2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Introduction: Learning standards are a crucial determinant of computer science (CS) education at the K-12 level, but they are not often researched despite their importance. We sought to address this gap with a mixed-methods study examining state and national K-12 CS standards.

Research Question: What are the similarities and differences between state and national computer science standards?

Methods: We tagged the state CS standards (n = 9695) according to their grade band/level, topic, course, and similarity to a Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) standard. We also analyzed the content of standards similar to CSTA standards to determine their topics, cognitive complexity, and other features.

Results: We found some commonalities amidst broader diversity in approaches to organization and content across the states, relative to the CSTA standards. The content analysis showed that a common difference between state and CSTA standards is that the state standards tend to include concrete examples. We also found differences across states in how similar their standards are to CSTA standards, as well as differences in how cognitively complex the standards are.

Discussion: Standards writers face many tensions and trade-offs, and this analysis shows how – in general terms – various states have chosen to manage those trade-offs in writing standards. For example, adding examples can improve clarity and specificity, but perhaps at the cost of brevity and longevity. A better understanding of the landscape of state standards can assist future standards writers, curriculum developers, and researchers in their work.