Read the CSTA PK-12 standards and the AP Computer Science courses, and map a unit to them.
Why it matters
Standards tell you, your school and your state what students should know and be able to do at each level. Mapping your units to them helps you justify the curriculum, avoid gaps and repetition across years, and plan with colleagues. In the US, the most widely used reference is the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards, and at high school many schools also offer Advanced Placement (AP) computer science courses from the College Board.
Standards change: CSTA has released revised PK-12 standards in 2026 (the first major revision since 2017, with AI integrated throughout), and states adopt, adapt or ignore them on their own schedules. Always check what your state has adopted. Official sources: CSTA standards at https://csteachers.org/k12standards/ and AP Central at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/. Checked on 2026-10-23.
How the CSTA standards are organised
The 2017 CSTA standards, which many states adopted or adapted, are built on the K-12 Computer Science Framework and use this structure:
Levels (by grade band):
| Level | Grades |
|---|---|
| 1A | K-2 |
| 1B | 3-5 |
| 2 | 6-8 |
| 3A | 9-10 |
| 3B | 11-12 (often elective) |
Concepts (what students learn):
- Computing Systems (CS)
- Networks and the Internet (NI)
- Data and Analysis (DA)
- Algorithms and Programming (AP)
- Impacts of Computing (IC)
Practices (how students work): fostering an inclusive computing culture, collaborating, recognising and defining problems, developing and using abstractions, creating computational artifacts, testing and refining, and communicating about computing.
Each standard has an identifier combining level, concept and number, such as 2-AP-13 (level 2, Algorithms and Programming, standard 13). The identifier makes mapping easy: "This unit addresses 2-AP-13 and 2-AP-17."
Check the exact wording of each standard on the CSTA site or in your state's version before you cite it; revised standards may renumber them.
AP Computer Science
The College Board offers two AP CS courses. Course frameworks, exam formats and required tasks are updated periodically, so read the current Course and Exam Description on AP Central.
| AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) | AP Computer Science A (CSA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | breadth: creativity, data, the internet, impacts, programming | depth: object-oriented programming |
| Language | teacher's choice (blocks or text) | Java |
| Assessment | end-of-course exam plus a through-course programming project (the Create performance task) | end-of-course exam with multiple choice and free-response coding |
| Audience | designed as an accessible first course | students ready for a programming-intensive course |
Teachers who want to teach an AP course must have their school's course authorised through the AP Course Audit, and the College Board offers summer institutes and endorsed curriculum providers (several are free).
Worked example: mapping a unit
Unit: "Make a quiz app" in grade 7, two weeks, block-based or Python.
| Unit activity | Standard (2017 identifiers) | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Use variables to keep a score | 2-AP-11 (variables) | score updates correctly in the program |
| Use conditionals and loops for questions | 2-AP-12 (control structures) | program asks several questions and checks answers |
| Break the app into procedures | 2-AP-13 / 2-AP-14 (decomposition, procedures) | at least two named functions |
| Test with classmates and fix bugs | 2-AP-17 (testing and refining) | test log with changes |
| Credit borrowed code and media, comment the program | 2-AP-16 / 2-AP-19 (attribution, documentation) | comments and credits |
| Discuss who might be excluded by the app's design | 2-IC-21 (bias and accessibility) | short reflection |
Treat the numbers above as an example of the method; confirm each code against the version your state uses. Notice that one project covers several standards and both concepts and practices.
Using standards well
- Plan backwards: start from the standards and the evidence you want, then design activities (backward design from the instructional design course).
- Map across years with colleagues so students do not do "intro to variables" four times.
- Do not teach to the identifier. Standards describe outcomes; your projects should still be engaging.
- State frameworks may add or rename standards, and some states fold CS into technology or digital literacy standards.
Common mistakes
- Citing standards from memory. Check the current official wording.
- Over-mapping. Claiming 20 standards for one lesson is not credible; pick the ones you assess.
- Ignoring practices. Collaboration, testing and communication are standards too.
- Treating AP as the only goal. Many students need an engaging first course before or instead of AP.
Quick recap
- CSTA standards are organised by level, concept and practice, with identifiers like 2-AP-13.
- CSTA released revised PK-12 standards in 2026; check what your state has adopted.
- AP CSP is a broad, accessible course; AP CSA is Java-based programming.
- Map units to a small number of standards you actually assess, and confirm wording on official sites.