Computer Science Professional Development

NYSED published a list of  computer science options and sources for ideas and inspiration. The list is also not exhaustive; there are many quality resources and learning activities available online. The list has not been vetted for EdLaw 2-D, they are just suggestions from NYSED.

NYSED has awarded grant funds to 17 groups to assist in the professional development of K-8 teachers in their knowledge and expertise of the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards that were adopted in December 2020. Find a Smart Start project near your school here:

CodeHS online PD and courses include engaging learning modules that cover the basics of programming and best practices for teaching in a blended classroom. Over 60 free intro to AP computer science courses with standards alignment, lesson plans, and more. CodeHS even created two courses that are directly aligned to the New York Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards to cover all of the standards in grades 7-8 and 9-12.  Learn more here.

CodeHS has multiple courses that with examples for how to integrate computer science into different subject areas, including Digital Art with p5.js, Coding in Science, Coding in Math, and Coding in Music, Art, and Sports. 

 The Code.org Professional Learning Program is hosted by their Regional Partner, Mouse, and is designed to prepare teachers before and during their first year teaching computer science with three widely used curriculum options. Code.org CS Fundamentals is for grades K-5, Code.org CS Discoveries for grades 6-10 and Code.org AP CS Principles is for grades 9-12. Learn more here. 

CSTA is a community of computer science teachers that supports K-12 educators. Join your local CSTA chapter to learn about more professional development opportunities. There are CSTA chapters in nearly every region of New York State.  Learn more and join for free. 

 At Cornell Tech, we support teachers in learning computer science content and teaching strategies through the lenses of equity, rigor and joy. By building deep, trusting coaching relationships with schools and educators, our coaches help create confidence, a sense of belonging, and improved teaching practice. Learn more here. 

 OYOclass.com is a New York based Learner-centric Virtual Classroom Infrastructure Software with Curriculum and Mentoring Services provided by kidOYO. PD is available to all teachers via virtual and live options that also qualify for CTLE hours. Aligned to the NYS K-12 CS + DF Standards. Learn more here.

 Students aren’t born with digital literacy skills. They may use computers and cell phones, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they understand basic uses, best practices and safety risks. Teaching digital literacy skills ensures compliance with technology standards and helps prepare students for success in our digital world. Our solutions are designed to help districts ensure they are meeting standards, and provide alignment reporting against all current major national and state standards. Learn more here.

 MAD-learn (Mobile Application Development) is a program targeted at upper-level elementary, middle and high school students who are interested in learning about the fundamentals of mobile app design and development. Combining the Design Thinking Process with interactive online learning modules, MAD-learn offers a progressive framework that has something to offer for students and teachers of all skill levels and curricular settings. Learn more here. 

 The Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative offers a number of programs focused on helping schools to expand computer science (CS) exposure, offer access to robust CS experiences, and foster a sense of belonging in computer science for students. Learn more. 

 NYSCATE (The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education), is a non-profit representing technology using educators and administrators in New York State. Offers workshops including this CS Standards Webinar and their Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards unpacking learning pathway to earn up to 25 hours of CTLE credit. Learn more. 

 BootUp is dedicated to empowering elementary teachers and students through computer science and creating equitable computer science programs in underrepresented and underserved communities. Since 2015, BootUp has worked with almost 477 elementary schools impacting over 150,000 students, providing in-person professional development, coaching, and resources that prepare teachers to facilitate coding, computational thinking, and computer science instruction. Learn more here. 

 The Code.org Professional Learning Program is hosted by their Regional Partner, Mouse, and is designed to prepare teachers before and during their first year teaching computer science with three widely used curriculum options. Code.org CS Fundamentals is for grades K-5, Code.org CS Discoveries for grades 6-10 and Code.org AP CS Principles is for grades 9-12. Learn more here. 

imagi Edu provides a comprehensive Python curriculum, coding platform, and supportive community designed to empower educators of all experience levels in introducing computer science to upper elementary and middle school students. 

The platform offers standards-aligned lessons that can be integrated across various subjects and tailored to students' interests, helping teachers build critical digital literacy and computational thinking skills within their classrooms. Students learn to code creative pixel-art projects within the imagi Edu platform coding environment using the fundamentals of Python. Professional development is also available. Learn more.

See the imagi curriculum alignment to NYS CS Standards here.

The Software Engineering Program Junior (SEPjr) is a high-quality computer science program for kindergarten through fifth-grade students that balances rigorous and meaningful direct instruction with open-ended creative computing.  Learn more here. 

See here for more resources, including suggestions by topic area and an elementary school reading list.

NYSED has awarded grant funds to 17 groups to assist in the professional development of K-8 teachers in their knowledge and expertise of the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards that were adopted in December 2020. Find a Smart Start project near your school here:

BJC’s AP CSP curriculum, developed at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Education Development Center, emphasizes the joy of creating complex and beautiful computer programs and engages students in critical reflection on the social implications of new computing technologies. The course uses the block-based programming language Snap! and has a project-based approach in which students collaborate on projects across a variety of contexts (e.g., mathematics, art, games). ​In addition to all the required AP CSP content, BJC introduces students to complex programming topics including recursion and higher order functions in an accessible way.  Learn more here. 

The College Board has two Advanced Placement Computer Science courses: CS Principles and CS A.  Teachers can access information about how to teach these two courses directly through the College Board with supplemental resources through approved curriculum providers.

Click here for more information about AP CS Principles.

Click here for more information about AP CS A.

 The Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative offers a number of programs focused on helping schools to expand computer science (CS) exposure, offer access to robust CS experiences, and foster a sense of belonging in computer science for students. Several high school curricula are offered each summer to teachers through the initiative. Learn More Here.

 At a time when computer science affects how we work and live, PLTW Computer Science empowers students in grades 9-12 to become creators, instead of merely consumers, of the technology all around them. Learn more.

The School of Interactive Arts (SIA) is pre-college program in game development. SIA teaches high school students the art and science of game development, a field full of opportunity but lacking in workforce diversity. Learn more.

Vidcode has well-organized, linear course pathways for upper elementary (3-5), middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) that are aligned to national standards. Learn More.

Integration is a classroom strategy that involves learning and applying a variety of subject matters within the same lesson. CS is a discipline that can be integrated with other subjects and provides learners a clear picture of how our complex society functions with technology. It also exposes students to many professions that use computer science. Computational thinking can deepen understanding of subject matter content and, vice versa, this content can be useful to explore computing. (From CSForCA guide to Integrating Computer Science into Other Subject Areas).

NYSCATE's Educator Institute includes CTLE credit bearing microcourses on integration topics like CS in Science, CS in Math, CS in ELA, and CS in Art. View all courses here:

 History in Data, an NSF-funded project out of the University of Michigan, has students build data visualizations in history classes as part of an inquiry process.

 EarSketch, Sonic Pi, and TunePad integrate concepts from music and CS. EarSketch resources for teachers include the Your Voice is Power Competition with Amazon Future Engineer, Hour of Code, Computer Science Principles (Regular and AP),  and more. Professional development is available. 

 The C-STEM Math-ICT Curriculum from UC Davis provides K-12 students with up to 13 years of integrated learning of math and computer science. C-STEM curriculum includes teaching strategies, textbook, and courseware with lesson plans, PowerPoint lessons, video lessons, group computing activities, and optional robotics activities.

 Bootstrap has created integrated computing programs for algebra, physics, and data science, including professional development for teachers.

 Project GUTS (Growing Up Thinking Scientifically) is an integrated science and CS program for middle school students.  

 CS First has various lessons that integrate CS with language arts concepts like characterization, dialogue, narration, and figurative language for grades 4-8. 

 The Introduction to Data Science (IDS) Curriculum teaches students to reason with, and think critically about, data in all forms.  The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for High School Statistics and Probability relevant to data science are taught along with the data demands of good citizenship in the 21st century. 

 Plotting Plots can help you explore ways to use data and technology to deepen the joy of reading in your classroom. These resources help readers to deepen their analysis of books that are computational and quantitative. Visit to learn more about integrating CS and English Language Arts.

 RAISE is a series of lessons and activities on concepts of artificial intelligence and the ethical implications those concepts entail, such as algorithmic bias. Includes K-12 AI Literacy units and resources for celebrating the Day of AI.