May 12, 2022

Colt Gill, Director Ben Cannon, Director

Oregon Department of Education Higher Education Coordinating Commission
255 Capitol St. NE 3225 25th St. SE
Salem, OR 97310 Salem, OR 97302

Directors Gill and Cannon,

The purpose of this letter is to provide direction to the Oregon Department of Education and the
Higher Education Coordinating Commission regarding the development of a statewide
implementation plan for computer science education.

In recent years, Oregon has significantly expanded student access in K-12 public schools to
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics curriculum, classes, and career pathway
programs, otherwise known as STEM education. Oregon has also expanded Career and
Technical Education (CTE) for students. Despite this progress, computer science courses––
which are a critical component of digital learning in our classrooms––are only available to a little
over half of Oregon’s high schools today.

We know that digital learning tied to computer science is essential to preparing students to
access and complete postsecondary education and training in STEM career fields. Successful
completion of a STEM credential or degree is critical for students pursuing careers in high-
demand, high-wage STEM fields. Technology and software are the fastest-growing job clusters
in Oregon, with 52,000 new jobs in these high-technology fields projected to be created by 2029.
In order to meet this demand, more Oregonians will need to possess relevant STEM skills, talent,
and credentials.

Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in STEM education persist across the state, including gaps
in access to computer science and related advanced placement courses. In 2015, only 290
Oregon high school students took the AP Computer Science exam. As of 2019, this number has
increased to 369 high school students. Of the students that participated in the 2015 AP exam, 18
percent were female, 11 students were Hispanic/Latino, and four students were Black.1 In 2019,
17 percent were female, 33 students were Hispanic/Latino, and no Black students took the
exam.2

1
https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/misc/ap/oregon-summary-2015.xlsx
2
https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/misc/ap/oregon-summary-2019.xlsx
254 STATE CAPITOL, SALEM OR 97301-4047 (503) 378-3111 FAX (503) 378-8970
WWW.GOVERNOR.OREGON.GOV
Directors Gill and Cannon
May 12, 2022
Page 2

The results of these racial and gender disparities in access to STEM and computer science
courses in public schools are clear. In 2020-21, Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x/Hispanic, and
female students continue to be underrepresented in postsecondary STEM and computer science
programs. White Oregonians earned 64% of all degrees and credentials but earned 71% of
STEM degrees and credentials. Female students earned 57% of all degrees and credentials
compared to just 26% of STEM degrees and credentials. In summary, BIPOC, tribal, and female
students have the least access to high-wage, high-demand careers requiring a STEM credential or
diploma.

Both of your agencies provide leadership in the area of computer science education for students
across Oregon. That is why I am directing the Department of Education, in coordination with the
Higher Education Coordinating Commission, to develop a statewide, long-term implementation
plan to provide access to comprehensive computer science education opportunities to every
public school student in this state by the 2027-2028 school year.

The implementation plan should be designed to achieve the following goals:

● That computer science education is made available to public school students on an

equitable basis; and
● That computer science education be based on a framework that guides students from
computer users to computer literate creators who are proficient in the concepts and
practices of computer science, as informed by national frameworks and standards.

To ensure coordination with existing bodies of work and in leveraging current initiatives, the
content of the statewide implementation plan must be completed in coordination with the
statewide STEM Education Plan, statewide CTE computer science initiatives, and digital
learning initiatives.

The plan should also identify immediate, practical changes and systemic changes that can be
implemented in the public schools of this state to increase students’ access to computer science,
with a focus on equity and inclusion. It should also identify strategies for aligning computer
literacy standards and curricula with computer science courses at community colleges and public
universities to better align this work with post-secondary education and training opportunities.
Finally, it should propose an ongoing evaluation process of computer science education that is
overseen by the State Board of Education and the council to ensure the statewide plan is
sustainable in the long term. The development of a plan that achieves these goals must be done
through a robust community engagement process.

In addition to this long-term work to increase access to computer science education and
opportunity for students across Oregon, I will be utilizing $5 million in Governor’s Emergency
Education (GEER) funds to increase access for students next school year. These GEER funds
will be used to provide grants to school districts and community-based organizations to provide
Directors Gill and Cannon
May 12, 2022
Page 3

opportunities for students, particularly for women and students of color, to access computer
science learning and enrichment opportunities.

Thank you for your immediate attention on this important issue. Providing equitable access to
computer science education is critical to ensuring that opportunities in high-demand, technology
career fields are available to all of Oregon’s students.

Sincerely,

Governor Kate Brown