Core CS - Fall 2026 Cohort
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Modality
- Hybrid - Zoom for LIVE sessions, Tuesdays, 7-9pm Eastern time
- Moodle for learning modules
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Dates of Course
- Nov. 16-Jan. 31
- Live Zoom sessions
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Cost
- $1020 $459 (55% discount!) for educators within the United States.
Throughout the course, you'll learn about computing systems, networks, binary, data & analysis, impacts of computing, programming, algorithms & computational thinking, and many other topics.
Build the core computer science knowledge you need to teach with confidence.
CoreCS is a foundational computer science course for educators who want to learn CS for the first time, strengthen existing knowledge, or refresh skills they haven’t used in a while.
Throughout the course, you’ll explore the essential concepts behind K–12 computer science, including computing systems, networks and the internet, binary, data and analysis, programming, algorithms and computational thinking, and the impacts of computing. Live sessions and asynchronous modules give you opportunities to learn, practice, and connect these concepts to the work of teaching computer science.
The course is rigorous but designed to meet you where you are. You’ll engage with CS concepts at a depth comparable to an introductory undergraduate computer science course or AP-level high school computer science—while building the understanding and confidence to bring that knowledge into your own educational practice.
CoreCS uses the same CSTA-certified curriculum as CodeVA’s Praxis Prep course. Whether you’re preparing for the Praxis exam, stepping into CS instruction for the first time, or strengthening your foundation as an experienced educator, CoreCS gives you the essential knowledge to keep growing as a computer science educator.
- Module Work and Quizzes: Each module and quiz you complete will be equivalent to roughly 2 hours of attendance, with a total of 16 modules/quizzes scheduled throughout the course.
- Live Sessions: Attendance at each live session will also be recorded and counted as 2 hours each. We have 8 live sessions planned, totaling 16 hours of attendance.
- Study Sessions: While study sessions are incredibly valuable for your learning, they will not be awarded hours for attendance tracking purposes.
To summarize, total attendance hours will be calculated based on the completion of quizzes, attendance at live sessions, and attendance at the Kick Off event and participants may earn up to 45 hours in this course.
Schedule below. Please note the Study Session is optional but all other sessions require attendance.
- Some familiarity with programming is beneficial, though not required
- Must not currently hold a Computer Science endorsement
Participants may include: 6-12th grade computer science, career & technical education, or math teachers, instructional technology staff, CS or educational technology specialists (LMS, Gifted, SPED, ELL, STEM, etc.), school or district-level curriculum writers, or other instructional leaders at the building or district level, or anyone who wants to add a CS endorsement to their teaching license!
Register for your spot today!
Contact the CodeVA Educator Programs and Professional Learning email (educators@codevirginia.com) with questions.
Interested in this course for a group of educators from a school or division?
Contact CodeVA using one of Contact Forms (Connect & Chat, Collaborate with Us, Request Professional Learning) to learn more about this opportunity.
Explore other course offerings!
Visit our Professional Learning page to see what else CodeVA has to offer.
Intermediate: Participating educators need a basic knowledge and understanding of CS concepts, including coding using a statically-typed, object-oriented programming language (e.g., Java, C, C++, C#) and working with higher-order data structures like objects and arrays.
CodeVA professional learning opportunities are available to Virginia and DC public school educators, pre-service teachers, and Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) educators, thanks in part to our partnership with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). While VDOE continues to subsidize a limited number of courses, most offerings now include a tuition fee.
Educators outside of these groups are welcome to explore our tuition-based options, but this course is only available for Virginia educators at this time. Check back soon to see when it will be offered nation-wide!
This course does not cover the cost of the ETS Praxis Exam but prepares you for the exam.