Public Act 101-0654, enacted in Spring 2021, amended the School Code to incorporate language and mandates related to computer science and computer literacy. This fact sheet contains detailed information on computer science requirements and a fact sheet for computer literacy is also available.

Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, all school districts that maintain any of Grades 9-12 shall provide an opportunity for every high school student to take at least one computer science course aligned to rigorous learning standards set by the State Board of Education. 

• Computer science means the study of computers and algorithms, including principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their impact on society. It does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding or accessing the internet.

• School districts must offer at least one computer science course that is accessible to all students in Grades 9-12.

• Schools that belong to a cooperative career center can use a computer science course offering at such a center to fulfill this requirement if all students in Grades 9-12 from the home school have access to the course.

• Participation in computer science coursework is not a requirement for graduation. Local districts may set requirements for graduation or participation beyond the State minimum requirements.

A number of courses listed in the Illinois State Course Catalog are designated as computer science and must be taught in alignment with Illinois Learning Standards for Computer Science. Virtual computer science courses will be indicated as such in the course information that is posted on the Illinois Virtual Course Catalog webpage.

ISBE convened a workgroup to provide the field with supplemental resources to support educators in teaching computer science. These resources can be found on the ISBE Standards and Instruction webpage for Instructional Supports.

Originally from the Illinois State Board of Education at Computer Science Fact Sheet.