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Prepare for a career in Information Support and Services or Software and Systems Development.

“From smart phones and video games to music, medicine, and more, computer science touches everything we do.”

CART Web Application Development Lab

Overview

Pathways in the Information and Communication Technologies sector prepare graduates to work in programming, cybersecurity, robotics, web development, and more.

Students may have the opportunity to receive college credit and industry recognized certifications as well as participate in paid and unpaid internships.

Information and Communication Technologies

Sample IT Courses

Advanced Web Development is designed to help students gain the advanced programming skills needed to create sites to market and sell their entrepreneurial products and/or services. In the course, students will learn and be able to build webpages in JavaScript. Students will also learn AngularJS as part of their development in MEAN stack. In Javascript and MEAN, students will build web applications, content management systems, mobile responsive web applications, e-commerce web applications, and CRUD applications. The Advanced Web Programming course will enable students to solve line-of-business problems for small and growing organizations. The web solutions they create will automate tasks that alleviate time and cost from the startups students create.

AP Computer Science is designed as a collegiate-level introductory course in computer science. The course will emphasize the development of computer programs or parts of programs that correctly solve a given problem and the design issue that make programs understandable, adaptable, and, when appropriate, reusable. All student responses involving code on the Advanced Placement examination must be written in Java. To review specific AP course credit, visit www.collegeboard.org; see counselor for information.

AP Computer Science Principles is equivalent to a first semester introductory college computing course. In this course, students will develop computational thinking vital for success across all disciplines, such as using computational tools to analyze and study data and working with large data sets to analyze, visualize, and draw conclusion from trends. Students are encouraged to think creatively while using computer software and other technology to explore questions that interest them. To review specific AP course credit, visit www.collegeboard.org; see counselor for information.

Application Design and Research allows students to use their knowledge from previous courses to design, develop, and produce an interactive program (such as a video game or app) which will be reviewed by their peers and community members. This course will allow students to apply their learning in earlier courses to create an interactive product. Students will progress through the stages of application development, including planning, designing, production, and marketing. Additionally, students will also learn the professional skills of how to collaborate, receive and provide productive feedback, revise and refine their designs, meet the needs of a target market, and pitch an idea to a committee. These experiences will not only help them to be successful in the software development industry, but in any career they might pursue.

The course aims to develop computational thinking, to generate excitement about the field of computing, and to introduce computational tools that foster creativity. The course also aims to build students’ awareness of the tremendous demand for computer specialists and for professionals in all fields who have computational skills. Each unit focuses on one or more computationally intensive career paths. Projects and problems include app development, visualization of data, cybersecurity, and simulation.

Students will learn how to design, query, and optimize relational databases. They will use server-side technologies to create back-end API’s. They will also learn to integrate front-end, back-end, and database technologies to create a single full-stack application.

Students will learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, allowing them to design, develop, and create interactive websites. Students will create web sites that will be reviewed by their peers and members of the community. Students will also learn the professional skills of how to collaborate, receive, and provide productive feedback while working in teams to meet project specifications.

This course provides students with foundational knowledge of programming and computer science. Students will explore topics of human computer interaction, problem solving, web design, computer programming, data modeling, and robotics. Throughout the course, students will understand the algorithmic underpinnings of computer applications and gain technical expertise using computational tools. Other areas of the sector could be introduced such as software design, networking, game design, information support, and topics like artificial intelligence, and robotics. Social issues in ICT will be introduced such as hacking and cybersecurity, social media usage and protecting personal information, the digital divide, open government data, and ethical computing.

This course will expose students to the career readiness skills needed for a successful internship and prepare them for the world of work. An internship is a work-based learning experience that provides students the opportunity to apply their technical and academic skills in a professional setting. Students will develop and practice an understanding of the duties and responsibilities of high-skilled career areas, including terminology, climate, protocol, and other information that will enable them to analyze and revise their meaningful future plans. This course will expose students to the career readiness skills needed for a successful internship and prepare them for the world of work. The internship is supported with activities and assignments to deepen and enhance the experience. The structure of the internship aligns with local policy and program expectations for internships.

This course will expose students to the career readiness skills needed for a successful internship and prepare them for the world of work. An internship is a work-based learning experience that provides students the opportunity to apply their technical and academic skills in a professional setting. Students will develop and practice an understanding of the duties and responsibilities of high-skilled career areas, including terminology, climate, protocol, and other information that will enable them to analyze and revise their meaningful future plans. This course will expose students to the career readiness skills needed for a successful internship and prepare them for the world of work. The internship is supported with activities and assignments to deepen and enhance the experience. The structure of the internship aligns with local policy and program expectations for internships.

Note: Course availability varies by school and program.

CART Labs

CART is a college and career prep, half-day program for juniors and seniors in Clovis and Fresno Unified School Districts. Labs offer hands-on and industry standard methods for students to investigate and acquire a variety of skills. CART offers two labs in the Information and Communication Technologies sector.

User EXperience (UX) Design Lab

User EXperience Design focuses on the processes of designing a product’s interface and function. Companies like Apple and Google employ teams of highly specialized UX professionals charged with carefully crafting a product’s usefulness, usability, and desirability. Students in the UX Design lab learn to create innovative, equitable, and user-centered experiences for the digital world. Through interactive, hands-on experiences UX students will learn to realize innovative concepts, evaluate a design’s usability, and deliver functional prototypes. Students will learn how to apply psychology, user-centric design thinking, wireframing, interface design, storyboarding, visual design theory, and prototyping skills.

Web Application Development Lab

Students go beyond being a user of technology and become certified to design, develop, and deploy Rich Internet Applications, websites, and games using Web 2.0 developer tools such as Java, SQL, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. They will learn the foundational skills of object-oriented programming, web design, database design, scripting, and graphical user-interface design to ensure that end-users have a positive experience and return again and again to the applications. Certifications through Microsoft, Adobe, and CIW are available.

Examples of IT Careers

OccupationEducation LevelMedian Annual Earnings in CA
Computer and Information Systems ManagerBachelor's degree$184,300
Computer Hardware EngineerBachelor's degree$143,200
Computer ProgrammerBachelor's degree$104,300
Computer Systems AnalystBachelor's degree$112,200
Information Security AnalystBachelor's degree$121,510
Robotics TechnicianAssociate's degree$62,500
Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analyst and TesterBachelor's degree$135,900
Web Developer and Digital Interface DesignerAssociate's degree$89,400

Source: US Dept of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics for California

Information and Communication Technologies Pathways and Programs

Click here for an accessible list of the programs on the map, including links to school site pathway pages.

NAF Certified

NAF academies are structured as small, focused learning communities that fit within and enhance high school systems.

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Edison Computer Science

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