Plain English Breakdown
The official text contains conflicting dates for reports (July vs. August 2027; April vs. July 2028) likely due to amendments, so the final selected dates reflect the most recent version shown in the digest.
California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program
This law creates a grant program to help public high schools that do not currently offer computer science courses start teaching them, with special focus on students from low-income families and underrepresented groups.
What This Bill Does
- Establishes the California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program to increase access to computer science education in public high schools.
- Creates a Working Group made up of the state coordinator, nonprofit organizations, and private industry stakeholders with expertise in computer science education.
- Allows only public high schools that do not currently offer computer science courses to voluntarily apply for these grants.
- Requires funding entities to manage money from contributions, gifts, or donations according to specific rules aligned with the program's purposes.
- Mandates interim and final reports on the program's effectiveness by August 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, before ending the grant provisions in January 2029.
Who It Names or Affects
- Public high schools that do not currently offer computer science courses.
- Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals who need better access to computer science classes.
- Students from groups underrepresented in the field of computer science.
- Funding entities providing money, gifts, grants, or donations to support the program.
Terms To Know
- California Computer Science Coordinator
- A state official within the State Department of Education who helps coordinate computer science education standards and plans across California schools.
- Funding Entity
- An organization or group that provides money, gifts, grants, in-kind donations, or other contributions to run the grant program.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not specify how much total funding will be available for the grants.
- It is unclear which specific public high schools will be selected to participate until the selection process occurs.
- The exact details of what data must be posted on the department website are listed as 'specified' but not fully described in this summary.