{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-158.809","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 158.809","heading":"Virtual computer science career academy -- Development and","body":"requirements -- Annual reports.\n(1) It is the intention of the General Assembly to increase the Commonwealth's\neconomic competitiveness in the technology and computing employment sect or by\nsignificantly increasing the capacity to educate and prepare high school students for\nthe technology workforce. A virtual computer science career academy shall be\nestablished to expand access to accelerated, early college career pathways for\nKentucky high school students and prepare them for careers in computing,\nparticularly in the field of data science. Principal activities for developing,\ncoordinating, and implementing the academy shall be conducted by WeLeadCS, a\nprivate, nonprofit corporation com posed of leaders from education, government,\nand technology and computing sector employers.\n(2) WeLeadCS may solicit, accept, receive, invest, and expend funds from any public\nor private source for the purpose of implementing the provisions in this section.\n(3) WeLeadCS shall:\n(a) Establish a program in which Kentucky teachers provide virtual, synchronous\ninstruction for dual college credit computing courses to accelerate students'\ncompletion of computer science degrees and development of the academic\nknowledge, technical skills, and employability skills necessary for careers in\nhigh-level computing occupations;\n(b) Collaborate with the Kentucky Center for Statistics to define workforce needs\nand opportunities in the technology and computing sector in each l ocal\nworkforce development area;\n(c) Develop the nation's first sequential high school career pathway preparing\nstudents for careers in data science. The career pathway shall include\nopportunities for students to earn industry certifications prioritized by\nemployers and college credit for courses that will culminate in accelerated\npostsecondary degree completion;\n(d) Partner with employers in the technology and computing sector to provide a\nwork-based learning program to connect student learning to real -world\npractices, expose students to a variety of career options with the technology\nand computing sector, ensure students develop the tools necessary to compete\nin the workforce, and provide opportunities for job shadowing, internships,\nand apprenticeships;\n(e) Collaborate with employers, K -12 and postsecondary school educators, and\nstate education leaders to develop local and statewide initiatives to raise\nawareness of career opportunities in the technology and computing sector,\nparticularly in data science;\n(f) Advise students in the virtual academy about Kentucky postsecondary degree\nopportunities in computer science in demand by employers in the technology\nand computing sector, transferring college credits earned through the academy\nto expedite and reduce c osts of college degree completion, and aligning\npersonal skills and academic abilities to postsecondary degree requirements\nand employers' expectations;\n(g) Recruit and train Kentucky certified teachers to deliver high -quality,\nsynchronous virtual instruct ion and support students in a virtual learning\nenvironment;\n(h) Coordinate with the Kentucky Department of Education, local school districts,\nand postsecondary institutions to ensure compliance with statutes and\nregulations governing student privacy, gradi ng, articulation agreements,\nstudent transcripts, and other administrative details; and\n(i) Submit an annual report to the Kentucky Board of Education and the\nLegislative Research Commission on the academy, including but not limited\nto student enrollment, course completion, college credit hours earned, industry\ncertifications earned, and student matriculation to postsecondary institutions.","path":["KRS Chapter 158"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53172","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:06Z","sha256":"a95c5c0722fd828ae1bee7027af8d3e4ac8b2b6bbe11e1867aa423a82a296964","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-158.808","next":"us-ky/krs-158.810"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}