Senate Engrossed

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature Second Regular Session 2018

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1026

 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

supporting computer science and coding education in schools.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Whereas, there are currently 500,000 computer science job openings across every industry and state that can be filled immediately and nearly 10,000 open computing jobs in Arizona; and

Whereas, an individual with a computer science major can earn 40% more than the average college graduate; and

Whereas, every child in this state should have a chance to learn about algorithms, application development, coding and how the internet works; and

Whereas, women who enroll in an advanced placement computer science class in high school are ten times more likely to major in computer science in college, and African American and Hispanic students are seven times more likely to do so; and

Whereas, 71% of all new STEM jobs are in computing, but only 8% of STEM graduates are in computer science; and

Whereas, only 40% of schools teach computer programming; and

Whereas, the gender gap in computing has significantly widened in recent years; and

Whereas, in 1984, 37% of all computer science graduates were women, but currently women represent only 18% of computer science graduates; and

Whereas, reported interest in computer science among girls significantly drops between the ages of thirteen and seventeen; and

Whereas, 1.4 million jobs in computing-related fields will be available by 2020.  United States graduates are projected to fill 29% of those jobs, but women are projected to fill just 3%; and

Whereas, national nonprofit organizations, such as Girl Scouts and Girls Who Code, are committed to closing this gender gap in technology; and

Whereas, Girl Scouts are almost twice as likely as non-Girl Scouts to participate in STEM activities and excel in STEM fields (60% versus 35%), and 77% of girls say that because of Girl Scouts, they are considering a career in technology; and

Whereas, Girl Scouts, both nationally and locally through the Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus—Pine Council, are committed to encouraging girls to discover and excel in STEM fields and have expanded their existing STEM programming with new STEM badges, including badges specifically related to computer science.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring:

1.  That the Members of the Legislature recognize the importance of nonprofit organizations' exemplary work in closing the gender gap in technology and express a commitment to supporting women and girls in the computer sciences.

2.  That the Members of the Legislature support expanded opportunities for computer science education in schools.