HB 17-1184

HB 17-1184, also known as Modern Technology Education In Public Schools, aims to update Colorado's academic standards by including skills related to modern technology and communication. This includes teaching students how to use technology effectively for tasks like finding information online and creating digital content. The bill also requires the Department of Education to create a resource bank with materials on computer science education, which schools can choose to use or not. Since the bill has been signed into law, it is now in effect and school districts are expected to start incorporating these new standards and resources as appropriate.

Official Summary

Under current law, the state board of education (state board) must, by July 1, 2018, review and revise, as necessary, the state academic standards. The bill directs the state board, in the course of revising the academic standards, to incorporate into the standards for each subject skills relating to the use of information and communications technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information. The bill directs the department of education (department) to create a publicly available resource bank of materials pertaining to computer science programs, including sample standards, samples of curricula, and materials for professional educator development. The department must work with experts in creating and compiling the information. The resource bank is to be available by July 1, 2018. Each school district, charter school, and board of cooperative services may choose whether to provide computer science courses and whether to use the materials in the resource bank. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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