1. Colorado STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — is a
community-based effort led by The Colorado Education Initiative (CEI)
to develop and implement the Colorado STEM Education Roadmap
(STEM Roadmap). The purpose is to advance STEM education for all
Colorado learners, meet business needs, and attract new companies to
the state.
This matters because the technology sector struggles to fill in-demand
positions. Too many Colorado students lack the technical skills needed.
Closing this gap is a key priority of the STEM Roadmap.
THE CHALLENGE: High School Students are Unprepared for
Colorado Tech Jobs
While the number of Colorado jobs requiring computer science skills continues to grow,
the number and diversity of Colorado students prepared for these jobs is shrinking. Fewer
than 70 of Colorado’s 479 high schools (less than 15 percent) offer the prerequisite courses
to prepare students for technology jobs.
There is a striking lack of diversity in Colorado’s computer science workforce. A major
factor is the decline of computer science classes in Colorado schools, where enrollment
of minority and female students continues to lag. In 2013, only 370 high school
students statewide took the Advanced Placement Computer Science exam, with stark
underrepresentation of females and minorities.
THE APPROACH: New Compute Colorado Task Force to
Develop Strategy
In November 2015, CEI, the Colorado Technology Association (CTA), and the National Center
for Women & Information Technology are forming an education and technology task force
— Compute Colorado — of Colorado school district leaders, state industry executives, and
national experts. The goal is to develop a strategy for increasing the number and diversity
of Colorado students prepared to compete for high-demand, high-wage technology
jobs. Strategies will be shared with Colorado education leaders, companies, industry
associations, postsecondary institutions, and others. CEI and CTA will build on a strong track
record of successful partnership to advance implementation of this strategy.
Join the Compute Colorado Task Force to kick off the development
of a strategy for Colorado to increase the number and diversity of K-12
students excited and prepared to fill Colorado’s in-demand tech sector jobs.
New Colorado STEM Task Force:
Compute Colorado

2. coloradoedinitiative.org @edinitiativeco
1660 Lincoln Street | Suite 2000 | Denver, CO 80264 | 303-736-6477
To ensure that more students are prepared for Colorado’s growing technology
sector, the task force will address a lack of:
• System-wide focus on exciting and engaging students earlier in computational thinking and computer science — the
pipeline of high school students entering these courses is too small.
• Clarity about how computational thinking and computer science might count toward Colorado high school
graduation requirements.
• Educator content expertise and integration of computational thinking into existing computer science courses.
• Enrollment among females and minorities in high school computer science courses.
JOIN TASK FORCE BY OCT. 16, 2015: Meeting is Nov. 5-6, 2015
Join the Compute Colorado Task Force to kick off the development of a strategy for Colorado to increase the number and
diversity of K-12 students excited and prepared to fill Colorado’s in-demand tech sector jobs.
• Time commitment: Task force members will be asked to spend 2-4 hours on pre-work, attend a one-and-a-half-day
meeting, and review and provide feedback on an initial draft strategy post-meeting.
• When and where: The one-and-a-half-day meeting, preceded by a half-day site visit, is scheduled in Denver on
Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5 and 6, 2015.
• How: RSVP confirmation of your attendance to Emily Smith at esmith@coloradoedinitiative.org on or before
Oct. 16, 2015.
THE FACTS: Computer Science — An Essential 21st Century Skill for Coloradoans
As the national economy continues to become increasingly digital, developing a talent pipeline is vital.
Over half of the projected U.S. STEM jobs will require computational thinking, making computer science
an essential 21st century skill.
This is particularly important to Colorado, where high-tech innovation propels economic growth that
continues to outpace the rest of the country. Exposure to computer science leads to some of the highest-
paying jobs in Colorado, and could increase social mobility for underrepresented populations.
Even as STEM and computer science jobs are projected to grow, Colorado employers are forced to look
elsewhere for talent. Since 2010, Colorado companies have spent $19 million annually to import talent
from outside the U.S. to fill unmet demand.
“There are currently 16,000 open tech jobs in Colorado. Thirty percent are
expected to require four-year computer science degrees. The remaining 70
percent would be employable with high school diplomas — but only with
quality K-12 computer science education”
– Wendy Nkomo
Chief Operating Officer, Colorado Technology Association
Executive Director, Colorado Technology Foundation