SILICON SLOPES, Utah, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pluralsight, Inc. (NASDAQ: PS), the enterprise technology learning platform, today announced that through the company’s social enterprise Pluralsight One, Utah teachers can now fulfill computer science course requirements to strengthen their technology skills and meet the needs of Utah students. Developed in partnership with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), Pluralsight One’s computer science program has been approved by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) as recommended coursework for USBE’s statewide computer science endorsements.
“Empowering Utah students with the skills they need to thrive in today’s digital age is critically important, and it starts with our teachers and ensuring they have access to high-quality computer science learning resources,” said Aaron Skonnard, Co-founder and CEO of Pluralsight. “The state board of education has taken an important step to expand access and opportunity to computer science education for Utah teachers, which in turn will prepare our students to pursue their passion through technology no matter the industry they join. We look forward to continuing our work with USBE and other key stakeholders to remove barriers of entry to computer science education for Utah teachers and ensure every student in the state has the opportunity to learn computer science.”
Recommended by USBE’s IT Advisory Committee, Pluralsight One’s teacher-focused computer science solution expands opportunity for teachers to fulfill course requirements beyond traditional channels of college and university, reducing barriers of cost, time, and transit for teachers statewide.
“Skills learned from computer science education enable students to become creators of technology and innovations,” said Sydnee Dickson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “By integrating the principles of computer science into various courses throughout the K-12 system, as well as providing access for all students to computer science courses, students will be prepared to succeed and lead as they exit our system.”
“Enabling our educators to keep pace with the evolution of technology creates direct outcomes on student and teacher performance. USBE’s computer science teacher endorsement is recognizing Pluralsight One’s CSTA+ offering for teacher credentialing and professional development,” said Brandon Jacobson, Specialist for Information Technology Education at the Utah State Board of Education. “This enables educators at any point in their teaching journey to learn and apply these important computer science concepts. As a state with a significant rural population, ensuring equitable access to relevant, quality resources is difficult. Through collaboration and a needs-based approach, we’re making significant progress.”
In August, Pluralsight One announced a new partnership with CSTA to strengthen the technology skills of teachers. Teachers who are CSTA+ members can access free curated courses on Pluralsight’s platform to hone their skills to pass national computer science certification exams as well as gain deeper knowledge of computer science concepts and programming to skill up the next generation of innovators. Curated by expert technologists and mapped to national certification exams and computer science standards, the course library contains 33 courses with over 100 hours of content covering everything from how to jumpstart a career in IT to UX design and front end development to Java and Python. In addition to Pluralsight One’s offerings, CSTA+ members receive access to wraparound support, including teaching resources, professional development and a community of fellow computer science educators to network with.
“It is important for the government, at both the state and national level, to invest in the development of computer science educators,” said Jake Baskin, Executive Director of CSTA. “Teachers are the key to increasing computer science opportunities for students and Utah’s commitment to providing access to computer science training is an investment in the future of Utah’s youth.”
For more information about Pluralsight One, visit https://pluralsightone.org/.
For more information on how to become a CSTA+ member, visit https://www.csteachers.org/.
About Pluralsight
Pluralsight is an enterprise technology learning platform that delivers a unified, end-to-end learning experience for businesses across the globe. Through a subscription service, companies are empowered to move at the speed of technology, increasing proficiency, innovation and efficiency. Founded in 2004 and trusted by Fortune 500 companies, Pluralsight provides members with on-demand access to a digital ecosystem of learning tools, including Pluralsight IQ, directed learning paths, expert-authored courses, interactive labs and live mentoring. For more information, visit pluralsight.com.
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Ben Veghte
ben-veghte@pluralsight.com