TEXARKANA — Arkansas High is one of six schools that has been recognized for their computer science initiative.
Over the past five years, AHS has participated in the Governor’s High School Coding Competition, and during those five years Arkansas High won the regional competition and advanced to state.
In an effort to promote the computer science and robotics program, the secondary education school offers eleven computer science/robotics courses and two computer science programs of study. Students can also participate in the annual National Hour of Code initiative.’
“In order to set our students up for present and future success, it is imperative that we deliver effective and equitable computer science education,” curriculum director of science and mathematics Diana Lowe said. “It is our hope that through our programs students will leave our schools with the credentials to be in the futuristic jobs that aren’t really that far away.”
The state’s department of education office of computer science announced the continuation of the Arkansas Computer Science Gold Medal School Program (ACSGM) and the rankings for the 2020-2021 ACSGM, the inaugural year of the program.
The ACSGM was designed to recognize the state’s high schools for outstanding work in supporting and implementing the Arkansas Computer Science and Computing Initiative. Schools are ranked based on information submitted to and reviewed by the ADE Office of Computer Science.
The criteria that forms the basis of the rubric centers on the governor’s five-year goals and the recommendations of the 2020 Arkansas Computer Science and Cybersecurity Task Force.
As part of the ranking rubric, schools may receive no ranking, honorable mention, bronze, silver, or gold ranking, with gold ranking being the highest level and requiring high performance in a majority of the criteria.
For the 2020-2021 cycle, the ADE Office of Computer Science received and reviewed twelve applications. Of those twelve applications, three schools received a Bronze level recognition with three schools receiving an honorable mention. Those rankings, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
- Arkansas High — Honorable Mention
- Russellville High — Honorable Mention
- Springdale High — Honorable Mention
- Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts — Bronze
- Bentonville High — Bronze
- Bentonville West High — Bronze
