Rhode Island K-12 Computer Science Standards

Codelicious Computer Science Curriculum is grade-level differentiated, aligns with Rhode Island state standards, and is continually updated to reflect changes in computer science. Since computer science is more than just coding, Codelicious courses include coding, unplugged, digital citizenship, and STEM career lessons as well as hardware integrations.

Rhode Island Computer Science Standards

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) adapted their computer science standards from CSTA. The RI standards align with CSTA with some additions that best reflect the needs of K-12 Rhode Island students. Organized into grade bands, (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12), the following concepts and subconcepts are to be taught in each grade level:

1. Computational Thinking & Programming

   1. Algorithms

   2. Variables

   3. Data Structures & Data Types

   4. Control Structures

   5. Modularity

   6. Computational Design

2. Computing Systems & Networks

   1. Human-Computer Interaction

   2. Hardware & Software

   3. Troubleshooting

   4. Networks & the Internet

3. Cybersecurity

   1. Risks

   2. Safeguards

   3. Response

4. Data & Analysis

   1. Collection, Visualization, & Transformation

   2. Inference & Models

   3. Storage

5. Digital Literacy

   1. Creation & Use

   2. Searching Digital Information

   3. Understanding Software Tools

6. Responsible Computing in Society

   1. Culture

   2. Safety, Law, & Ethics

   3. Social Interactions

These standards were adopted in order to ensure that all Rhode Island students are engaged and productive members of today’s society. As a statewide initiative to implement CS into all classrooms, CS4RI and University of Rhode Island provide teachers with resources to help them with K12 computer science education. For further support in implementing the Rhode Island computer science standards, explore our free professional development webinars.

Separate from the computer science standards, Rhode Island adopted K 12 science standards from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Standards). Even though these standards are separate from the Rhode Island CS standards, computer science is often integrated into the NGSS science and engineering practices. Read more about the interdisciplinary connections between computer science and science on our blog, and view the Next Generation Science Standards pdf for each grade level and science domain here.

Computer Science Education Requirements

Now that you have explored the Rhode Island standards for computer science and understand the basics of computer science education, how can you get started? Perhaps you are new to teaching computer science and don’t know how to begin to focus your efforts. Perhaps you do have some experience and knowledge of the basics, but struggle with a curriculum progression that makes sense for your students. The pressure is on to deliver computer science knowledge to students that may know more than you! Luckily, there are a few baseline requirements that can help you create a computer science implementation plan.

The first part of your computer science implementation plan is your teachers. Finding passionate educators that will engage and learn alongside students is essential. Good news: your teachers do not have to have experience with computer science. Programming languages that come and go; there will always be something new on the horizon. One of the benefits of studying computer science is that having a strong foundation in certain concepts will be relevant for all languages and most applications going forward. 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. There are many organizations that offer free educational events and communities for teachers interested in computer science. Furthermore, Codelicious offers free professional development webinars that dive into different computer science subject areas.

Next, choose a curriculum that aligns with your school’s unique instructional strategy for computer science. There are multiple things to consider here.

1. Standards alignment: You want to align with the Rhode Island K-12 computer science standards, which includes determining which lessons cover the standards, when they will be taught, and generating the alignment documentation.

2. Pacing: You want to establish fidelity of instruction across class periods, classrooms, and grade levels. You want a consistent curriculum for your teachers and students that is tailored to your scheduling needs.

3. Assessment methods: Students learn and demonstrate knowledge differently, so you want multiple ways to gain insight into your classroom, including summative and formative assessments.

4. Lesson plans: You want to make sure that lessons within the curriculum are scaffolded and paced to deliver student outcomes, and empower teachers to create an engaging student experience.

Finally, reflect on the values of teaching computer science. Our students are the most important consideration in any new program. You want to engage them, surprise them, and teach them the skills they need for their future. It is powerful to give students the opportunity to see a project come to life before their eyes. Enjoy watching your future computer science experts discover their potential as they use these computer innovations for schools!

Underneath “Related Articles” on this page, you can find other teaching computer science articles to help you on your journey.

Impact of Computers

On a daily basis, we use devices and applications that make our lives easier and more efficient.  From texting to googling to scrolling through social media, we interact with computers constantly. It is amazing to think about the impact of computer in our daily life. But why do we need to study computer science? Because the impact of computer in education has enhanced student learning! Even if you don’t have interest in pursuing computer science as a career, studying CS can improve critical thinking and problem solving skills. One study found a positive relationship between learning computer programming and the skills of creative thinking, metacognition, and reasoning (Scherer, Siddiq, & Viveros, 2019). The students who learned computer programming were able to show a transfer of learning to other domains outside of computer science. These are skills that are essential to many walks of life and careers. Aside from these skills, there are other benefits to CS education. Keep reading to discover more of the positive impact of computer science.

FUTURE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

At Codelicious, we interview professionals from many career paths and listen to how they use computer science in their day to day. Of course, you would expect someone like a software engineer to use computer science frequently.  But did you know that even someone like a patent lawyer or a doctor uses computer science at work, too? Society is evolving and becoming more dependent on computers and technology. Students who study computer science in K-12 can shape the future. Whether students study and discover new inventions in computer science or pursue a different field, computer science skills are an asset that will help them throughout their lives. In fact, there are many careers that involve computer science. Out of 7.7 million people who say they use computers in complex ways at their jobs, 3.9 million have jobs in STEM fields and 3.8 million have jobs in non-STEM fields.  So when you ask yourself, “What is computer education?”, remember that it’s not just coding and programming – it’s skills that are essential for the world we live in today.

POSITIVE IMPACT OF COMPUTER ON ECONOMY

Speaking of STEM careers, there are an estimated 1.4 million CS jobs in the United States, but only about 400k computer science students at the postsecondary level.  This deficit in CS workers is causing the US economy to lose out on a 500 billion dollar opportunity to grow! When students study computer science, they have a direct influence on contributing to this economic growth.  As future computer technology continues to advance, the need for CS jobs will only become greater. Ensuring that students receive computer science education in K-12 can help these students pursue CS at the postsecondary level and in their careers.

Computer Science Curriculum K-12

Codelicious provides full-year K-12 computer science curriculum that aligns with the Rhode Island K-12 computer science standards. The University of Rhode Island outlines URI computer science curriculum. However, this curriculum is pulled from Code.org and doesn’t always suit the needs of students. Codelicious 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. Codelicious 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 curriculum for computer science.

Our computer science curriculum for K-2 empowers you to engage your students with courses that fuel their interest. Coding lessons use ScratchJr, an introductory block coding language, perfect for emergent and early readers. In grades 3-5, inspire your students with courses that spark their creativity. Coding lessons use Scratch, a block based coding language, ideal for the transitional and fluent reader. Our Codelicious Computer Science Fundamentals courses are built for grades K-2.  Our Codelicious Computer Science Foundations courses are built for grades 3-5.  All of our courses can be found on our website.

Our computer science curriculum middle school (6-8) helps you motivate your students with courses that connect to their world. Coding lessons use line based languages JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Java to explore programming options.

Our computer science high school curriculum (9-12) helps you empower your students with courses that expand their skills. Coding lessons use JavaScript, Java, Python, and Godot to develop websites, programs, and games.

Explore our full K-12 course offering on our courses page. If any of these course options interest you, schedule a 30 minute call with one of our curriculum experts. Find the curriculum that will support every teacher as they inspire every student.

Computer Science Degree

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. 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 Rhode Island, including Brown University, University of Rhode Island, and New England Institute of Technology, 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, students do not need to attend a top university to pursue these computer science majors. 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).

Codelicious spotlights the many forms of computer science careers in our My STEM Career podcast. 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 Developer II at 343 Industries, who works on the Halo video game series. In addition, Codelicious offers free STEM career lessons, including this one that aligns with high school CS standards.