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Join Us: MDE Summer Computer Science District Leader Meeting (Hybrid)

We are excited to invite you to MDE's Summer Computer Science District Leader hybrid meeting:

• Date: Wednesday, August 14th, 2024

• Time: 8-9:30 AM

• Location: Co-located with the EmpowerMNCS Summer PD event at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Kenneth H. Keller Hall. Virtual participation through Zoom is also available.

• Agenda: Highlights from the MN State Strategic Plan for CS, CS grant opportunities, and implementation ideas and resources for Minnesota's CS-integrated science benchmarks.

Feel free to invite colleagues who might be interested in CS grant opportunities and CS-integrated science benchmark implementation ideas, including administrators, counselors, and science teachers.

RSVP: Click here for more information about the meeting and to RSVP

Note: Participation in the EmpowerMNCS event is not required for attending the CS District Leaders meeting, however the Empower event will offer professional development sessions, travel stipends, and networking opportunities. Learn more about EmpowerMNCS: (https://www.empowermncs.org/)

Minnesota Computer Science State Strategic Plan Finalized

In March 2024, the Computer Science Working Group finalized the Minnesota Computer Science State Strategic Plan. This comprehensive plan outlines ten recommendations aimed at ensuring long-term and sustained growth of computer science education across all public K-12 and charter schools in Minnesota. These recommendations align with the requirements of the Computer Science Education Advancement Act Minn. Stat. 120B.241 (2023), and cover crucial areas such as licensure, high-quality professional development, continuous improvement, and standards, among others. 

For a detailed look at the plan, please refer to the full document here: Minnesota Computer Science State Strategic Plan.

Initial Legislative Updates on Computer Science Education

Here are a few initial updates:

Funding: 

• Currently, no new funding has been allocated to advance the CS State Plan recommendations. However, it looks like $50,000 from the 2023 CS Ed Advancement Act will be re-allocated to PELSB to initiate the rulemaking process for developing a CS licensure.

Legislative Language Tweaks:

• It looks like there will be tweaks to the language around grants within the 2023 CS Ed Advancement Act to clarify who can apply for CS grants (individual LEAs vs. a consortium of LEAs) and what kinds of activities can be funded. You can read the initial updated verbiage here.

 We will keep you posted as more details emerge and legislation is unpacked.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education

A cross-divisional team at the Minnesota Department of Education is actively working on developing and compiling resources for using generative artificial intelligence in education. We aim to make these resources available on MDE's School Technology webpage this summer. Stay tuned for more information: MDE's School Technology webpage.

Well-Wishes and Future Meetings

We wish you a restful summer break and look forward to our continued collaboration in the new academic year. After meeting in August, 2024, our CS District Leaders meetings will continue in the 2024-25 school year: October, January, May, and August. Stay tuned for more details!