positions (like retail, restaurants, and reception).

Ellipsis Education spotlights the many forms of computer science careers in our My STEM Career series. In these interviews, hear from professionals, students, and teachers as they share how they built confidence in their computer science skills. Two particularly interesting interviews include Will Muto, a Product Technical Director at Industrial Light and Magic, who worked on Star Wars films, and Alia Enos, Software Engineer II at 343 Industries, who works on the Halo video game series.