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Data Science and AI Academy

CS30: Introduction to Data Science

A Data Science course in collaboration with NC State University’s Data Science and AI Academy (DSA).

CS30: Bringing Data Science to NC Students

Prepare your students for the future: Data literacy is essential. CS30 is a state-offered CTE course that can help your students build up their data literacy and early workforce skills to set them up for success in the professional world.

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Key Course Highlights:

  • Can be offered in middle school while satisfying the high school computer science graduation requirement.
  • Tailored for All Skill Levels: CS30 offers low-code, medium-code and high-code options to accommodate students with varying levels of coding experience.
  • Free Curriculum Materials: Access a wide range of free resources to enhance classroom learning.
  • Teacher Professional Development: DSA is committed to ongoing support for teachers, ensuring they feel confident and prepared to lead the course.
  • Student Projects: The course involves hands-on projects that showcase your school’s leadership in data science education, offering students the chance to apply their learning in meaningful ways.
  • The following NC teaching licenses can teach this course:
    • 760 – Business and Information Technology
    • 18750 – Computer Programming
    • 765 – Information Technology
    • 200 – Mathematics
    • 74095 – Specialized
    • 820 – Technology Engineering Design

Why offer CS30?

  • Meets NC Computer Science Graduation Requirement: Equip students for graduation and beyond.
  • In-Demand Skills = Career Success: Data science jobs are booming! Projected 36% growth (much faster than average) with thousands of annual openings. CS-30 prepares students for these high-demand careers.
  • Boosts Critical Thinking: Data literacy empowers students to analyze information and solve real-world problems, potentially improving performance across subjects.
  • Potential to improve test scores: Prepare your students for data-based questions on standardized tests. 12% of the SAT Reading sections and 7% of the Writing and Language sections now require data fluency.
  • Position Your School as a Leader: Be at the forefront of data science education in NC.

Build Your CS30 Teaching Skills & Curriculum

This cohort provides a hands-on opportunity to develop CS30 curriculum materials that other educators can use in middle and high school classrooms while strengthening your readiness to teach the course within a supportive professional learning community.

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Students enjoy a fall day while working on a project outside SAS Hall. Photo by Becky Kirkland.

CS30 Curriculum-Building Cohort: Timeline & Commitment

  • Spring 2027 – Virtual Kickoff: Review existing materials and establish shared design principles.
  • June & July 2027 – Two in-Person Writing Sprints: Collaboratively develop modular CS30 curriculum components. The first Writing Sprint will take place at NCSSM’s Data Science Summer Institute in Morganton, NC. Housing and lunches will be provided for both.
  • Fall 2027 – Three Virtual Check-ins: Connect and support lesson pilots.
  • Spring 2028 – Feedback & Revision Workshop: Review classroom feedback, refine modules, and finalize assessments.

Become a Data Science School of Distinction

Participating in DSA professional development and offering CS30 means your school will receive Silver Level Recognition as an NC Data Science and AI Academy School of Distinction, demonstrating your commitment to innovative STEM education.

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