Contact: Brock Turnipseed

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Center for Cyber Education is being recognized as one of 127 organizations nationwide dedicated to making a difference in advancing computer science education.

The honor was formally presented during CSforALL’s 2020 Commitments Showcase held virtually last month. CSforALL is a national initiative to implement computer science education in K-12 schools and support student pathways to college and career success.

The Center for Cyber Education was recognized for a collaborative effort between C Spire, the Mississippi Department of Education, the state’s community colleges and the CCE that expands the pilot software development pathway program—a dual-credit, two year career and technical education offering—to more than 250 students by spring 2022. The pathway program began in the 2019-2020 school year as part of the Computer Science for Mississippi, or CS4MS, initiative and currently serves 71 students in seven high schools and six community colleges.

The CCE was established at MSU’s Research and Curriculum Unit in 2018, and both have worked to implement CS4MS following its launch in 2016 with the goal of bringing computer science instruction to all K-12 schools in the state. Specifically, the organizations develop curricula, train teachers and increase awareness and access to cyber education resources.

Because of CS4MS, computer science has been implemented in 132 school districts, and 1,600-plus teachers have been trained to teach the curricula. Additionally, because of the statewide initiative, more than 65,000 Mississippi students have now taken a computer science course, K-12 standards and endorsements are in place for schools and teachers, and computer science now counts as a graduation credit.

CSforALL is a central resource for individuals and organizations interested in K-12 computer science education. The organization connects providers, schools and districts, funders and researchers working toward the goal of providing quality CS education to every child in the United States.

About MSU’s Research and Curriculum Unit

Founded in 1965, the RCU contributes to MSU’s mission as a land-grant institution to better the lives of Mississippians with a focus on improving education. In particular, the RCU benefits K-12 and higher education by developing curricula and assessments, providing training and learning opportunities for educators, researching and evaluating programs, supporting and promoting career and technical education, and leading education innovations. For more information about the RCU, visit rcu.msstate.edu or follow the organization on Facebook (facebook.com/rcumsu), Twitter (twitter.com/rcumsu) and Instagram (instagram.com/rcumsu).

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.