 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
computer science proficiency; state seal
Purpose
Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to establish a State Seal of Computer Science Proficiency Program (Proficiency Program) to recognize students who graduate from high school and attain a high level of proficiency in computer science. Outlines Proficiency Program implementation and administrative requirements on the SPI, the State Board of Education (SBE) and school district governing boards (governing boards) or charter school governing bodies (governing bodies) relating to the Proficiency Program.
Background
A governing board or governing body may approve a rigorous computer science course that fulfills a mathematics course required for high school graduation only if the rigorous computer science course includes significant mathematics content and the governing board or governing body determines that the high school where the rigorous computer science course is offered has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and qualified staff, including competent computer science teachers (A.R.S. §§ 15-183 and 15-701.01). The Arizona Department of Education's (ADE's) website provides academic standards based on grade level and instructional and professional development resources for computer science (ADE).
The Computer Science Professional Development Program Fund (Fund) consists of monies appropriated by the Legislature and grants, gifts, devises and donations from any private or public source. ADE administers the Fund and must use Fund monies to distribute grants on a first-come, first-served basis to public schools that do not currently provide high school computer science courses to fund quality training for prospective computer science teachers. A public school that applies for a grant from the Fund must demonstrate how the school plans to use the Fund monies to provide quality training to prospective computer science teachers. A public school that receives a grant from the Fund must provide evidence that training provided to prospective computer science teachers with grant monies addresses academic standards for computer science, as adopted by the SBE (A.R.S. § 15-249.12).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the SPI to establish a Proficiency Program to recognize students who graduate from a school within a school district or charter school and attain a high level of proficiency in computer science.
2. Requires the SPI to:
a) create a State Seal of Computer Science Proficiency (State Seal), which must be affixed to the diploma and noted on the transcript of a student to recognize that the student has met the Proficiency Program requirements; and
b) deliver the State Seal to each participating school district or charter school.
3. Allows any school district or charter school to voluntarily participate in the Proficiency Program by notifying the SPI of the school district's or charter school's intent to participate.
4. Requires each participating governing board or governing body to:
a) identify the students who have met the requirements to be awarded the State Seal; and
b) affix the State Seal to the diploma and note the receipt of the State Seal on the transcript of each student who meets such requirements.
5. Requires a participating school district or charter school to award a student, on graduation from high school, a high school diploma with a State Seal if the student demonstrates proficiency in computer science by meeting the requirements adopted by the SBE.
6. Requires the SBE, in collaboration with ADE and experts in computer science education, to adopt minimum Proficiency Program requirements.
7. Allows the SBE to adopt rules as necessary to carry out the purposes of the Proficiency Program.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 2/3/26 DP 12-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/25/26 52-1-7
Prepared by Senate Research
March 16, 2026
MH/SM/hk