2026 PK-12 CS Standards: Elementary Standards for Each Grade Level

This is the fifth in a series of posts about the 2026 PK-12 CS standards. For the full list of articles in this series, see the list at the bottom of this post.

The 2026 PK-12 CS Standards begin with a combined PK/K band and then provide individual grade-level expectations for grades 1–5. Middle school is one 6–8 band, followed by a foundational high-school band.   In contrast, the 2017 standards had combined grade-level bands for K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Standards for each elementary grade level puts the 2026 PK-12 CS standards on par with the standards for Common Core mathematics and ELA and much of NGSS. It acknowledges that early computer science learning needs a more deliberate developmental progression. By establishing individual standards for Grades 1–5, CSTA is making a much stronger claim about computer science as a developmental PK–12 discipline.

At the same time, the standards do not assume a daily standalone elementary computer science class. They estimate approximately 20–40 hours of computer science learning annually in PK–5, which can occur through dedicated instruction or thoughtful integration with other subjects. For both middle and high school, they assume the equivalent of one yearlong foundational course within each grade band.

The number of foundational standards for each grade level is as follows:

Standards progression charts by grade level for each foundational concept/sub-concept are available here: PK-12 Foundational Progressions. Standards for each grade, progression charts on various page sizes and other resources may be found on the PK-12 CS Standards Resource Page.