Sen. Messmer on Indiana Excelling in Computer Science and Technology

Local Sources - Thanks to the hard work of a number of colleges and university across the state, Indiana is home to some of the best engineering, technology and computer science programs in the country. In addition, Indiana is also rapidly attracting technology companies, creating a number of jobs for Hoosiers entering the workforce.

Part of this success stems from our state's focus on increasing the number of computer science courses available to high school students.

Just five years ago, fewer than 25% of Indiana's high schools offered a single computer science course. In 2018, to help improve this percentage, I voted in favor of Senate Enrolled Act 172. This law requires every high school in Indiana to offer at least one computer science class to students by the 2021-22 school year.

SEA 172 also established Indiana’s Next Level Computer Science Grant Program and the Next Level Computer Science Fund, which awards grants to help implement professional development programs for training teachers in computer science.

These initiatives have had an incredible impact, with the Indiana Department of Education showing 74% of high schools in the 2020-21 school year offering a computer science course. According to Code.org, that puts Indiana at No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 11 in the country. In comparison, only 51% of high schools in the United States offer at least one foundational computer science course.

It's great to see this legislation having a positive outcome. Equipping young Hoosiers with valuable skills and knowledge of the different career opportunities available to them is a key component of having a strong workforce. Through efforts like these, I believe Indiana can become a national leader in computer science and technology.

As always, feel free to contact my office directly with your questions and concerns by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-382-9467.