Maryland Computer Science Standards

With Progressions & Annotations

Maryland Computer Science Standards

Like the national computer science standards, the Maryland CS standards are divided into five concepts:

  • Computing Systems 

  • Networks and the Internet

  • Data Analysis

  • Algorithms and Programming

  • Impacts of Computing

These concepts are divided into sub-concepts, and some of the sub-concepts are further divided. The standards are named using a code that specifies the grade, the concept and the sub-concept. So standard K.AP.C.01 is the Kindergarten (K) standard for the Algorithms and Programming (AP) concept, the sub-concept Control (C) and it is the first (01), and in this case only, standard in that sub-concept. 

Access the K-12 Maryland Computer Science Standards  on the Maryland State Department of Education Computer Science webpage. 

Two PDF versions are available:

K-12 Standards by grade band

K-12 Standards by sub-concept

 The K-5 progressions began as a way to inform the clarification of the skills associated with the 6-8 MD CS standards. In the course of development we found that they could be useful to:

  • Develop curricula and assessments

  • Help classroom teachers differentiate and remediate

  • Inform the refinement and revision of the MD CS standards and associated skills

The progressions were constructed from an empirical examination of the skills associated with the K5 MD CS standards. The skills were grouped into components of CS similar but not identical to the concepts in the CS standards. These components (Computational Thinking and Computer Programming, Interacting about Computing, Society and Computing, Computing Devices and Networks, Data and Computing) were further divided into sub-components and skill groups. The progressions are still a work in progress.

We created an interactive view for the progressions; users select a component, a subcomponent, skill group, and grade level. The grade level skills are displayed with prerequisite, subsequent and related skills also shown.

Use this form for feedback and/or make a copy of the interactive progressions. The skills in the progressions are based on those developed for the annotations. Find standards aligned lessons on ECSNet

We looked at a variety of sources to inform our work. They include:

PK-12 Scope and Sequence CS in SF

Coherence Map for Mathematics from Achieve the Core

Learning Graphs from Raspberry Pi

Learning Trajectories from Everyday Computing

Scope and Sequence from Digital Technologies Hub (Education Services Australia)