(1) (a) The department shall create and maintain a publicly available resource bank of materials pertaining to computer science courses and programs. At a minimum, the resource bank must include sample academic content standards for computer science education, sample programs of instruction for computer science, samples of computer science learning resources, and sample materials for professional educator development in teaching computer science. The department shall ensure that the materials included in the resource bank represent the best practices in teaching computer science and shall seek input from experts in the area of computer science in creating and compiling the materials.

(b) The department shall ensure that the resource bank is available for access by school districts, charter schools, boards of cooperative services, and the public by July 1, 2018.

(c) The department shall implement the provisions of this section to the fullest degree possible within existing resources. The department may contract with one or more entities in implementing this section.

(2) A school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services may choose whether to provide classes in computer science and whether to use the materials in the resource bank to provide those classes.

(3) The resource bank may also identify existing resources and tools that provide opportunities for industry experts in computer science and technology to be paired with a teacher in the classroom to co-teach courses in computer science. The resource bank may also include a listing of schools and school districts that are interested in finding industry experts who wish to volunteer to co-teach computer science courses, and a listing of industry experts who are interested in volunteering to co-teach computer science courses.

(4) The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section. The department shall not create the resource bank pursuant to this section unless the department receives sufficient gifts, grants, or donations to implement this section.