Academic standards shape nearly every aspect of K-12 instruction in the United States. The Computer Science Teachers Association’s (CSTA) K-12 Standards, last published in 2017, serve as the de facto national standards for CS and have heavily influenced the development and adoption of state CS standards over the past eight years.

Since then, student interest in CS has surged, research in CS education has expanded, and new technologies have transformed the field. In response, CSTA has undertaken a multi-year effort to update its standards. The result is a future-oriented set of standards that organizes content across five foundational topic areas (Algorithms and Design, Programming, Data and Analysis, Systems and Security, and Computing and Society) and defines practices across four crosscutting Pillars (Ethics and Social Responsibility, Inclusive Collaboration, Computational Thinking, and Human-Centered Design). Seven specialty areas (e.g., artificial intelligence, cybersecurity) have also been created for students interested in extending beyond a foundational CS experience. These revised standards will influence PK-12 CS classrooms for the next generation of students.

This Birds of a Feather session offers an exclusive preview of the revised standards ahead of their official release in July 2026. Participants will hear directly from members of the standards writing team, explore the implications for classroom practice, curriculum design, and teacher preparation, and collaborate in role-alike groups to reflect on impacts and identify needed resources. Whether you are an educator, curriculum developer, or researcher, this session is a unique opportunity to shape how the new standards take root in schools.