The Tennessee Department of Education, in collaboration with the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN), has launched the “Reach Them All” initiative to highlight the importance of computer science instruction for all students and provide Tennessee educators and district-level leadership professional development that integrates computer science practices into and across academic subjects and content.

With the passage of Chapter 979 of the Public Acts of 2022 by unanimous vote of the Tennessee General Assembly, the State Board of Education (SBE), the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), and all Local Education Agencies (LEA) and public charter schools are required to take specific actions to ensure that all students are fully prepared for the technological jobs of today and in the future.

As a result of the new legislation:

• • • • All elementary schools must provide each student with grade-appropriate computer science education based on the computer science academic standards .

      • All middle schools must provide students access to computer science instruction for a minimum of at least one grading period of one school year based on the computer science academic standards.  Every public middle school student is required to take at least one course in CS education that includes instruction for at least one grading period during one school year of their middle school career 

      • All high schools must provide all students who pursue a traditional diploma with at least one course credit of computer science education. Subject to state board of education approval, computer science credits will count as either a 3rd-year science or 4th-year math.