CodeVA is a Virginia-based nonprofit that partners with schools, parents, and communities to bring equitable computer science education to all of Virginia's students. CodeVA’s educator programs, services and curricular resources are provided at no cost to Virginia public school divisions and teachers, with a focus on creating equitable access to resources that school divisions need to implement the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning. Founded in 2013 as a response to a dual critical shortage of computer science educators and computer science workforce-ready graduates in Virginia, CodeVA’s work with students, parents, teachers, school districts, industry partners and policymakers is statewide in scope and impact. Since its founding, CodeVA has provided tens of thousands of teachers with no-cost professional learning.

During 2022-23, CodeVA’s impact continued to grow even as it evolved in how it delivers school and teacher support, providing professional learning opportunities to 2,043 Virginia public educators. The CodeVA professional learning programs, along with other offerings, such as curriculum resources and workshops and direct student programs for public school districts, directly impacted at least 29,820 students (see the breakdown in the chart below) just this year. This number does not consider ongoing student impact from prior year educator support, nor does it consider CodeVA’s direct student programs and efforts to expand student engagement in partnership programs like CyberStart America.

CodeVA’s objectives are to train Virginia’s K-12 educators in how to teach computer science (CS) and computational thinking and to broaden participation among minoritized students and underrepresented groups in STEM+C (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science), with the goal of expanding the breadth of students engaging in STEM+C careers, while preparing every student to graduate with fundamental CS knowledge. CodeVA advances these goals through a multifaceted approach, including public advocacy and awareness, funded research programs, public educator training programs and curriculum development, and direct student programs. CodeVA receives an annual $550,000 allocation from the state of Virginia via the Department of Education that funds a portion of the educator programs (teacher professional development, school-level programs, and curricular resources) mentioned above. This state funding has remained flat since it was first allocated in 2015 (a year before the CS SOLs law was enacted), while CodeVA’s services have been required to rapidly expand to meet statewide educator needs.

Virginia has maintained its leadership in policy and implementation of K-12 CS - an important distinction and accomplishment nationally, considering the growing competitiveness among states to attract high-tech employers and entrepreneurs. Though this trend is slowing, as more states enact CS mandates, either as a high school graduation requirement or as an integrated learning requirement like Virginia’s law. In 2018, partly on the strength of its K-12 CS commitment, as stated in the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning, Virginia became Amazon’s choice for its HQ2.

In 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a planned Virginia Computer Science Lab School Network as part of his larger lab school initiative, and CodeVA has actively supported this effort through intensive efforts to connect and foster dialogue and collaboration between potential lab school partners across regions. CodeVA has also maintained an active bi-monthly Lab School/Stem Hub working group of partners that meet to troubleshoot issues and share ideas about their active proposals. To date, this effort has resulted in multiple successful lab school planning, as well as implementation grants focused on CS. Furthermore, it has led to numerous active partnerships that have progressed outside the lab school framework, resulting in collaborations between higher education and K-12. Participants include Chesapeake/ODU, Stafford/Mary Washington, GMU/(various LEA partners), Loudoun (still seeking partners), New College Institute, UVA, CodeRVA/VCU, and Harrisonburg (sought an ACSE grant instead, but proceeded with a model that has elements of a lab school).

As we enter the 2023 - 24 school year, we are seeing several changes in the overall education landscape impacting CS implementation. First, the teacher shortage divisions are experiencing, and general societal changes post-pandemic have negatively impacted teacher professional learning. This shift in what sort of professional learning educators currently need and how they can access it is reflected in recent updates to CodeVA’s educator programs. Second, the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning, passed by the State Board of Education in 2017, are ready for their first revision. These standards are currently under review and are anticipated to be released later in the 23-24 school year. This means that all of CodeVA’s professional learning programs, curricular resources, and integration tools will need to be updated to reflect the most up-to-date standards for educators and students.