1. (a) Implementation.

   1. (1) The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
   2. (2) School districts shall implement the employability skills student expectations listed in §127.15(d)(2) of this chapter (relating to Career and Technical Education Employability Skills, Adopted 2025) as an integral part of this course.
2. (b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 9-12. Prerequisite: Algebra I and at least one credit in a course from the Information Technology Career Cluster. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

3. (c) Introduction.

   1. (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.
   2. (2) The Information Technology career cluster focuses on the design, development, support, and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration services. This career cluster includes occupations ranging from software developer and programmer to cybersecurity specialists and network analysts.
   3. (3) Engineering Applications of Computer Science Principles teaches rigorous engineering design practices, engineering habits of mind, and the foundational tools of computer science. Students apply core computer science principles to solve engineering design challenges that cannot be solved without such knowledge and skills. Students use a variety of computer software and hardware applications to complete projects.
   4. (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations that foster leadership and career development in the profession such as student chapters of related professional associations.
   5. (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

4. (d) Knowledge and skills.

   1. (1) The student applies concepts of critical thinking and problem solving to engineering applications in computer science. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify, analyze, and discuss elements of an engineering problem to develop creative and innovative solutions;
      2. (B) identify, analyze, and discuss the elements and structure of a programming problem to develop creative and innovative solutions;
      3. (C) identify and discuss pertinent information from a customer and existing program for solving a problem;
      4. (D) compare and discuss alternatives to a solution using a variety of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills; and
      5. (E) conduct research to gather technical information necessary for decision making.

   2. (2) The student conducts computer science and engineering laboratory activities using safe and environmentally appropriate practices. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and demonstrate safe practices during hands-on cutting and building activities during computer science and engineering laboratory activities;
      2. (B) identify and demonstrate safe use and storage of electrical components; and
      3. (C) identify and demonstrate appropriate use and conservation of resources, including disposal, reuse, or recycling of materials.

   3. (3) The student applies ethical considerations in designing solutions. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) define and evaluate constraints pertaining to a problem;
      2. (B) identify safety considerations in designing engineering solutions with respect to the system, engineer, and user; and
      3. (C) investigate and explain the importance and application of relevant legal and ethical concepts in computer science such as intellectual property, use of open-source software, attribution, patents, and trademarks.

   4. (4) The student demonstrates an understanding of the structured methods used to collect and analyze information about customer needs. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) analyze information provided by the customer to identify customer needs;
      2. (B) create a process flow diagram based on customer needs to generate ideas for potential user actions, product functions, and design opportunities;
      3. (C) develop a flowchart for a program using the results of a process flow diagram;
      4. (D) create a target specifications table;
      5. (E) identify and describe similar existing solutions; and
      6. (F) construct a functional model based on customer needs to generate ideas for potential user actions, product functions, and design opportunities.

   5. (5) The student develops a user interface and supplemental instructions. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify essential tasks to be completed by the user;
      2. (B) identify points of potential confusion or unexpected input by the user;
      3. (C) design a software or user interface that clearly communicates to the user how to complete desired tasks;
      4. (D) develop supplemental user instructions to inform the user of items that cannot be incorporated into an interface such as how to start the program or frequently asked questions;
      5. (E) test a program and the program instructions with an individual who is not familiar with the project;
      6. (F) evaluate and discuss feedback and results from new user testing;
      7. (G) improve and refine a program and the program instructions based on feedback and results of testing; and
      8. (H) re-test a program and the program instructions as necessary after modifications have been made in response to testing and identify any next steps.

   6. (6) The student systematically reverse engineers a product, examines ways to improve the product, and identifies the type of redesign required to make that improvement. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) write or perform tests, including break testing, for an existing program to determine functionality;
      2. (B) describe unexpected findings from deconstructing existing code;
      3. (C) examine and discuss relevant software libraries to determine their uses and functionality;
      4. (D) construct a flowchart for an existing program;
      5. (E) compare a program's current functionality to the customer's needs;
      6. (F) identify and add missing customer specifications or needs to a program's flowchart;
      7. (G) develop and explain new code that includes customer specifications or improves a product; and
      8. (H) compare and discuss the predicted versus actual functionality of a product to generate ideas for redesign.

   7. (7) The student applies concept generation and selection skills. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) create and explain a black box and functional model of a system;
      2. (B) implement brainstorming, mind mapping, concept sketching, and gallery walk activities to produce new ideas; and
      3. (C) apply concept selection techniques such as a Pugh chart or a weighted decision matrix to design decisions.

   8. (8) The student develops and applies engineering design process skills. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) select and use appropriate tools and techniques to support design activities;
      2. (B) report information about software design solutions in an engineering notebook;
      3. (C) develop, test, and refine programming concepts throughout the development process;
      4. (D) interpret and use an electrical diagram to build a circuit;
      5. (E) create a circuit using a microcontroller, a breadboard, and multiple components;
      6. (F) explain and apply the design process from different starting points by beginning with a baseline design;
      7. (G) use a model or simulation which represents phenomena and mimics real-world events to develop and test hardware;
      8. (H) critique and explain the usefulness and limitations of certain models;
      9. (I) develop a prototype solution; test the prototype solution against requirements, constraints, and specifications; and refine the prototype solution; and
      10. (J) report and describe a product's final design after the prototyping phase.

   9. (9) The student applies mathematics and algorithms in programs. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) apply mathematical concepts from algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or calculus to calculate the angle of a joint;
      2. (B) apply mathematical calculations cyclically in a program using algorithms; and
      3. (C) evaluate and verify algorithms for appropriateness and efficiency.

   10. (10) The student develops computer programs to support design solutions. The student is expected to:

       1. (A) design and explain software interfaces that communicate with hardware;
       2. (B) identify and apply relevant concepts from computer science, science, and mathematics such as functions, electricity, and mechanics; and
       3. (C) employ abstraction in a program by representing numerical sensor readouts in more intuitive variables and functions.

   11. (11) The student develops and applies computer science skills. The student is expected to:

       1. (A) integrate small discrete programs into a larger complete program solution using systems-thinking skills;
       2. (B) use intuitive variable names correctly and add comments to code to improve readability;
       3. (C) employ abstraction in a program by representing images as data arrays and representing numerical tone frequencies as variables;
       4. (D) convert image information into the correct data type necessary for given library functions;
       5. (E) develop an algorithm that includes logic such as "while" and "if" to accept user trackbar input and display image changes in real time;
       6. (F) develop flowcharts, pseudocode, and commented code to document and explain software design solutions;
       7. (G) design software interfaces that communicate with users and hardware;
       8. (H) employ abstraction to program an interface, treating imported code as a "black box";
       9. (I) employ abstraction by representing a joint as four points in a plane; and
       10. (J) select and apply correct programming vocabulary and programming skills during program development.

   12. (12) The student develops and uses computer programs to process data and information to gain insight and discover connections to support design solutions. The student is expected to:

       1. (A) explain how to organize complex image and video data for processing;
       2. (B) analyze complex data to make decisions and instruct users; and
       3. (C) develop programs that use incoming data and algorithms to create output data, information, and commands.

Source Note:The provisions of this §127.696 adopted to be effective August 1, 2025, 50 TexReg 3752.