Imagine preschool students collaboratively programming a robot to perform a dance, kindergarten students programming robots to navigate different shapes and numbers to help them understand mathematics, while first graders program robots to act out parts of a story to form a connection with literacy.

Imagine third graders learning about the interaction between software and hardware and how data is input into a computer by designing their own controllers while high school students in Game Design Academies participate in annual “game design jams” to showcase their latest video game creations.

That’s the future we’re forging across the district. Always ready to welcome tomorrow, SFUSD is poised to become the foremost PK-12 public education system in California in Computer Science (CS) education. In partnership with Salesforce, SFUSD has already developed a Computer Science curriculum used widely beyond San Francisco, which has increased Computer Science enrollment in the district by 500% and is shaping standards in Computer Science education in California and nationally. But our work is far from done.

NEED & CURRENT REALITY: Two-thirds of elementary school-aged children will have jobs that have not been invented yet. And while we may not be able to predict what they will be, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) makes up the fastest growing job sector of our time, with the majority of these jobs involving computing. With this high-tech future in mind, we need to introduce the fundamental concepts of CS to all students, beginning as early as preschool.

Today, not all of our schools have access to computer science. Our girls still account for only 28% of all students taking Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science exams while underrepresented minorities make up just 21%. And, teachers are still under-credentialed and lack the necessary training to integrate Computer Science in the classroom. That is why SFUSD has made Computer Science education one of its top priorities.

VISION: By 2025, we will ensure ALL students at SFUSD have access to engaging, culturally relevant, and high-quality Computer Science instruction.

To achieve our goal of 100% participation in Computer Science courses, SFUSD is adopting the following strategies:

1. Develop additional levels of computer science curriculum so all students from preschool through high school receive quality CS instruction

2. Build and expand teacher capacity to deliver high-quality CS instruction through training and professional development

3. Deploy Computer Science staffing, resources, materials and equipment to support expansion and implementation focused on traditionally underrepresented students in under-resourced schools

4. Offer additional secondary-level CS courses that will allow students to study it in-depth and prepare them for entry into the workforce or college

INVESTMENT: Spark* SF Public Schools is seeking $1.5 million in private philanthropic investments over three years. No matter who they are, our children deserve next-generation education backed by the expertise of passionate and well-trained teachers. Your investment in SFUSD’s Computer Science program will help to create a workforce ready to participate in San Francisco’s innovation economy with the skills and knowledge to develop the technologies to solve our most pressing social, economic, civic and environmental challenges. Invest in our city’s future today!

IMPACT:

• Offer Computer Science courses at 100% of PK-12 schools

• Increase enrollment and participation of female, African American, and LatinX students

• Increase participation in related career pathways in High Schools: game design, computer and information technology, engineering (mechanical, electrical and computer engineering)