[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 558 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 558

 Supporting the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer 
 science and computing careers among the public and in schools, and to 
  ensure an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the 
        designation of National Computer Science Education Week.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2009

   Mr. Ehlers (for himself and Mr. Polis of Colorado) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science 
   and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and 
 Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer 
 science and computing careers among the public and in schools, and to 
  ensure an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the 
        designation of National Computer Science Education Week.

Whereas computing technology has become an integral part of culture and is 
        transforming how people interact with each other and the world around 
        them;
Whereas computer science is transforming industry, creating new fields of 
        commerce, driving innovation in all fields of science, and bolstering 
        productivity in established economic sectors;
Whereas the field of computer science underpins the information technology 
        sector of our economy, which is a significant contributor to United 
        States economic output;
Whereas the information technology sector is uniquely positioned to help with 
        economic recovery through the research and development of new 
        innovations;
Whereas National Computer Science Education Week can inform students, teachers, 
        parents, and the general public about the crucial role that computer 
        science plays in transforming our society and how computer science 
        enables innovation in all science, technology, engineering, and 
        mathematics disciplines and creates economic opportunities;
Whereas providing students the chance to participate in high-quality computer 
        science activities, including through science scholarships, exposes them 
        to the rich opportunities the field offers and provides critical 
        thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives;
Whereas all students deserve a thorough preparation in science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics education, including computer science, at 
        the elementary and secondary levels of education;
Whereas these subjects provide the critical foundation to master the skills 
        demanded by our 21st century workforce;
Whereas computer science education has a number of challenges to address, 
        including distinguishing computer science from technology literacy, 
        providing adequate professional development for computer science 
        teachers, exposing K-12 students to computer science concepts, and 
        attracting more participation by females and underrepresented minorities 
        to the field;
Whereas Grace Murray Hopper, one of the first females in the field of computer 
        science, engineered new programming languages and pioneered standards 
        for computer systems which laid the foundation for many advancements in 
        computer science; and
Whereas the week of December 7, in honor of Grace Hopper's birthday, is 
        designated as ``National Computer Science Education Week'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of National Computer Science 
        Education Week;
            (2) encourages schools, teachers, researchers, 
        universities, and policymakers to identify mechanisms for 
        teachers to receive cutting edge professional development to 
        provide sustainable learning experiences in computer science at 
        all educational levels and encourage students to be exposed to 
        computer science concepts;
            (3) encourages opportunities, including through existing 
        programs, for females and underrepresented minorities in 
        computer science; and
            (4) supports research in computer science to address what 
        would motivate increased participation in this field.
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