Committee
Education
Author
Kevin Felsher
Session
2023 Session
Latest Action
The Senate Education Committee failed to take action on HB 208 by the February 28 deadline, causing this bill to die in committee.
Explanation of the Bill
House Bill 208 would require computer science courses that award Carnegie units to be taught by “appropriately endorsed” instructors. At the secondary level, middle school and high school teachers would presumably need the 7-12 computer science endorsement to be “appropriately endorsed.” At the elementary level, HB 208 specifies that computer science courses could be taught by licensed teachers or paraprofessionals who have received training in computer science instruction and are supervised by licensed teachers. The bill defines “paraprofessionals” as school employees who “support instructional delivery” and “have received the professional learning opportunities to perform the job functions associated with providing instruction.”
HB 208 would amend the Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Equality Act, which was passed in 2021 to promote computer science literacy among students. Among other provisions, the Act requires all public schools to offer computer science courses by the 2024-2025 school year.
HB 208 is identical to Senate Bill 2586.
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 1/4/23 | On January 4, HB 208 was referred to the House Education Committee. |
| 1/25/23 | On January 25, the House Education Committee passed HB 208. |
| 2/6/23 | On February 6, the House passed HB 208. |
| 2/14/23 | On February 14, HB 208 was referred to the Senate Education Committee. |
| 2/28/23 | The Senate Education Committee failed to take action on HB 208 by the February 28 deadline, causing this bill to die in committee. |