To help use common terminology, we are going to adopt the language that ECEP uses in their policy briefs, summarized here:
Standalone pathway that includes some form of quality assurance of CS and pedagogical knowledge received from university/college or other state-approved program
May require some or all of these: BA or BA, professional development, other requirements
Traditional - usually in a university/college and as a BA/BS program
Alternative - could be a BA/BS or a graduate level program in a university/college or other type of program approved by the state; often targets those who have a BA/BS in a different discipline to become teachers
Add-on to an existing teacher license (sometimes referred to as an endorsement)
Currently teaching in another area (i.e., initial license in a different field)
Can be earned by pre-service or in-service teachers
Usually needs something extra to teach CS (e.g., professional educator certification, passing a test, teaching experience, professional development, or other requirements)
Legally allowed to teach CS
Teacher does not need to "prove" they know CS
Typically, this occurs by specifying what credentials are allowed to teach CS (e.g., Math, Science, Business)
CSTA Guidance for Schools of Education (case studies, activities, field experiences, etc.)
The CS Visions Cards were adopted from Vogel et al.'s (2023) CITE Values Card Game. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/oaa_oers/11/
Example of Authorization - Minnesota
Secondary – Mathematics and CTE Business
Elementary - one-third of their teaching can be CS
Library Media Specialists
Example of Graduate Add-On Licensure - Georgia State University
PK-12 Add-on licensure (endorsement)
12 credits, 4 courses (in-service teachers):
LT 7500 - Digital and Information Literacy
LT 7501 - Computational Thinking and Human-Computer Interaction
LT 7502 - Computer Science Concepts for Teachers
LT 7503 - Computer Science Instructional Methods
Example of Initial Licensure (Secondary) - Abilene Christian University
Gr 7-12 Computer Science Initial Licensure
Computer Science and Math BS with Teacher Certification (CSMT)
Joint program with Departments of Mathematics and Teacher Education
Courses:
CS 120 - Programming I Credit Hours: 3
CS 130 - Programming II: Data Structures Credit Hours: 3
CS 230 - Object-Oriented Programming Credit Hours: 3
CS 332 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms Credit Hours: 3
IT 220 - Introduction to Databases and Database Management Systems Credit Hours: 3
+ 9 hours electives and Teacher Education requirements
Example of Undergrad Add-On Licensure - University of Nebraska at Omaha
PK-12 supplemental licensure (endorsement)
Joint program with Departments of Computer Science and Teacher Education
18 credits, 6 courses (pre-service teachers):
CSCI 1200 - Computer Science Principles
CIST 1400 - Introduction to Computer Science I
CSCI 1620 - Introduction to Computer Science II
CYBR 2600 - System Administration
One of
CIST 1300 - Introduction to Web Development
CSCI 2850 - Programming on the Internet
TED 4000 - Teaching Methods in Computer Science
Additional examples of university programs by state and type of program have been compiled by the University of Washington in this spreadsheet. Please contact Dr. Caroline Hardin at Western Washington University or Dr. Amy Ko for questions about the data.
SIGCSE 2025 - PrepareCS Flash Talks (Slides): Includes program examples from University of Northern Iowa, University of Washington, Georgia State University, Kansas State University, and City University of New York
ECEP Deep Dive 2025 (Slides): Includes program examples from University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, University of Alabama, and Coastal Carolina University
Bee-Bot (Code and Go Mouse is a less expensive alternative, but requires batteries vs rechargeable)
Vex Robotics (esp. 123, Go, and Aim)
Sphero
Liao, Y. C., Karlin, M., Margulieux, L., & Calandra, B. (2025). Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Exploring the Dynamics and Key Factors Shaping Computer Science Education Pathways in Teacher Preparation. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 33(1), 5-35. (article PDF)
Vogel, S., Yadav, A., Phelps, D., & Patel, A. (2024). Entry Points for Integrating Computing and Tech into Teacher Education: Addressing Problems and Opportunities with the EnCITE Framework. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/223851/ (open access: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/oaa_pubs/27/)
Margulieux, L. E., Shapiro, B. R., & Calandra, B. D. (2024). Recommendations for Computer Science Education in Colleges of Education. Authorea Preprints. https://doi. org/10.22541/au, 171052957, v1. (article PDF)
Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. T., Childs, J., Fletcher, C., Kim, J., Edwards, K. M., & Hendrickson, K. (2022). Defining computer science teacher qualification pathways. Policy Futures in Education, 14782103221123364. (article PDF)
Delyser, L. A., Goode, J., Guzdial, M., Kafai, Y., & Yadav, A. (2018). Priming the computer science teacher pump: Integrating computer science education into schools of education. CSforALL. https://www.computingteacher.org/
CSforEd has a variety of reports and information (which may be dated)