Dear Waldo, I'll forward you message to the edu-sig folks for you; they're definitely the people you want to talk to about Python in education. I hope that they'll be able to help answer your questions on certification. Off the top of my head: Learning Tree offers a course in Python programming: http://www.learningtree.com/ http://www.learningtree.com/us/ilt/courses/430.htm and they seem to focus on certification a bit, so you might want to talk to them. I'll let the other edu-sig'ers give their insight to your question too... *grin* Good luck to you. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 17:50:14 -0500 From: Waldo Jaquith <waldo@waldo.net> To: help@python.org Subject: [Python-Help] Certification Folks, This probably isn't the best address to write to, but I'm really not interested in joining any mailing lists or anything right now. I'm a board member of the Information Technology Academy in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. In a nutshell, we're working with local public schools to offer programming and computer-related education. Such things exist in schools now, but, frankly, they suck. I want to start kids off with Python. It's the best language to start on, or so people keep telling me. Right now they start on Visual Basic, which is disgusting. The problem is that you can't teach kids things in school unless you can prove that they've learned something. And to prove that they've learned something, you have to have a test. And to have a test, you have to be able to develop some sort of standards, or demonstrate that the standards exist. I'm not about to lobby the Commonwealth of Virginia to accept whatever Python standards that I might decide are good. On the other hand, if there were a commercial entity (non-profit or otherwise) that created a Python certification program, that would be good enough for the board of education. So my question is this: is there now, or will there soon be, such certification? I know such measurements are worthless to you and me, but they're essential to get Python in the classroom. Thanks for your time. Best, Waldo -- #define K(i)(x[i]^s[i+84])<< unsigned char x[5],y,z,s[2048];main(n){for(read(0,x,5);read(0,s,n=2048); write(1,s,n))if(s[y=s[13]%8+20]/16%4==1){int i=K(1)17^256+K(0)8,k=K(2)0, j=K(4)17^K(3)9^k*2-k%8^8,a=0,b=0,c=26;for(s[y]-=16;--c;i/=2,j/=2)a=a*2^1 &1,b=b*2^j&1;for(j=127;++j<n;c=z+c>y)a^=a>>14,a=a>>8^(y=a^a*8^a<<6)<<9, b=b>>8^(z=b^b/8^b>>4^b>>12)<<17,i=s[j],i="7Wo~'G_\216"[i&7]+2^"cr3sfw6v; *k+>/n."[i>>4]*2^i*257/8,s[j]=i^(i&i*2&34)*6^z+c+~y;}} Charles M. Hannum _______________________________________________ Python-Help maillist - Python-Help@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-help