1. Identify a district and/or school lead for computer science

•  This will demonstrate to your school and stakeholders that you are serious about computer science (CS)
•  A CS lead should be a teacher or administrator that is passionate about CS, even if they don't teach it
•  This person should connect with the #CSforAR / #ARKidsCanCode team as soon as possible

2. Identify potential teachers for your computer science programs

•  Schools that have a certified teacher see higher student enrollment across all levels of CS courses 
•  There are many pathways to become a CS teacher (http://bit.ly/ARTeacherPathways):
  •  Traditional licensure program of study (people new to the teaching field)
    •  Complete an approved bachelor's program
    •  Pass the CS content knowledge PRAXIS testing (http://bit.ly/CSPRAXISPrep) 
    •  Pass a background check, apply for licensure through ADE, and start teaching CS
  •  Existing teachers adding CS
    •  Content knowledge (PRAXIS) testing for full endorsement (http://bit.ly/ARCSFacts) or training program for approval code (http://bit.ly/ARCSApproval) 
    •  Apply for licensure and start Teaching CS
  •  Professionals in the field that hold a bachelor's degree
    •  Identify an alternative pathway that works best for your situation (APPEL, PPTL, MAT)
    •  Pass the CS content knowledge PRAXIS testing (http://bit.ly/CSPRAXISPrep) 
    •  Pass a background check and apply for a provisional license through ADE
    •  Start Teaching CS
    •  Complete selected program
•  Teachers may be eligible for numerous stipends and reimbursement programs if they get CS endorsed and teach high school CS courses (http://bit.ly/CSforARStipends)

3. Build a strong K-8 computer science program to feed into your high school programs

•  Ensure that schools are teaching the required K-8 standards at each grade level and the Coding Block for Grades 7 & 8 (http://bit.ly/ARCSCourses)
•  Encourage educators to enter the K-8 CS Lead Teacher Program (http://bit.ly/2k6aUZ7)

4. Encourage your teachers to continue learning

•  The ADE Office of CS and #CSforAR Specialists team provides multiple levels of training in all education service cooperatives in Arkansas. (http://bit.ly/CSforARPD) 
•  These trainings are provided at no cost to schools or teachers and some even have bonuses for attending. (http://bit.ly/CSforARBonuses)
•  All Arkansas educators have access to over 4,000 Linkedin Learning (formerly Lynda.com) tech lessons at no cost through https://ideas.aetn.org/. 

5. Build pathways for careers and college

•  Go beyond the minimum requirement of one course at high school by building a pathway of at least three courses. 
•  Seek program of study approval for the three courses through ARCareerEd. (http://bit.ly/ARCSCourses)
•  Select pathways that lead to industry certifications needed by industries; contact local companies to find out their needs.
•  Ensure at least one pathway includes AP CS A and/or concurrent CS course options for students. 

6. Allocate resources to ensure educators have the technology tools, curriculum, and training needed to provide access to computer science content