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Axios
12-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Tennessee among the first states to require computer science for high schoolers
Starting with the class of 2028, Tennessee high school students must take at least one computer science course before they can graduate. Why it matters: The new policy, which state lawmakers approved unanimously in 2022, was designed to prepare students for an influx of jobs that require a deeper understanding of technology and AI. The latest: Top business leaders are urging states nationwide to follow Tennessee's lead. More than 200 CEOs signed a letter this month urging state leaders to mandate artificial intelligence and computer science classes as a high school graduation requirement. Signees included leaders of American Express, Airbnb, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Microsoft, Yahoo, Zoom and Uber. State of play: Tennessee is one of 12 states that already have a computer science mandate in place, per How it works: The new graduation requirement kicked in for freshmen who entered high school last fall. In addition to the high school requirement, the law also required schools at every level to enhance their computer science offerings. By the numbers: The state logged a massive uptick in computer science enrollment even before the graduation requirement began. Middle and high school student enrollment in computer science courses sat at 32,893 statewide during the 2020-21 school year. It shot to 60,217 by the 2023-24 school year. What they're saying:"To be a full participant in the economy and the world, you have to be able to understand the technology that's driving the world," state Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) tells Axios. Yarbro helped push Tennessee to draft a plan for its approach to computer science education. The plan called for more course options statewide. "I want our students and people generally to be able to understand and shape these technologies more than be shaped by them." The bottom line: Students who attend high schools that offer a computer science course end up earning 8% higher salaries than those who don't, regardless of career path or whether they attend college, according to a report by the Brookings Institution. (The study examined the impact of giving students access to computer science classes, not of requiring it.)
Axios
05-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
CEOs push AI and computer science as a grad requirement
More than 200 CEOs on Monday signed a letter urging state leaders to mandate artificial intelligence and computer science classes as a high school graduation requirement. Why it matters: The letter follows President Trump 's creation of an AI education task force to expand students' exposure to AI instruction, as aptitude with the technology increasingly becomes a workforce expectation. "I think of it as a K-12 experience for students, where they're learning scaffolded knowledge about computer science throughout," said Cameron Wilson, president of which led the effort. Driving the news: Students who attend high schools that offer a computer science course end up earning 8% higher salaries than those who don't, regardless of career path or whether they attend college, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. (The study examined the impact of giving students access to computer science classes, not of requiring them.) The effects are more significant for students who haven't historically been well represented in computer science fields, like women, students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds and Black students. Some new computer science classes have seen higher enrollment among these underrepresented groups, according to research released last month. From 2009 to 2016 a Java-programming course was the only AP Computer Science class offered. The launch of a newer, more broadly focused AP Computer Science class quadrupled the female, Black and Hispanic student test takers. What they're saying: "This is not just an educational issue," the letter said. "It's about closing skills and income gaps that have persisted for generations. It's also about keeping America competitive." Zoom in: CEOs who signed the letter included leaders of high-profile companies like American Express, Airbnb, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Microsoft, Yahoo, Zoom and Uber. Several coding education and ed-tech company CEOs also signed on. State of play: Graduation requirements are set at the state level. 12 states require students to earn credit in computer science to graduate from high school, per Those are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Legislation in West Virginia was signed last week. By the numbers: In 2024, 35 states had plans for computer science education. That's up from 18 states in 2020 and two in 2017, per In 22 states, computer science classes satisfy math, science or foreign language credits for college admissions requirements. About 6.4% of high school students take computer science classes annually, according to the Computer Science Teachers Association. offers computer science and AI curricula free to teachers. Between the lines: Teachers have warned that AI could hurt students' critical thinking skills — but ongoing AI instruction would teach students how to safely and productively use these tools, Wilson said. "Using the AI technology itself and learning to use it — that's helpful and useful. But then there's actually understanding how it works, and then actually using the AI to build and create and solve problems," he said. "Those things fit on a spectrum of knowledge, and I think all of those things sort of fit together for what I consider to be true AI literacy." What we're watching: Trump on April 23 signed an executive order to advance AI education and foster youth interest "from an early age to maintain America's global dominance in this technological revolution for future generations." He established a White House task force on AI education to build public-private partnerships that expand K-12 AI instruction. The bottom line: "In the age of AI, we must prepare our children for the future — to be AI creators, not just consumers," the CEOs' letter said.
