Interested in becoming a middle or high school CS teacher in Washington state?
Our College of Education offers a state-approved pathway for aspiring teachers to do exactly that. And it couldn't be more needed: fewer than half of middle and high schools in Washington state teach any CS, and when they do, only a fraction of students engage. Less than 1% of students in Washington state learn anything about CS. Additionally, 90% of CS teachers in Washington state are White men or women, even though only 75% of Washington youth are White. Schools desperately need teachers of color in the classroom, across the state.
The program is part of the University of Washington's top-ranked 1-year Masters in Teaching (called STEP, short for Secondary Teacher Education Program), which starts in Spring each year. STEP CS is a 5th quarter add-on endorsement, which means that teacher candidates enroll in the 1-year degree, earn a first endorsement in math, science, social studies, language arts, or world languages, then stay for an additional quarter to earn a second endorsement in CS.
This dual-endorsement structure not only makes you a competitive candidate for teaching positions, but positions you well to teach both standalone CS courses, as well as integrate CS into other subject areas that you teach. If you're interested in teaching CS, that means choosing another subject area to teach as well. And if you're interested in teaching other subject areas, CS is a great addition to expand your teaching range job prospects.
Have a question you don't see answered below? Write Professor Amy J. Ko and she'll answer it!
No, this is Washington state's CS endorsement, which is valid for any CS teaching position, but it is not a CTE endorsement. This program focuses fully on CS teaching. Graduates will likely be eligible for conditional CTE certification for districts that prefer or require a CTE-specific endorsement, but this should be verified with the school district.
No. The only CS content knowledge we expect teachers to have is some exposure to programming. An introductory programming course would suffice, as would any practical experience with programming equivalent to a 1-quarter or 1-semester programming course. We will teach much of the CS content knowledge needed to teach a range of middle and high school courses; having more extensive CS experience will broaden your range. Students in the program have used a variety of languages to practice teaching, including Java, Python, Scratch, and more.
For those with more substantial CS backgrounds (several courses, a bachelor's degree, or perhaps experience as a professional software developer), this program is an opportunity to learn foundational concepts in teaching in general, as well as CS teaching and one other subject area. Knowing CS isn't the same as knowing how to teach CS; this program will teach you the foundational skills for being an outstanding, equity and justice-focused CS teacher.
Two groups can participate:
The most important thing to do is prepare to apply to the STEP program. This involves a few key steps:
The deadlines for the program are the beginning of October each year, for Spring start the following calendar year. That means you'll want to prepare materials and ask any questions that you have the summer before you want to apply. Here are a few few possible timelines:
The course are taught by faculty in across the College of Education (Anne Beitlers), The Information School (Amy Ko), and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering (Brett Wortzman), all with extensive experience teaching CS in middle and/or high school. We also have several outstanding doctoral students who teach in the program (e.g., Jayne Everson).
The additional 5th quarter includes four CS-specific courses:
Regardless of how you practice, we'll do weekly sharing about a problem of practice in small groups, focusing on CS pedagogy.
Before you graduate, you'll take the NES Computer Science exam, which primarily tests CS content knowledge. Passing this exam certifies you to teach CS in Washington state. You'll have extensive support in preparing for this exam, including learning CS concepts in EDTEP 577, an extensive practice guide, and study groups led by the teaching team. If you're already confident in your CS content knowledge, you can take the exam at any time before you start teaching. Alternatively, you can take it near the end of your 5th quarter, studying with your peers with the support of the faculty.
For the Spring 2022 and 2023 cohort (which began in Spring 2021), Spring quarter tuition, fees, and the NES exam fee will be covered by a grant the team has received from the National Science Foundation. Support will come in the form of stipends, which candidates can use to cover their costs. The team is seeking funding to subsidize future cohorts.
If demand exceeds our resources, we will prioritize stipends for candidates underrepresented amongst secondary CS teachers, particularly Black, Hispanic, Native, and/or Asian candidates, and/or candidates with disabilities.
Yes! Fill out this interest form and we'll send you all of these things.