South Carolina K-12 Computer Science Standards

Ellipsis Education computer science curriculum is grade-level differentiated, aligns with South Carolina state 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.

South Carolina Computer Science Standards

The South Carolina State Department of Education developed the SC computer science standards in response to the growing number of employment opportunities related to the field of computer science. The standards were inspired by the CSTA standards, and the processes for the standards were adapted from the K-12 CS Framework. These standards are a part of the SC STEM standards initiative, which is to integrate concepts from STEM domains in order to understand complex problems and to solve problems using innovative approaches The South Carolina computer science standards can be found on the following documents: Grades K-8 and High School.

The concepts that are to be taught in each grade level are:

1. Digital Literacy (grades K-8)

2. Computing Systems

3. Networks and the Internet

4. Data and Analysis

5. Algorithms and Programming (grades 3-12)

6. Impact of Computing

The processes in which students will engage with the standards are:

1. Foster an inclusive computing culture

2. Collaborate around computing

3. Recognize, define, and analyze computational problems

4. Create, test, and refine computational artifacts

5. Communicate about computing

For guidance on teaching computer science in your classroom, explore our free professional development webinars, including this one about core programming concepts.

SC CTE Standards

The CTE (Career and Technical Education) Standards in South Carolina are designed to prepare students of all ages for the world of work. South Carolina offers 16 different SC career clusters, or program areas. Two of these program areas have a focus on computer science and technology: Information Technology and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Although the South Carolina computer science graduation requirement is 1 credit, students may choose to pursue South Carolina high school electives to pursue CTE. The CTE courses available can be found on the South Carolina Department of Education course catalog, and the SC graduation requirements checklist can be found here.

Each CTE program includes occupation, industry, and career specific knowledge, alongside opportunities for further career exploration. Currently, CTE is offered to high school students across South Carolina. However, we offer a My STEM Career podcast that explores various STEM careers and could guide you in ND’s vision to prepare K12 students with the world of work. For example, in this My STEM Career interview, learn about a career in cybersecurity as a Digital Security Analyst. Then, download a free lesson, built for grades 6-8, about digital security analysts that corresponds with the interview.

When creating your institution’s CTE plan(s) of study, the first steps are to crosswalk the Cluster and Pathway Knowledge and Skills to the content of your existing secondary and postsecondary programs/courses. Ellipsis Education can provide these crosswalks to our K-12 courses in support of your development of CTE programs of study. Sample crosswalks to the STEM Career Cluster – Knowledge and Skill Statements have been created for each Ellipsis Education course. Schedule a Ellipsis Education demo with our accounts team to learn more about specific career clusters and courses.

Integrating Computer Science into Other SC Department of Education Standards

It’s important to note that computer science can be integrated into other SC department of education subjects – like math, math, ELA, and other branches of science! In fact, this integration can help enhance student learning of the SC priority standards.

One example of integrating SC standards math and computer science is with this free coding lesson, which involves students using Scratch to interact with the coordinate plane. Additionally, to introduce the concept of algorithms to students, try this free coding lesson that has students working with loops.  Algorithms are at the heart of math as well as computer science!

Likewise, it’s possible to integrate CS with the SC ELA standards and the SC reading standards.  For example, when assigning a research project during ELA class, you may want to teach about internet safety before allowing students to explore their research topics on the web. Check out this free lesson about leaving a good digital footprint to incorporate computer science into your classroom.

In our blog Interdisciplinary Connections: Science, we explain how to incorporate computer science instruction into SC science standards, including physical science, life science, and earth & space science. To get you started, check out our My STEM Career podcast. In these interviews, we talk with professionals in STEM, and they describe how they use computer science in their daily jobs. Some notable interviews in relation to other branches of science include our episodes with a doctor and an engineering manager. You can also try out this free STEM career lesson in which students explore roles within the audio department in game design. Finally, to teach other branches of science while students interact with coding, visit this Code.org page that includes lessons that integrate the areas of science.

Computer Science Education Requirements

Now that you have explored the South Carolina state 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, Ellipsis Education 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 South Carolina 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!

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

K-12 Computer Science Curriculum

Ellipsis Education provides full-year K-12 computer science curriculum that aligns with the South Carolina K-12 computer science standards. 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 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.

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 Ellipsis Education Computer Science Fundamentals courses are built for grades K-2.  Our Ellipsis Education 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.