| (a) Implementation. The provisions of this section
shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2023-2024
school year.
(1) No later than August 1, 2023, the commissioner
of education shall determine whether instructional materials funding
has been made available to Texas public schools for materials that
cover the essential knowledge and skills identified in this section.
(2) If the commissioner makes the determination that
instructional materials funding has been made available this section
shall be implemented beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and
apply to the 2023-2024 and subsequent school years.
(3) If the commissioner does not make the determination
that instructional materials funding has been made available under
subsection (a) of this section, the commissioner shall determine no
later than August 1 of each subsequent school year whether instructional
materials funding has been made available. If the commissioner determines
that instructional materials funding has been made available, the
commissioner shall notify the State Board of Education and school
districts that this section shall be implemented for the following
school year.
(b) General requirements. This course is recommended
for students in Grades 9-12. Students shall be awarded one credit
for successful completion of this course.
(c) Introduction.
(1) Career and technical education instruction provides
content aligned with challenging academic standards, industry-relevant
technical knowledge, and college and career readiness skills for students
to further their education and succeed in current and emerging professions.
(2) The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing
scientific research and professional and technical services such as
laboratory and testing services and research and development services.
(3) Fundamentals of Computer Science is intended as
a first course for those students just beginning the study of computer
science. Students will learn about the computing tools that are used
every day. Students will foster their creativity and innovation through
opportunities to design, implement, and present solutions to real-world
problems. Students will collaborate and use computer science concepts
to access, analyze, and evaluate information needed to solve problems.
Students will learn computational thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning
skills that are the foundation of computer science. By using computer
science knowledge and skills that support the work of individuals
and groups in solving problems, students will select the technology
appropriate for the task, synthesize knowledge, create solutions,
and evaluate the results. Students will learn digital citizenship
by researching current laws, regulations, and best practices and by
practicing integrity and respect. Students will gain an understanding
of the principles of computer science through the study of technology
operations and concepts.
(4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended
learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations
and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.
(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(d) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Employability. The student identifies various employment
opportunities in the computer science field. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify job and internship opportunities and accompanying
job duties and tasks and contact one or more companies or organizations
to explore career opportunities;
(B) examine the role of certifications, resumes, and
portfolios in the computer science profession;
(C) employ effective technical reading and writing
skills;
(D) employ effective verbal and non-verbal communication
skills;
(E) solve problems and think critically;
(F) demonstrate leadership skills and function effectively
as a team member;
(G) demonstrate an understanding of legal and ethical
responsibilities in relation to the field of computer science;
(H) demonstrate planning and time-management skills;
and
(I) compare university computer science programs.
(2) Creativity and innovation. The student develops
products and generates new knowledge, understanding, and skills. The
student is expected to:
(A) investigate and explore various career opportunities
within the computer science field and report findings through various
media;
(B) create algorithms for the solution of various problems;
(C) discuss methods and create and publish web pages
using a web-based language such as HTML, Java Script, or XML; and
(D) use generally accepted design standards for spacing,
fonts, and color schemes to create functional user interfaces, including
static and interactive screens.
(3) Communication and collaboration. The student communicates
and collaborates with peers to contribute to his or her own learning
and the learning of others. The student is expected to:
(A) seek and respond to advice or feedback from peers,
educators, or professionals when evaluating problem solutions;
(B) debug and solve problems using reference materials
and effective strategies; and
(C) publish information in a variety of ways such as
print, monitor display, web pages, or video.
(4) Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision
making. The student uses appropriate strategies to analyze problems
and design algorithms. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate the ability to insert external standalone
objects such as scripts or widgets into web pages;
(B) communicate an understanding of binary representation
of data in computer systems, perform conversions between decimal and
binary number systems, and count in binary number systems;
(C) identify a problem's description, purpose, and
goals;
(D) demonstrate coding proficiency in a programming
language by developing solutions that create stories, games, and animations;
(E) identify and use the appropriate data type to properly
represent the data in a program problem solution;
(F) communicate an understanding of and use variables
within a programmed story, game, or animation;
(G) use arithmetic operators to create mathematical
expressions, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, real
division, integer division, and modulus division;
(H) communicate an understanding of and use sequence
within a programmed story, game, or animation;
(I) communicate an understanding of and use conditional
statements within a programmed story, game, or animation;
(J) communicate an understanding of and use iteration
within a programmed story, game, or animation;
(K) use random numbers within a programmed story, game,
or animation; and
(L) test program solutions by investigating intended
outcomes.
(5) Digital citizenship. The student explores and understands
safety, legal, cultural, and societal issues relating to the use of
technology and information. The student is expected to:
(A) discuss privacy and copyright laws and model ethical
acquisition of digital information by citing sources using established
methods;
(B) compare various non-copyright asset sharing options
such as open source, freeware, and public domain;
(C) demonstrate proper digital etiquette and knowledge
of acceptable use policies when using networks;
(D) explain the value of strong passwords and virus
detection and prevention for privacy and security;
(E) discuss and give examples of the impact of computing
and computing-related advancements on society; and
(F) analyze how electronic media can affect reliability
of information.
(6) Technology operations and concepts. The student
understands technology concepts, systems, and operations as they apply
to computer science. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and explain the function of basic computer
components, including a central processing unit (CPU), storage, and
peripheral devices;
(B) use system tools, including appropriate file management;
(C) compare different operating systems;
(D) describe the differences between an application
and an operating system; and
(E) use various input, processing, output, and primary/secondary
storage devices.
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