From the first file to A+
How a student moves through the sequence, what carries from one course into the next, how one teacher staffs a year, and what is built so far.
The student path
- 01
Course 1 · Tech Foundations
Any semester. The computer science credit, open to every student, starting from the basics. It ends with the Tech+ attempt.
- 02
Pass Tech+
Passing the exam earns a seat in Course 2. A student who misses can study over a semester or the summer, retest, and join the next section.
- 03
Course 2 · IT Support Technician
Spring. Opens with a fast review of Course 1, then the hardware, networking, operating system and security work, with the Core 1 attempt midway and Core 2 at the end.
- 04
A+ and the job hunt
An advanced industry-based credential, a portfolio of help-desk tickets, a résumé and a mock interview.
What carries forward
Course 1 teaches each topic at Tech+ depth, but with the vocabulary, habits and tools Course 2 uses. Students who go on start Course 2 reviewing instead of meeting it all for the first time. Course 1 stays a computer science course: these are changes in how it teaches, not extra content.
| Topic | Course 1 introduces | Course 2 builds on it | Blocks saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troubleshooting method | The six CompTIA steps and ticket notes, the same ones Tech+ tests | Every ticket, from the first day | about 1 |
| Safety | The safe order for opening a computer (Open the Box) | A quick Bench License refresher instead of a full day | about 1 |
| Hardware | Naming parts, ports and storage types | Installing, diagnosing and, where desktops are available, rebuilding | about 2 |
| Networking | IP addresses, DNS, DHCP, Wi-Fi, routers and switches (The Trip) | Cabling, addressing and setting up a small office network | about 2 |
| Security | Passwords, sign-in codes, phishing and malware basics | Securing devices and accounts, removing malware | about 1 |
| Linux | Daily use of the Linux lab rigs: files, folders, settings | Linux commands and system tools, which Core 2 tests | about 2 |
That is about 9 blocks, roughly two weeks of a 90-minute spring, which goes to practice exams before each A+ attempt and, where desktops are available, a hardware build. The figures are planning estimates.
Course 1's own: The basics (files, typing, getting around), thinking like a programmer, data and databases, and the computer science standards.
Course 2's own: Windows command line and admin tools, printers, laptops and mobile devices, scripting, backups, and deep troubleshooting.
One teacher, one year
Course 1
Course 1
Course 1
Course 1
Course 1
Course 2
Five sections of Course 1 a year and one spring section of Course 2, shown here for a 4x4 block schedule with three teaching blocks a semester. The school's own schedule sets the real grid.
Built so far
- 6 sample daysEach with a 90-minute plan, a 50-minute plan and a printable lab sheet.
- 5 interactive activitiesVirtual computers to open, troubleshoot and fix, plus networking, binary and file basics.
- A 110-question benchmarkOriginal questions in the style of Tech+ and both A+ exams, scored by exam, domain and Louisiana standard.
- A graphic readingThe security reading told as a choose-your-path comic, with a plain-text version.
- All 49 standards mappedEvery Louisiana 9–12 computer science standard, with where the sequence teaches it.
Next
- More sample days, starting with the networking and security units of Course 1.
- A teacher's guide: pacing for the school calendar, setup for the lab rigs, and answer keys.
- A hardware build day for Course 2, for schools with retired desktops.
- Tech+ and A+ results, reported once students have tested.