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To: Superintendents and Principals
From: Lynn Schemel, Chief Academic Officer
Shellie Hartford, Director of Teaching and Learning
Date: August 30, 2024
Subject: Updated High School Computer Science Course Guidance Pursuant to House Enrolled Act
(HEA) 1243
To help more students gain the digital literacy skills needed for future success, a new law in Indiana
requires all high schools to include high-quality computer science instruction within their curriculum.
Currently, 91% of public high schools in Indiana offer a foundational computer science course, yet only
7% of Indiana high school students are currently enrolled in one of these courses.
Below is a list of courses that will fulfill the new computer science graduation requirement, and
ultimately, help to close the gap between the number of schools offering computer science and the
number of students taking a computer science course. This course requirement for students begins with
the 2029 cohort.
Eligible Courses
4565 Computing Foundations for a Digital Age (Preferred): Completion will satisfy a Directed
Elective requirement.
● Duration: One semester, one credit hour
● Who can teach this course? Any grade five through 12 educator who holds a valid Indiana
license (i.e., instructional, administrator, counselor) and has training or work experience in
computer science, information technology (IT), or business professional development may teach
this course. Additionally, an adjunct teacher holding a locally-issued adjunct teacher permit for
teaching at the secondary level may also instruct this course if they have work experience or
training in computer science, IT, or business.
● Updated: What academic standards should be taught? All Career and Technical Education
(CTE) standards are housed in the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s (CHE’s) Next
Level Programs of Study Review guidance. Standards for this course have been finalized
following stakeholder feedback received over the summer. Finalized standards for this course
can be found within the guidance. A crosswalk is provided to compare the draft standards for
courses released in May and finalized standards for schools that have established a course
sequence. Schools may utilize any locally-developed or commercially-available curriculum (e.g.,
print, online) to offer this course, as long as it aligns with course standards.
Indiana Government Center North, 9th Floor • 100 N Senate Ave • Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
317-232-6610 • www.in.gov/doe
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● Additional Flexibility: This course may be taught to students enrolled in grade eight.
Advanced Courses (Alternative): Advanced course options that also satisfy the computer science
requirement are available.
● Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
○ 4568 AP Computer Science Principles
○ 4570 AP Computer Science A
● International Baccalaureate (IB) Courses
○ 4584 IB Computer Science Higher Level
○ 4586 IB Computer Science Standard Level
● Cambridge International Courses
○ 8116 Cambridge Advanced Computer Science (A Level)
○ 8118 Cambridge Advanced Computer Science (AS Level)
Current Career Pathway Courses (Alternative): This option may be considered for students intending
to pursue CTE concentrator status in IT Operations, Networking, Software Development, or Computer
Science programs of study.
● Students must complete Principles of Computing (7183) and one of the courses listed below to
meet the legislative requirements through this option. Completion will satisfy a Directed Elective
requirement:
○ New: Advanced Cybersecurity (7178)
○ New: Cybersecurity Fundamentals (7179)
○ IT Fundamentals (7180)
○ Networking and Cybersecurity Operations (7181)
○ Networking Fundamentals (7182)
○ Software Development (7184)
○ New: Website and Database Development (7185)
○ Topics in Computer Science (7351)
○ Computer Science (7352)
● Duration: Two semesters, two credit hours
● Who can teach this course? Instructor requirements for all courses in the IT and Computer
Science programs of study can be found in the 2024-2025 NLPS Assignment Codes.
● What academic standards should be taught? The academic standards for each of the courses
listed above are housed in CHE’s NLPS Review guidance. Schools may utilize any
locally-developed or commercially-available curriculum (e.g, print, online) to offer this course,
as long as it aligns with course standards.
Indiana Government Center North, 9th Floor • 100 N Senate Ave • Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
317-232-6610 • www.in.gov/doe
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CHE revised 4803 Introduction to Computer Science as a career exploration course. This course does
not meet the purpose and requirements of the legislation as an individual course to fulfill the new
computer science graduation requirement. Standards can be found in CHE’s NLPS Review guidance.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) annually invites prospective curriculum providers to
submit high-quality curricular materials aligned with content comprising each course referenced
throughout this guidance. Curricular materials found to meet all established evaluation criteria will be
included on Indiana’s high-quality curricular materials advisory lists.
Course descriptions are available in IDOE’s 2024-2025 High School Course Titles and Descriptions.
Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning or ICHE’s Office of Career and Technical Education
with any questions.
Indiana Government Center North, 9th Floor • 100 N Senate Ave • Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
317-232-6610 • www.in.gov/doe