Input on standards criticized

A group seeking input for the state’s proposed computer-science standards for K-12 received criticism for not including local industry in conversations to create the standards.

The State Board of Education will host five meetings this week, with meetings in Green River, Buffalo, Meeteese and Douglas already taken place. The meetings are aimed to generate public input about the proposed 2019 Wyoming Computer Science Content and Performance Standards.

In 2018, the Wyoming Legislature passed Senate Enrolled Act 48, which requires districts to offer computer science in K-12 by the 2022-2023 school year. It also removed technology form the common core of knowledge July 1, 2018, and replaced it with keyboarding with computational thinking. Students will have the opportunity to take computer science-related courses, but will not be required to take the courses.

While speaking about the role private business has had in helping draft the standards, representatives showed a map of Wyoming with stars signifying where members of the 40-person committee came from and the groups they represent. With business representatives coming from Apple, Microsoft, First Interstate Bank, as well as other businesses based in Wyoming, a few educators quickly noticed industry in Southwestern Wyoming wasn’t represented on the committee.

“I’m a little concerned there’s no representation from Exxon, ... the trona mines, the coal mines,” Jennifer Nielson, a high school math teacher from Kemmerer said. “We have no representation.”

Nielson said the she contacted employers near Kemmerer to ask if they had been contacted to provide input for the standards. Each company told her they hadn’t. Nielson also noticed Gillette’s industries lacked representation on the committee. Nielson said the feedback she’s received from area employers focuses on a desire for students to have some understanding of the C++ programming language.

Donna Little-Kaumo, superintendent of Sweetwater County School District No. 2, also shared concerns about the lack of representation.

Little-Kaumo said her written comments to the committee reflected her concern about local industry not receiving representation. Little-Kaumo believes it’s important for the district to create computer science courses that can teach abilities which can transfer to high paying jobs in the area’s trona mines. However, without that representation from area industries, Little-Kaumo fears that transferability between coursework and job skills will not occur. She said she hopes the committee will take those comments and invite input from area industries.

Public comments for the standards will be accepted until 11:59 p.m., March 5. A complete breakdown of the proposed standards can be found at the Wyoming Department of Education’s website, edu.wyoming.gov.