Hawaii has a mandate that all schools offer computer science classes by the 2024-25 school year, but the quality and accessibility of these courses remains unclear.
At Molokai Middle School, robots and drones have a permanent place in Kaeo Kawaa's computer science classroom. As his eighth grade students learn the basics of coding and programming, they apply their skills by flying drones through obstacle courses and navigating small robots through complex mazes on the classroom floor.
These lessons are a big hit with his students who love puzzles and video games, Kawaa said. But he also hopes these basic software and data skills will carry them through their high school classes and professional careers.
"They're basically learning, but on the surface, they're playing video games," he said.
High-paying jobs involving computer science and technology are in high demand across Hawaii and the nation. The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization recently ranked computer and information sciences as one of the top 10 most lucrative college majors in the state, with a projected mid-career salary of over $95,000.
The Hawaii Department of Education is now facing a state mandate from 2021 requiring all Hawaii schools to offer at least one computer science course by the end of the 2024-25 academic year. DOE won't publish its annual overview of campuses offering computer science classes until the summer and did not respond to requests for an updated count of schools, but principals and advocates are optimistic that most schools will meet the state's ambitious goal this year.
David Sun-Miyashiro, executive director of HawaiiKidsCAN, said computer science provides students a range of skills they can use in future jobs and everyday life, from analyzing data to using technology safely and ethically. With the continued rise of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT, it's especially important for students to understand how to responsibly use and then develop similar tools, he added.
Last year, roughly 75% of Hawaii schools offered at least one computer science class, with more principals planning to offer graded courses in the current school year.
But the rapid expansion of computer science classes hasn't been consistent throughout the state. Small schools struggle to hire more staff members to teach new courses, and students in rural communities sometimes lack the internet access or computers needed to complete assignments at home.
Just over half of rural high schools in Hawaii offered computer science in the 2022-23 academic year compared to 72% of suburban campuses, according to the educational nonprofit Code.org.
Hawaii is making progress in the right direction, said Daniel Hoffman, an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii Manoa. But DOE also needs to assess the quality and accessibility of its classes, he said, adding that there's little data available on which students are benefiting most from the push for more computer science in schools.
"It's possible that we've exacerbated inequities unintentionally," Hoffman said. "But the truth is, we just don't know right now."
The legislative push for more technology in schools began in 2018, when lawmakers required all high schools to offer at least one computer science class by the 2021-22 academic year. While all but three high schools offered computer science last year, the classes are only electives and aren't a graduation requirement for students.
All middle and elementary schools are supposed to follow suit in the 2024-25 academic year, although DOE won't publish its annual count of schools with computer science classes until June.
Some schools were able to quickly comply with the mandate, with the number of elementary schools offering computer science more than tripling since 2021. Most campuses have laptops they loan to students throughout the year, and larger schools have technology teams with staff who are prepared to teach computer science, Hoffman said.
But for other schools, finding qualified teachers remains a challenge.
At Anuenue School, which serves Hawaiian immersion students in grades kindergarten through 12, elementary students have computer science classes twice a week, said principal Baba Yim. But Yim hasn't found a qualified computer science teacher for the high school who is also fluent in Hawaiian.
"It's been challenging since it's not a core subject area," Yim said, adding that he's not sure when he'll be able to offer a high school computer science class. "We have to find someone who's willing and knowledgeable enough to take up the task."
The challenge of introducing computer science classes can be even greater at small and rural schools, Hoffman said, where administrators sometimes lack the funding to hire more staff and communities may struggle with Internet connectivity. Oftentimes, schools will ask their most tech-savvy staff members to take the lead on computer science, even if these teachers have little experience with coding.
Hoffman believes DOE is making progress toward offering computer science classes statewide, although a few campuses may still fall short of the requirement this year. The Legislature appropriated $500,000 for the professional development of computer science teachers last session, and principals are continuing to recruit and train more educators to lead additional classes.
In the past, DOE's annual count of schools with computer science has also excluded some campuses that offered relevant classes but didn't label them with the correct course number.
For example, Honokaa Elementary on the Big Island offered computer science classes last year but only began recording it as a graded course this fall, said principal Nathan Atkins.
Honokaa is a ranching community, Atkins said, and it's exciting for students to learn new skills and consider career paths in technology they may never have heard about.
"They're learning things for a job that might not even exist right now," he said.
Approximately three quarters of Hawaii schools offer computer science classes, but it's still unclear how these courses are impacting students' career choices and future interests, Hoffman said.
Computer science isn't a graduation requirement in Hawaii high schools, and less than 10% of students took the subject last year.
In these high school classes, female as well as Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students are often underrepresented. In the 2022-23 school year, only a quarter of computer science students were female, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students were three times less likely to take computer science classes compared to their Asian and white counterparts, according to Code.org.
Native Hawaiian students don't always see themselves represented among computer scientists and innovators, and they sometimes struggle to see how coding and technology can help solve local problems, said Mike Sarmiento, vice president of educational design at Purple Maia, which aims to expand access to computer science in Hawaii schools.
To address ongoing inequalities, some advocates have urged Hawaii to join 11 other states and make computer science a graduation requirement.
The proposal has received mixed responses from educators and administrators, with some questioning if the state has enough qualified teachers to offer a class to every student and raising concerns that adding another graduation requirement might leave less room for important electives in students' schedules.
"If you make computer science a requirement, is that going to limit kids in some other area?" said Michael Ida, who has taught computer science classes at Kalani High School for the past 10 years. "I'm a little bit hesitant about making a requirement at this point until such time that maybe we have more resources."
But, if done correctly, a graduation requirement could ensure that all students have access to high-quality computer science education, Sun-Miyashiro said.
Future employees need this knowledge to succeed in their careers, he added, and all students should be able to continue their computer science education from elementary to high school.
"We're good, but let's go from good to great and make sure that these experiences are as impactful as possible," Sun-Miyashiro said.