San Francisco USD Expands Computer Science Initiatives

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has received an additional $6 million in funding from the Salesforce Foundation to expand the district's computer science curriculum and technology resources.

This is the third year of the partnership between San Francisco USD and the Salesforce Foundation, which has now provided the district with nearly $14 million in grants. The district expects the new funding to affect more than 12,500 students through a number of initiatives, which include:

  • Piloting a daily computer science curriculum in the district's middle schools;
  • Expanding the Principal's Innovation Fund by granting $100,000 to 21 SFUSD middle schools;
  • Funding 14 full-time math and technology coaches and teachers in middle schools;
  • Funding five full-time staff members to assist teachers and implement curriculum;
  • Partnering with Common Sense, a national nonprofit organization that offers a digital literacy and citizenship curriculum; and
  • Partnering with Zynga.org to cohost game design workshops and provide students with hands-on technology and computer science education.

According to Richard Carranza, superintendent of SFUSD, the funding will provide students in the district with hands-on resources for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, as well as resources "to accelerate our ability to expose all students — pre-kindergarten through 12th grade — to rigorous computer science and coding curriculum."

As part of the partnership, Salesforce will adopt 20 schools through the San Francisco Education Fund and sf.citi's Circle the Schools Initiative, which partners local technology companies with San Francisco public schools. Salesforce employees will volunteer 10,000 hours of their time during the 2015-16 school year. The company provides its employees with six paid days per year for volunteer work.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • tutors helping young students with laptops against a vibrant abstract background

    K12 Tutoring Earns ESSA Level II Validation

    Online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring's role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.

  • laptop displaying cybersecurity and financial charts, next to a locked safe and stacked gold coins

    Majority of Districts Lack Dedicated Cybersecurity Funding

    According to a recent CoSN survey, most school districts (61%) do not have dedicated funding to keep networks and data secure, instead relying on general funds to pay for cybersecurity efforts.

  • repeating abstract pattern featuring cloud icons, neural network shapes, data streams, and circuit-like elements in muted tones

    Report: Infrastructure Is the Missing Piece in Gen AI Strategy

    While generative AI has become central to digital transformation strategies, a new report from Google Cloud reveals most organizations aren't yet equipped to support it at scale.