2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Introduction. This work in progress explores pathways to computer science (CS) teacher certification. The U.S. collects data on initial teacher certification, but many CS teachers earn CS licensure by a different pathway, such as by adding CS to a previous license. Thus, there is a gap in data concerning the pathways to CS licensure. This gap may present barriers to improving CS education, given that important insights into recruiting and preparing CS teachers may be unknown due to a lack of knowledge about teachers’ pathways. Gaps in our understanding of CS teacher pathways may pose particular challenges to states as they seek to expand high-quality CS learning opportunities for all students.

Methodology and Processes. We are engaged in a two-year project to gather data about the pathways to CS certification – including the number and characteristics of teachers who follow each pathway. This work describes the results from our first year, which involved piloting data collection for ten states via document analysis and interviews with state CS leaders.

Results. We have identified over 80 different pathways to CS certification in total, with requirements ranging from the more common (e.g., passing a CS content exam) to the less common (e.g., a portfolio review). We found that interviews with state CS leaders were essential to gaining knowledge that was not necessarily apparent from the state’s licensure website and other online documentation. The second phase of the project will involve the use of data requests to gather information from states about the number of teachers who follow each pathway as well as the characteristics (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, years of teaching experience, disability status) of these teachers. We are also gathering data about the institutions authorized by each state to prepare teachers for CS certification, as well as the count of sections of CS courses taught by teachers according to the teacher’s pathway to CS certification. This data will be used to better understand the landscape of CS teacher pathways.