About the Standards
The Standards define the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions students should develop in computer science from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. They establish coherent learning progressions while allowing flexibility in how schools, districts, and states implement them. Learn more.
Computer science is “the study and human-centered practice of using data, algorithms, and computing systems to solve problems, make discoveries, and express ideas.” It is both a scientific and creative discipline. Learn more.
No. The Standards describe what students should know and be able to do, but they do not prescribe particular lessons, assessments, tools, programming languages, or instructional materials. See also aligned curriculum.
The CSTA Standards are a national model designed for states and local systems to adopt or adapt. Whether they become required depends on state and local policies, standards, and graduation expectations.
Computer science education, research, and school implementation have changed substantially since 2017. The revision preserves enduring foundations while responding to developments such as AI, cybersecurity, human-centered design, ethics, career exploration, and the growing importance of equitable PK–12 pathways.
Structure and Content
Each standard combines three interconnected elements: concepts, which describe core disciplinary knowledge; practices, which describe how students engage in CS; and dispositions, which describe habits of mind that instruction should foster. Concepts serve as the primary organizational structure of the standards. Learn more.
The Foundational PK–12 Computer Science Standards are designed to provide coherent learning progressions across the PK–12 continuum. They begin with a combined prekindergarten and kindergarten (PK/K) band, followed by grade-level expectations for grades 1–5. Middle school is organized as a single grade band, leading into a final band that represents foundational high school learning.
Specialty Standards extend foundational PK–12 computer science learning by defining advanced, domain-specific learning in key areas of computing. These standards are organized into two tiers (Specialty I and Specialty II) across seven high school specialty areas: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Game Development, Physical Computing, Software Development, and X+CS.
Foundational Standards identify the CS learning intended for every student. High School Specialty Standards provide deeper, advanced study for students who choose to continue in a particular area of computing.
AI, Ethics, and Societal Impacts
AI systems build on foundational ideas in algorithms, programming, data, systems, and the relationship between computing and society. Integrating AI across all five concepts helps students understand both how it works and how human decisions shape its impacts.
A standard is designated as AI-related if it explicitly addresses AI, closely aligns with prioritized AI learning outcomes (CSTA & AI4K12, 2025), or develops knowledge foundational to AI literacy. The designation does not imply a particular implementation strategy or require the use of an AI tool. See the AI-related Foundational Standards.
A sociotechnical approach recognizes that technologies and society continually shape one another. Computing systems reflect human choices, values, institutions, and power, and their benefits and harms are not distributed evenly. Learn more.
Implementing the Standards
The writing team used approximately 20–40 hours of CS learning per year in PK–5 and the equivalent of a year-long course across each of the middle and high school grade bands. These were planning assumptions used to establish realistic scope and depth, not rigid scheduling mandates.
No. Learning may occur through standalone courses, integration across other subjects, or a thoughtful combination. Whatever the model, schools should preserve coherent progressions, cover the full intent of the Standards, and ensure equitable access.
Young children already practice foundational CS thinking when they sequence steps, identify patterns, sort information, and solve problems. Beginning early allows these ideas to develop gradually and ensures students first encounter them before access and confidence gaps have formed.
No. Movement, storytelling, games, sorting activities, and physical manipulatives can develop computational thinking and CS concepts without digital devices. In fact, the interactive web display includes unplugged implementation examples for the majority of Foundational Standards across grades PK–12.
Finding and Using Resources
Yes. Each Standard is accompanied by a series of clarifying components, which may include: a boundary statement, practice and disposition alignments, implementation examples, interdisciplinary connections, progressions, resources, academic vocabulary, and an AI-related designation. These components are included in the interactive web display.
Additional resources, including downloadables, can be found at
csteachers.org/pk12standards/resources.
CSTA’s Curriculum Directory identifies curricula independently reviewed for alignment to the 2026 Standards. The current curriculum page includes results from early alignment reviews and information for providers seeking a formal review.
Yes. CSTA offers asynchronous courses that help educators understand the rationale and structure of the Standards and apply them to teaching and curriculum decisions. Additional implementation resources support particular grade bands, topics, and professional roles.
Yes. A letter-size, perfect-bound edition is available at cost through the CSTA Mimeo Marketplace. The resource page currently lists the price as approximately $20 plus shipping.
Yes, under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 license. Users must provide attribution, limit use to noncommercial purposes, and distribute adaptations under the same license. Other licensing questions may be directed to standards@csteachers.org.
The revision involved 25 writers representing 18 states, approximately 70 advisors, and approximately 450 asynchronous reviewers. Work proceeded through overlapping research, writing, feedback, and implementation phases, including three public drafts. Learn more.
Questions about the Standards, implementation, or licensing may be sent to standards@csteachers.org. Curriculum providers can direct curriculum review questions to partners@csteachers.org.