HB216 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

David FaulknerRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Education, K-12 schools, phase in of computer science courses required, funding for teacher training and certification provided, State Administer position created within Dept. of Education, ACHE to create scholarships for preservice teachers, and Computer Science Education task force created

Summary

HB 216 would phase in K-12 computer science courses across Alabama public schools, fund teacher training and certification pathways, create a state CS specialist and a CS education task force, and establish scholarships and graduation credit options for CS.

What This Bill Does

It requires high schools to offer at least one authentic CS course starting in 2020-21, middle schools to offer CS starting in 2021-22, and elementary schools to teach basics of CS by 2022-23. It provides funding to approved providers for high-quality CS professional learning for teachers, creates a state computer science specialist to oversee reporting, and establishes a Governor-appointed CS Education Task Force to develop a statewide strategic plan and expansion timeline. It also creates multiple teacher certification pathways for CS, allows CS coursework to count toward math or science credits for graduation and college admissions, and offers scholarships and loan repayment adaptations to support preservice and in-service CS education.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 students in Alabama, who will gain access to phased computer science courses and related graduation/college-admission credit opportunities.
• Teachers and preservice teachers, who will have new certification pathways, endorsements, course-specific permits, names of eligible professional learning providers, and access to scholarships and loan repayment programs; higher education institutions and private providers will serve as CS professional learning providers (not LEAs).

Key Provisions

• Phase-in schedule: high schools must offer at least one authentic CS course by 2020-2021; middle schools by 2021-2022; elementary schools by 2022-2023 with CS basics and computational thinking.
• CS courses must be high quality, on the department-approved list, meet state standards for authentic CS, use open-platform curricula accessible on multiple devices, and be delivered in person unless virtual/distance options are necessary with a rationale.
• State funding to eligible high-quality CS professional learning providers (in-state higher education, nonprofits, or private entities) to support teacher training, credentialing, resources, student recruitment, and software (not hardware); local education agencies cannot receive direct funds for this purpose.
• Establishment of a state computer science specialist within the Department of Education by 6/30/2020 to review annual reports and ensure CS requirements are met.
• Creation of a CS Education Task Force (Governor-appointed) with diverse members from education, government, business, and higher education to develop a statewide strategic plan and a five-year expansion plan for CS, including standards, evaluation, and sustainability.
• Certification pathways: by 6/30/2020 establish a secondary CS certification pathway for preservice teachers; provide a CS endorsement for teachers with a valid Professional Educator Certificate after passing Praxis; create a course-specific permit for non-certified teachers with approved professional learning; loan repayment and AMSTEP adjustments for CS teachers (including a $3,000/year or $1,500/semester amount and temporary exclusion from certain shortage-area supplements).
• CS credit for graduation and college admissions: starting with the class of 2021, a CS course may count as one unit of math or science credit.
• Scholarships and pathways: fund preservice CS pathways and scholarships through the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to prepare preservice teachers to earn CS certification; expand CS pathways for in-state teacher preparation programs.
• AMSTEP integration: add computer science as an eligible teaching field for loan repayment with specified limits and rules; establish guidelines for implementing CS within AMSTEP.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education