Norwalk High School // Norwalk-La Mirada USD
// Command Central // Norwalk, CA
An engaging, industry-aligned Computer Science pathway preparing students for careers in cybersecurity, software engineering, data science, networking, and beyond. Hands-on labs, real certifications, college credit, and industry partnerships — from Day 1.
College Board's newest AP course. Students learn to identify, analyze, and mitigate cybersecurity risks in digital systems. Covers threat landscapes, cryptography, network security, incident response, and digital forensics. Prepares students for the AP Exam and industry certifications.
Deep dive into object-oriented programming using Java. Covers algorithms, data structures, inheritance, polymorphism, recursion, and software design. AP Exam performance can earn college credit at most universities. Industry-standard language used across enterprise and Android development.
Broad introduction to computing as a creative and collaborative discipline. Explores programming, the Internet, big data, cybersecurity, and the societal impact of technology. Features a Create Performance Task (portfolio artifact) and the AP Exam. Accessible to students with no prior CS experience.
Students learn programming fundamentals using JavaScript — the language of the web. Covers variables, conditionals, loops, functions, DOM manipulation, and event-driven programming. Students build interactive web projects and games. Direct pathway to Web Design and AP courses.
Introduction to programming via Python, the world's most popular language for data science, AI, automation, and scripting. Students build command-line tools, data visualizations, and automation scripts. Directly applicable to cybersecurity scripting and AI/ML entry-level projects.
Web Design I covers HTML5, CSS3, accessibility, and responsive design. Web Design II advances to JavaScript frameworks, UI/UX principles, full-stack concepts, and portfolio development. Students build publish-ready websites and digital portfolios for college applications and internships.
Protect networks, systems, and data from cyber threats. Roles span SOC analyst, penetration tester, incident responder, threat hunter, security architect, and CISO. Massive demand driven by escalating cyberattacks across every industry sector.
Design, build, and maintain software systems from mobile apps to enterprise platforms. Backend, frontend, full-stack, embedded, and DevOps roles. The most abundant CS job category. Java, Python, JavaScript, and cloud skills are the core toolkit.
Design, deploy, and manage the physical and virtual networks that power the internet and enterprise communications. Network engineers configure routers, switches, firewalls, and cloud-based SDN systems.
Build intelligent systems: recommendation engines, image recognition, natural language processing, autonomous vehicles, and generative AI. Python and data science skills are the entry point. One of the fastest-growing and highest-paying fields in tech.
Design and manage cloud infrastructure on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Cloud architects plan migrations, cost optimization, security posture, and resilient system design. AWS Solutions Architect earns among the highest salaries in IT.
Extract meaning from massive datasets to drive business decisions. Data scientists use Python, SQL, and machine learning to build models, dashboards, and predictive tools. Critical role in healthcare, finance, government, and tech.
Design digital experiences that delight users. UX designers conduct research, wireframe interfaces, and prototype interactions. Front-end engineers implement designs in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript frameworks. High demand with strong creative-technical blend.
Government agencies (NSA, CISA, DHS, DoD), military branches, and defense contractors are among the largest employers of cybersecurity and IT professionals. Strong job security, clearance benefits, and public-service career paths. CyberPatriot and CompTIA certs are entry credentials.
The NHS CS Pathway is engineered to maximize college admission strength and minimize college tuition costs. Students graduate with college-level credentials, an impressive tech portfolio, and a resume that stands out in UC, CSU, CC, and private university applications.
Students built a live network monitoring dashboard using Splunk and Python to visualize traffic anomalies on the school network. Alerts configured for suspicious login attempts. Presented to IT department for potential real-world deployment.
Web application that helps Norwalk residents locate e-waste drop-off sites, schedule pickups, and track their environmental impact. Built with JavaScript, Google Maps API, and a Firebase backend. 200+ community users in first month.
Python-based chatbot trained on NHS campus policies and emergency procedures. Students integrated it with the school website to answer student queries about safety protocols. Uses NLP and a fine-tuned language model.
Data visualization project analyzing Norwalk employment, housing, and education data from public datasets. Interactive charts built in Python (Plotly) and deployed as a web app. Submitted to local city council as a civic data resource.
Open-source tool that analyzes password strength using entropy calculation, dictionary attack simulation, and NIST guidelines. JavaScript frontend with Python backend API. Published on GitHub and shared with CyberPatriot community.
Students in Web Design II collaboratively designed and built the official NHS CS Pathway public website — this page and its full site — as a capstone project. The project involved UI/UX research, Figma mockups, and production deployment.
| Career Role | Entry (CA) | Mid (CA Avg) | Senior (CA) | Bay Area Avg | Bay Area Senior | 10-Yr Growth | Demand | NHS Course Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $70–85K | $110–140K | $150–180K | $145–190K | $200–260K | +32% | ⬆ Critical | AP CyberSec |
| Penetration Tester | $80–100K | $120–155K | $160–200K | $160–210K | $220–300K | +35% | ⬆ Critical | AP CyberSec |
| Software Engineer | $85–105K | $130–165K | $170–220K | $170–240K | $240–350K+ | +25% | ⬆ Very High | AP CS A, Python |
| Full-Stack Developer | $75–95K | $115–150K | $155–200K | $155–210K | $210–280K | +23% | ⬆ Very High | Web Design, JS, Python |
| ML / AI Engineer | $100–120K | $145–185K | $200–260K | $190–280K | $300–450K+ | +40% | ⬆ Critical | Python, AP CS A |
| Cloud Engineer | $85–105K | $125–165K | $170–210K | $160–220K | $230–300K | +28% | ⬆ Very High | AWS Cert |
| Network Engineer | $65–80K | $95–130K | $135–170K | $125–175K | $180–230K | +15% | → Steady | Network+ |
| Data Scientist | $90–110K | $130–170K | $180–230K | $165–230K | $240–320K | +35% | ⬆ Very High | Python, AP CSP |
| UX/UI Designer | $60–75K | $90–125K | $130–170K | $115–165K | $170–220K | +16% | → Steady | Web Design I & II |
| IT Support / Sysadmin | $45–60K | $70–95K | $100–135K | $90–130K | $135–180K | +8% | → Moderate | CompTIA A+, Net+ |
| DevOps / SRE Engineer | $90–115K | $135–175K | $185–230K | $170–245K | $250–340K | +22% | ⬆ High | Linux, Cloud |
| Federal Cyber / DoD | $70–90K | $100–140K | $140–185K | $120–170K | $175–240K | +28% | ⬆ Critical | Sec+, CyberPatriot |