This year, State High is debuting an SQL — short for Structured Query Language — programming course developed by Oracle Academy, a globally-focused computer science education curriculum. SQL is used in business and industry to program and manage relational databases.

“Oracle Academy gives our students access to curriculum and resources that would not have been possible without the partnership with Oracle,” said James Byrns, who teaches the course in the high school’s Career and Technical Center.

“Oracle’s Database Design, SQL and/or PL/SQL courses, along with career skills such as problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking, will enhance the in-classroom experience for students in our programming course. The knowledge and practical skills students gain will help them advance their academic studies in computer science or enter the job market across industries.”

State High’s Oracle Academy program is funded through the SCASD Education Foundation and donations through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program — which allows contributing businesses and individuals to earn tax credits for supporting designated beneficiaries — have provided additional funding.

Other offerings through Oracle may include:
• Programming Fundamentals
• Introduction to Computer Programming Languages
• Advanced Computer Programming/AP Computer
• Databases Design and Programming
• Advanced C++ Programming
• AP Computer Science Principles

“SCASD students have now joined a wide network of support and growth, with 15,000 educational institutions and 6.3 million students in 128 countries, for our growing computer programming offerings,” Byrns said.

He noted the partnership opens up certification options for students, as well as an aligned curriculum with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) seal of mastery, in the database courses.

“We’re using a blended learning model that combines our hosted curriculum with classroom instruction, skill-building activities and online assessments that provide immediate feedback,” Byrns said. “Our plan is to use the resources of this partnership as soon as possible. These Oracle Academy courses allow our students to benefit almost immediately from the curriculum.”