This paper describes a project underway at the California State Department of Education to develop a model curriculum for computers in education. The first part of the paper describes the unique aspects of computers in education, including their potential for efficient transmission of information, the possibilities for teaching subject matter outside the regular curriculum, their interactive properties, the fact that they allow for personalized feedback and pacing, and the potential for simulating learning contexts that are otherwise not feasible for schools. The role of the state is then described as removing barriers to the effective implementation of computers in schools. The background and rationale for the model curriculum project, the development process, and a clarification of the purposes, organization, and contents of the model curriculum document are then described. The five major "strands" of the document are as follows: (1) operation of computer systems, (2) computer applications, (3) developing thinking skills through programing, (4) computer science, and (5) the societal impact of computers. (TE)