Who teaches high-school computer science and does it matter?

Background and context
High schools have rapidly increased the availability of computer science (CS) courses. One challenge for these expansions is staffing CS classrooms with qualified teachers.

Objective
This study provides novel evidence about who teaches high-school CS courses and what CS teacher attributes matter for students’ experiences.

Method
This study uses statewide longitudinal student- and teacher-level data from North Carolina in descriptive and regression-based analyses.

Findings
Compared to teachers of non-CS courses, CS teachers are better qualified in many respects and similarly racially diverse but are more likely to be men and often lack preparation to teach CS specifically. Teachers’ characteristics are mostly unrelated to whether their students take or are successful on Advanced Placement CS exams, though general teaching experience, experience teaching CS, and National Board Certification are exceptions.

Implications
Stricter certification requirements for CS teachers may restrict CS expansions unnecessarily, though questions remain for future research on CS teacher quality.