BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama education officials recently released for public review the draft of a new Digital Literacy and Computer Science course of study, a full rewrite of the 2018 standards that updates state expectations for technology instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The public can review the draft at this link through Thursday at 5 p.m. Feedback should be submitted through the form at this link. An initial draft was released in August and the public was invited to provide feedback at that time also.
The proposed standards, developed over the past year by a statewide committee of educators, administrators, higher-education faculty and industry partners, aim to better prepare students for a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, data science and rapid technological change.
Escambia County Superintendent Michele Collier chaired the committee and presented an overview to the Alabama Board of Education at its Nov. 13 work session.
She said the revisions reflect both national best practices and Alabama’s priorities for ensuring students learn to “critically think, act responsibly and innovate confidently with technology.”
The new framework emphasizes five themes across grade levels: computational thinking, data and information literacy, computing systems, digital proficiency and the societal impact of computing. The draft also expands expectations around online safety, responsible technology use and evaluating information – areas board members highlighted during the work session.
Committee members told the board the standards were built to support gradual development, beginning with hands-on exploration in early grades and progressing toward advanced problem-solving, cybersecurity awareness and ethical use of AI in high school.
Alabama has been recognized nationally for Computer Science access initiatives in recent years. With the new standards, officials said, the state aims to maintain that momentum as high school computer science requirements phase in for the graduating Class of 2032.
The board is expected to vote on the course of study at its December board meeting. If approved, the board will appoint a textbook committee this spring.
The full discussion can be viewed in the video below.
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