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South Dakota, United States

Coding and AI classes in South Dakota

Does South Dakota have computer science standards, and does CS count toward graduation?

Yes to both, with limits. South Dakota adopted K-8 computer science standards on April 14, 2025, and a state-approved advanced CS course such as AP Computer Science Principles may replace one science elective, though never Biology. Modern Age Coders teaches South Dakota students live online, ages 6 to 18, on Central or Mountain time.

South Dakota is new to formal computer science standards, and the timing shows in what they ask for. Written by a committee the Department of Education formed in the spring of 2024, the K-8 standards say outright that one of their goals is to mark where artificial intelligence comes in. At high school, the state already gives computer science a foothold in the diploma: an approved advanced course can take the place of a science elective. Access is still uneven, with a little over half of high schools offering CS in the latest count, and families in the east and the west of the state live on two different clocks. This page covers the standards, the substitution rule, the numbers, a binning project on Sioux Falls recreation data and how our live classes work across both time zones.

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Facts last verified 18 October 2026. Teaching is online; no South Dakota branch is claimed.

Course picks for South Dakota

Courses that line up with the new SD standards

Matched to the K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 bands and to the high school substitution rule. The free first lesson confirms the level.

Problem Solving and Computational Thinking for Kids course thumbnail
Grades K to 3

Problem Solving and Computational Thinking for Kids

Patterns, sequences and decomposition, much of it unplugged at first, the way the early grade bands begin.

See the syllabus
 AI Literacy for Kids (Ages 8 to 14) course thumbnail
Grades 3 to 6

AI Literacy for Kids (Ages 8 to 14)

What AI is, how it learns from examples and where it goes wrong, matching the standards’ explicit focus on AI.

See the syllabus
 Game Development for Kids course thumbnail
Grades 5 to 8

Game Development for Kids

Games designed, coded and debugged by the student, the algorithms and programming work of the 6-8 band.

See the syllabus
 AP Computer Science Principles course thumbnail
Grades 10 to 12

AP Computer Science Principles

Support for AP Computer Science Principles, one of the courses South Dakota lists as able to replace a science elective.

See the syllabus

Browse the course atlas for more than one hundred options and use the coding roadmap to check prerequisites.

The four we are known for

Python, AI, vibe coding and agentic coding

These run underneath everything above. Every one is live and online, placed by ability rather than by age, and the first class is free.

Vibe Coding for Teens course thumbnail
Vibe codingAges 13 to 17

Vibe Coding for Teens

Python, web and AI projects where the learner still owns the thinking.

See the syllabus
 Python Automation Course course thumbnail
Python and AICollege and adult

Python Automation Course

Automate the work you already do, then let AI carry part of it.

See the syllabus
 AI and Machine Learning for Teens course thumbnail
AI and MLAges 14 to 18

AI and Machine Learning for Teens

Train a model, read what it learned, and be able to say why it is wrong.

See the syllabus
 Codex & Claude Code course thumbnail
Agentic codingProfessionals

Codex & Claude Code

Run AI coding agents on real work without losing control of the codebase.

See the syllabus
New in 2025

South Dakota’s first K-8 computer science standards

From the standards document published by the South Dakota Department of Education (SD DOE), adopted April 14, 2025, read on 18 October 2026.

South Dakota Computer Science Standards at a glance, as SD DOE describes them
FeatureWhat the document says
AdoptionThe document is dated Adopted April 14, 2025
Who wrote themA Computer Science Standards Committee the department created in the spring of 2024
Grades coveredKindergarten to grade 8, in bands K-2, 3-5 and 6-8
What they drew onThe 2017 CSTA K-12 standards and the 2016 K-12 Computer Science Framework; 11 state standards were referenced, with most adaptations from Montana, Idaho and North Dakota
Artificial intelligenceOne goal is to explicitly indicate where AI is referenced or where skills build toward an understanding of it
Relationship to technology standardsOverlap slightly with the Educational Technology Standards adopted in 2021, which focus more on using computers appropriately and safely

Not a curriculum

SD DOE says content standards do not mandate a specific curriculum and are reviewed every five to seven years. Districts decide how to teach them.

Concepts and practices

Following CSTA, each standard pairs a concept, such as algorithms and programming or data and analysis, with a practice, such as computational thinking.

From unplugged to code

The document describes kindergarten work as simple sequencing, often without a device, rising by eighth grade to designing algorithms and beginning to write code.

High school

Swapping a science elective for advanced computer science

South Dakota’s graduation requirements were passed by the Board of Education Standards on July 16, 2018, under South Dakota Administrative Rule 24:43:11. They include one specific route for computer science.

State-approved advanced computer science courses that may replace a science elective (SD DOE guidelines; high school courses only)
Course codeCourse title
10101Networking Technologies
10152Computer Programming I and II
10015PLTW Computer Science Principles
10157PLTW Computer Science A or AP Computer Science A
10016PLTW Cybersecurity
10019AP Computer Science Principles

What it replaces

One unit of a science elective, for the base High School Diploma and the Advanced Career Endorsement.

What it cannot replace

Biology. The substitution also does not count for the Advanced or Advanced Honors Endorsements.

Robotics

Robotics is reviewed case by case, on an application from the school, to decide whether it qualifies.

Where outside classes fit

Only the school’s own approved course earns the substitution. A student who has already built projects in Python or studied for AP outside school simply walks into that course better prepared.

Signature project

Binning five years of Sioux Falls recreation programs

The City of Sioux Falls publishes its Parks and Recreation activity points under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Each record is a program, from toddler sports to the municipal band, with a season, a year and a number in a field called Frequency.

Our bins of the Frequency field across 1,801 Sioux Falls recreation records, 2018 to 2022 (download of 18 October 2026)
Frequency valueRecords (our count)
03
11,380
2 to 4286
5 to 981
10 to 1932
20 or more19

1. Choose the bins

Students pick bin edges, count records in each, and draw a histogram. Then they try other edges and see how the picture changes, which is the whole art of binning.

2. Mean against median

The median Frequency is 1 but the mean is 2.11, because a walking program reaches 65. One long tail drags the average, a lesson that applies to every skewed dataset a student will meet.

3. Clean the labels

Seven records say Weeday Morning, and 126 have a blank category. Students fix the typo, decide what to do with blanks, and record each choice.

Records per year in the same download (our count)
YearRecords
2018352
2019357
2020221
2021412
2022459

Our counts, and what we do not know

All figures here are our own, from one download. The city does not define the Frequency field in the published layer, so students describe it only as a count and list what they would need to know before calling it anything more. The year totals show more records in some years than others; the data does not say why, and neither do we.

Published figures

How many South Dakota high schools offer CS

Code.org and College Board values for South Dakota, quoted as published. Where the source has no value, nothing is printed.

South Dakota high schools offering foundational CS, by year (Code.org, 2025)
YearSouth Dakota
2018 to 2019No value
2019 to 202038%
2020 to 202139%
2021 to 202242%
2022 to 202351.4%
2023 to 202455% in the trend tab; 97 of 178 high schools in the latest count
2024 to 2025No value

Enrollment

The Code.org sheet publishes no South Dakota figure for how many high school students take computer science, in any year. We do not estimate one.

AP schools

The College Board counts South Dakota schools with any AP exam at 51 in 2023 and 67 in 2024: public schools 43 then 57, non-public 8 then 10.

The trend

Access rose in every year with data, from 38% to roughly 55%, so a little over half of high schools offered CS in 2023 to 2024.

Source line for the access figures: Code.org (2025). 2025 State of AI + CS Education. The AP counts cover every AP subject, not computer science alone. Both sets of figures predate the first school year taught under the 2025 K-8 standards.

Two time zones

Central or Mountain: which clock your class uses

The IANA time zone database lists eastern South Dakota under US central time (America/Chicago) and western South Dakota under US mountain time (America/Denver).

India time ahead of each South Dakota zone, 2026 to 2027 (our arithmetic from the IANA rules)
PeriodCentral (east)Mountain (west)
To November 1, 202610 hours 30 minutes11 hours 30 minutes
November 1, 2026 to March 14, 202711 hours 30 minutes12 hours 30 minutes
From March 14, 202710 hours 30 minutes11 hours 30 minutes

When you book, tell us whether your town keeps Central or Mountain time and we confirm every lesson in that zone. A batch that suits an after-school slot on Central time starts an hour earlier on the Mountain clock, so a family in the west may prefer a different batch.

Step by step

Following the K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 bands, then high school

Bands are a guide only; placement after the free lesson sets the level.

Grades K to 2

Sequence and pattern

Unplugged puzzles, then blocks: instructions in order and simple loops.

Problem Solving and Computational Thinking for KidsCoding for Kids
Grades 3 to 5

Build and meet AI

Block games, first ideas about how AI learns, and debugging habits.

Scratch Coding for KidsAI Literacy for Kids (Ages 8 to 14)
Grades 6 to 8

Real code

Typed Python and game projects, the step from blocks to text the 6-8 band describes.

Python and AI for KidsGame Development for Kids
Grades 9 to 12

Advanced CS

Python in depth and AP Computer Science Principles, ready for the science-elective route.

Python for TeensAP Computer Science Principles
Coding and AI

South Dakota wrote AI into its CS standards. Here is why that needs coding.

The standards say AI leverages core computer science ideas such as algorithms and data structures. Understanding those ideas is what lets a student judge an AI answer.

Ask an AI tool for the typical number of sessions in a Sioux Falls recreation program and it may answer with the mean, 2.11, which describes almost no actual program. The median is 1. A student who binned the data knows which number to trust and can explain why.

That is the habit we build: compute it yourself first, then use AI to speed up work you understand and can check. Students under 18 use only AI tools whose terms allow their age, and school work is always their own.

Standards that name AI from kindergarten up are a signal that judgment, not just tool use, is the skill that lasts. The longer argument is in why coding is still worth it.

Online, live

One class for prairie towns and Black Hills towns alike

South Dakota’s distances make a weekly drive to a coding class hard for many families. A live online class needs only a connection.

Live with a teacher

Students code while a teacher watches, asks and corrects in the moment, rather than following a recording alone.

Fits SD school life

We work in US grade levels and the school calendar, and can align projects with the new K-8 bands. Anything graded at school stays the student’s own work.

Scheduling

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Level groups

Batches of fifteen to twenty learners placed by skill, including students from both South Dakota time zones and other states.

Private option

One teacher, one student, for faster progress, AP preparation or a self-chosen project.

Free placement

A full first lesson at no charge, ending with a recommended course and time. We do not ask for payment details.

No South Dakota building

Modern Age Coders has no center anywhere in South Dakota and claims none. Teaching is live online from India; a laptop or desktop, sound and a steady connection are enough.

Fees

Fees for South Dakota families

The same three figures, east river or west river.

First classUSD 0

An entire first lesson free, ending with a suggested level, course and time slot.

Group tuitionUSD 100

One month of live lessons in a batch of fifteen to twenty students placed by level.

Private tuitionUSD 150

One month on the same pattern with a teacher working with one student.

South Dakota families pay a single rate in US dollars. We start billing only after the free lesson, once you have agreed the course and time, and the pricing page explains how holidays and missed lessons work.

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Reviews

Reviews on Google from families and learners

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews. These are real reviews, reproduced as written.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Free placement class

Book a free lesson in South Dakota

Tell us the grade, the goal and your time zone. A first grader might start with pattern puzzles, a seventh grader with a game, and a junior with the Sioux Falls recreation data.

+1

FAQ

South Dakota coding and AI questions

Answers from SD DOE, Code.org and the College Board. Our own suggestions say so.

Does South Dakota have computer science standards?

Yes. SD DOE published K-8 computer science standards adopted April 14, 2025, in bands for grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8.

Can computer science count toward a South Dakota diploma?

Yes, in one way. A state-approved advanced computer science course may replace one unit of a science elective for the base diploma and the Advanced Career Endorsement. It may not replace Biology.

Which courses can replace a science elective?

SD DOE lists Networking Technologies, Computer Programming I and II, PLTW Computer Science Principles, PLTW Computer Science A or AP Computer Science A, PLTW Cybersecurity, and AP Computer Science Principles. Robotics is reviewed case by case.

Does the substitution count for the Advanced Honors Endorsement?

No. SD DOE says the advanced CS substitution may not count for the Advanced or Advanced Honors Endorsements.

Do the SD standards mention AI?

Yes. The 2025 standards document says one goal is to explicitly indicate where artificial intelligence is referenced or where skills build toward understanding it.

How many South Dakota high schools offer computer science?

Code.org (2025) reports 97 of 178 South Dakota high schools, about 54.5%, offering foundational CS in 2023 to 2024.

Which time zone are South Dakota classes in?

Whichever your town keeps. IANA places eastern South Dakota on Central time and western South Dakota on Mountain time, and we confirm lessons in your zone.

When can South Dakota students take classes?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Is there a South Dakota center?

No. There is no Modern Age Coders center in South Dakota. Every lesson is live and online, taught from India.

Do your classes earn the science-elective substitution?

No. Only a state-approved school course does. Our classes build the skills and projects that make that course easier, and graded school work stays the student's own.

Read on

Next for South Dakota learners

Students on the AP route can see AP Computer Science Principles coaching. Younger builders can start with how to make a Roblox game, and parents comparing states can read the North Carolina page, where a CS course is now required.

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