Data Science 4 Everyone today announced the release of its "State of the Field 2025 Data Science and Data Literacy Education in US K-12” report, highlighting rapid growth and new policy initiatives in K–12 data science education across the United States. Building on insights from the National Academies’ September 2022 workshop, this year's issue presents the latest data and case studies on how schools, districts, and states are preparing the next generation for a data-driven world.
“In the AI era, it is essential for students to understand the basic mechanics behind these tools and gain a toolkit to question their outputs as well,” said Data Science 4 Everyone Executive Director Zarek Drozda. “Managers have been asking for data science skills in nearly every sector, and the value of data will only increase over the next decades. We are thrilled to see education leaders taking innovative steps to create these opportunities at long last for students across the country.”
Key findings include:
- Over 70,000 students enrolled in dedicated data science classes or modules during the most recent school year, spanning 958 schools and 630 districts.
- Eight states, including Arizona, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia, advanced in Data Science 4 Everyone’s three-tier ranking for policy implementation.
- New Hampshire and Oregon now require credits in data analysis or statistics for high school graduation.
- More than 3,000 teachers nationwide participated in over 23,000 hours of professional development in data science education.
Data Science 4 Everyone continues to advocate for equitable, high-quality data science education, ensuring all students have critical skills for success in higher education, careers, and civic life.
More information and detailed case studies are available in the full report along with an interactive dashboard.
About Data Science 4 Everyone:
About Data Science 4 Everyone is a national coalition committed to ensuring that K–12 students are equipped with the data science and data literacy skills needed to succeed in an increasingly data-driven world. We believe that equitable access to data science education opens doors to higher education, high-paying careers, an engaged community, and a thriving democracy. As new tools and transformative technologies are developed and deployed with increasing speed, it is more essential than ever that our society is fully data literate and prepared to think critically about the origin, collection, modeling, and
presentation of data.