What It's About

Business and Computer Science programs prepare students to become productive members of the business community and to enter a post-high school institution after graduation. Students develop competencies in such areas of instruction as finance, legal operations of business, administrative support, information management, international business, entrepreneurship, management, and computer programming.

Business and Computer Science programs consist of three components: classroom/ laboratory experiences, which provide instruction that meets industry-validated standards; work-based learning directly related to classroom instruction in the form of internships, cooperative education, school-based enterprises, and youth apprenticeship; and the vocational student organizations of FBLA and DECA, which provide cocurricular activities within the program area to develop teamwork and leadership skills.

Why It's Important

"Business and Computer Science programs in Georgia's high schools provide students the opportunity to learn about the business community. Georgia's economic prosperity depends upon an educated population to operate, initiate, and expand business in the 21st century. These programs in our high schools provide students the foundation to be the business leaders of tomorrow."
Monica Anderton, Human Resources Manager
BellSouth.Net, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

"As an employer in a small, rural community, for more than 25 years we have experienced the results and realize the value of secondary technical education programs offered students in our schools. Students are given a chance to acquire skills needed in the workforce, giving them a way to be productive, self-supporting citizens. These students learn work ethics and build self- confidence in seeing the fruits of their efforts. Six of the students whom we hired from these programs have remained with us from high school through their adult careers as a viable, contributing part of our workforce."
Jimmy Benefield, President
Farmers and Merchants Bank
Lakeland, Georgia

Curriculum Development/Articulation:

• Revise statewide articulation agreements throughout all program strands.
• Develop and disseminate new curriculum guides for 31 courses included in the program strands of administrative support, entrepreneurship, information management, international business, finance, management, and marketing.
• Develop/revise middle school exploratory courses in business and marketing and a middle school keyboarding and technology curriculum.
• Develop a state council composed of representatives of the seven business, marketing, and information strands to guide in the development and revision of standards, curriculum, and teacher certification.

Work-Based Learning:

• Develop and disseminate work-based learning objectives using V-TECS Connect to all cooperative education programs.
• Develop standards and guidelines for offering school-based enterprises in all school systems.
• Provide a web page for training plan development in all related occupations.
• Implement Georgia Board of Education-approved standards throughout all cooperative education and internship components of Business, Marketing, and Information Management programs.

Industry Certification:

• Revise industry certification standards for each program strand on a two-year rotation basis.
• Update equipment and facility standards/guidelines for all programs.
• Seek industry certification and recertification of 25 percent of the programs per year.
• Convert business and marketing labs to business technology centers for expanded use in entrepreneurial ventures and e-commerce.

Professional Development:

• Update teachers on current trends in selected areas of business and the use of emerging technology.
• Provide staff development for teachers in the development of instructional strategies for exceptional students.
• Provide a statewide bank of shadowing opportunities for teachers.
• Provide professional development for teachers pursuing industry certification.