Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
I.
Application/Approval
A.
Secondary Technical Center
Approval
1. An application for a new
secondary technical center must be submitted to the Office of Skills
Development (OSD) Associate Director in the Department of Commerce on or before
October 1, prior to the school year in which the center is
scheduled to open. Guidelines and application for a new secondary technical
center may be obtained online at
http://arcareered.org. Questions may be
directed to the Office of Skills Development at (501) 683-1152.
2. Priority shall be given to the following:
* a region that is currently not being served by a
center
* program alignment with state and regional economic
development strategies and workforce priorities.
A center will not be approved within 25 miles of an existing
center unless it can be demonstrated that the creation of a new center will not
adversely impact adjoining centers.
3. A sponsoring institution/entity (public
high school, postsecondary technical institute, two-year college, or education
service cooperative) that has been approved by the Career Education and
Workforce Development Board (CEWDB) as a secondary technical center must begin
operation with three occupational specific programs. Only occupational
specific programs will be eligible for secondary technical center
funding.
4. A secondary
technical center or satellite that is approved by the CEWDB must serve multiple
high schools in order to qualify for secondary technical center
funding.
5. A secondary technical
center that closes and desires to resume operation must submit a new
application to the CEWDB for approval. A center that is approved by CEWDB for
start-up but fails to begin operation within a two-year period shall be
considered null and void and must reapply.
B.
New or Expanded Programs
1. For new or expanded program approval, the
secondary technical center shall submit a proposal for new program start-up by
October 1 of the preceding year in which the program(s) is to be
implemented. The application is available on the Office of Skills Development
website.
2. Newly approved programs
must be authorized by the Director of OSD to receive secondary technical center
funding.
3. Programs of study
offered at the centers must be selected from a list of approved programs as
defined by the Department of Education, Division of Career and Technical
Education. Programs of study will be reviewed every two years in accordance
with Perkins V federal legislation..
C.
Satellite Programs
1. An existing secondary technical center or
proposed center, approved by the CEWDB, may provide satellite location(s) to
school districts that are located outside the 25 miles or 30
minutes of driving time. Satellite locations must be shared by
more than one school district. Satellite locations will be
eligible for funding in the same manner as center programs.
2. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) shall
be completed, signed by cooperating parties, and on file in the secondary
technical center director's office concerning the operation of satellite
locations.
3. All applications for
a satellite location require the approval of the CEWDB.
a. The secondary technical center must
complete an application to open a satellite program(s). The application shall
be submitted to OSD along with all required documentation of support.
b. All satellite locations will be approved
by the CEWDB prior to startup of the satellite.
c. Documentation from the secondary technical
center's administration that indicates interest and approval in opening a
satellite program is required. This documentation should include at a minimum
(1) a letter from the center director to OSD stating the center's intent to
open the location; (2) minutes from the secondary technical center's board of
directors meeting showing the board's support; and (3) minutes from the
secondary technical center's sponsoring entity showing the sponsoring entity's
support.
d. Documentation from the
participating schools indicating their support of the satellite program(s) is
required. This should be in the form of (1) minutes from the participating
school's board meetings indicating the school will support the program(s) at
the satellite location; (2) a letter from each school's superintendent
indicating the school district's support of the program(s).
e. The secondary technical center must show a
need for the satellite program(s) through documentation including surveys of
area business and industry, job outlook forecasts, projected enrollment,
etc.
f. The host school agrees to
provide the following:
(1) facilities
including classroom(s), lab(s), utilities, maintenance and janitorial services;
(2) handle immediate issues
involving discipline until the center director can address the situation; and
(3) statement allowing the
participation of other school districts.
g. The secondary technical center agrees to:
(1) furnish the classroom(s) and lab(s) with
equipment, furniture, etc.;
(2)
furnish supplies for the program;
(3) handle discipline matters under the
center's guidelines in a timely fashion; and
(4) employ instructor(s) for approved center
programs of study.
h.
Each participating high school shall be guaranteed seats at the satellite
program. The individual school's percentage of 10th
grade enrollment calculated from the total 10th
grade enrollment of all participating high schools shall be the method used to
determine available seats.
4. Existing Satellite Programs
All existing satellite programs shall be required to submit an
MOU identifying the program, location, participating schools, and projected
enrollment from participating schools. Host schools will be required to submit
a letter of support for the satellite program. Existing satellite programs will
be subject to the same guidelines as new satellite programs to be reviewed at
the end of a five-year period.
5. Consolidation
All satellite program(s) affected by school consolidation that
are reduced to single school status will be re-evaluated as to the status of a
satellite program(s).
II.
Finance
A.
Funding
1. Vocational center aid will be calculated
and distributed by the Department of Education based upon each secondary
technical center's eligible student FTE count once verified by OSD. The
Department of Education will distribute two payments, during the fall and
spring semesters, to each secondary center.
2. A three-tiered funding system shall be
established by OSD and approved by the CEWDB to determine the amount of
vocational center aid for each program of study. Program of study tier
placement shall take into account the different funding needs and costs of
individual programs of study, along with the workforce needs of the State of
Arkansas.
3. Funds not expended in
accordance with ACA
6-51-305 shall be carried forward
into the succeeding year. Unexpended funds shall be carried forward for the
sole purpose of conducting summer programs and community-based education
centers or supporting secondary technical center operations in succeeding
years.
B.
Supplemental Funds
1. Secondary
technical centers shall be eligible for new program start-up funds as outlined
in the Secondary Technical Center Special Policies and Procedures for
Secondary Technical Centers.
2. Secondary technical centers may from
time-to-time be eligible for federal funds. Department of Education, Division
of Career and Technical Education will inform secondary center directors of
these as they become available.
3.
Secondary technical centers may apply for and receive on their own merit any
special grant funds from other agencies. All revenue shall be disclosed on the
revenue page of the annual expenditure report. Funding of secondary centers is
not limited to state funding as described above.
III.
Reports
A.
Semester Reports
1. The Course/Instructor Reporting Form shall
be submitted to OSD each fall and spring. The Course Instructor/Reporting Form
is available on the ARCareerEd website.
2. Enrollment reports shall be submitted to
OSD each semester. Enrollment will then be verified by OSD in collaboration
with the Division of Career and Technical Education who will collect Arkansas
Department of Education eSchool enrollment data. The Enrollment Report is
available on the ARCareerEd website.
B.
Yearly Reports
1. The Annual Expenditure Report shall be
completed and sent to OSD. The Annual Expenditure Report is available on the
ARCareerEd website.
2. The Annual
Concurrent Credit and Industry Credentials Report shall be completed and sent
to OSD in collaboration with the Division of Career and Technical Education.
The Annual Concurrent Credit and Industry Credentials Report is available on
the ARCareerEd website.
3. Each
center shall complete and submit to OSD a proposed budget. The Budget Template
is available on the ARCareerEd website.
IV.
Operations
A.
Secondary Technical Center
Responsibility1. The management,
maintenance, and operation of a secondary technical center shall be the
financial responsibility of the sponsoring institution or entity in accordance
with the policies established by the CEWDB. Expenses associated with the
maintenance and operations of a secondary technical center/satellite shall not
be paid with vocational center aid funding. Failure to comply with this policy
may result in a reduction of vocational center aid to the secondary technical
center.
2. Failure to properly
maintain and operate a secondary center may result in, by recommendation to the
CEWDB, closure of the center.
3.
Each participating high school shall be guaranteed seats in each program. The
individual school's percentage of 10th
grade-enrollment calculated from the total 10th
grade enrollment of all participating high schools shall be the method used to
determine available seats. Any school not fulfilling its quota shall relinquish
the unfilled seats to other schools.
B.
Designation of Secondary Technical
Center Director1. Each secondary
technical center, regardless of location, must employ a secondary technical
center director on full-time basis.
2. Secondary technical centers that are not
located on the campus of a secondary school may, but need not, employ directors
who hold a secondary technical center 175 endorsement.
3. The secondary technical center director
should have a minimum of 3 years' experience (in areas including, but not
limited to, teaching, supervision, and administration) at the secondary or
post-secondary levels. However, subject to the requirements for secondary
technical center directors stated elsewhere in these policies and procedures,
equivalent experience may be substituted on a case by case basis.
C.
Secondary Technical
Center Council1. Each secondary
technical center shall have an active secondary technical center council. The
council shall meet twice annually, and minutes, sign-in sheets, agendas, and
any other supporting documentation shall be kept. The council shall be
comprised of superintendents of the sponsoring and local school districts
participating in the secondary technical center along with the director of the
center. When a postsecondary institution is designated as a secondary technical
center, the director or president/chancellor of that institution shall be a
member. Additionally, where secondary technical centers are sponsored by an
education service cooperative, the director shall be a member of the council.
The secondary technical center council shall serve in an advisory capacity for
the secondary technical center in all areas of administration and operation,
e.g., scheduling, student discipline, program design, etc. The center council
may also assist with determining the capacity of a center.
2. The council serves in advisory capacity
only. The local board of the host institution serves as the governing authority
of the secondary technical center.
D.
Instructor Qualifications
1. Technical instructors teaching at a
college-based secondary technical center or a high-school based secondary
technical center must have a minimum of a technical permit in the area of
instruction or an associate's degree within the area of instruction or related
area. Tested experience may substitute for an earned credential or portions
thereof. (Institutional (or HLC) requirement)
2. Technical instructors must have completed
Arkansas State Police, FBI, and the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Registry
background checks and meet all college accrediting standards for instructors.
These background checks must be completed every five years. Instructors shall
submit documentation of these records to their employer.
3. Instructors not meeting these requirements
or instructors teaching non-concurrent credit classes must hold an Arkansas
Teacher's License/Technical Permit.
E.
Employee Policies
The sponsoring institution/entity shall adopt official employee
policies and procedures, including a salary schedule, sick leave, inclement
weather, grievance, benefits, and other policies. These must be adopted by the
start of the second semester of operation.
F.
Student Handbook
The sponsoring institution/entity shall adopt a student
handbook outlining the rules and regulations relating to discipline,
attendance, hand tools, textbooks, OCR Grievance Procedures, and other matters.
These must be adopted by the start of the second semester of operation.
G.
Class Periods
Class periods shall conform to the minimum class hours
established by the Standards for Accreditation of Public Schools and AdvanceEd.
Travel time shall not be counted in the time on task determination. In order to
restructure a program of study, the secondary technical center may work with
the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Career and Technical
Education to implement course designs and class lengths.
H.
Instruction
1. Programs shall align with program of study
standards and meet requirements as established for each program of
study.
2. Concurrent credit classes
offered for secondary career and technical credit in a college-based secondary
technical center shall align to Department of Education, Division of Career and
Technical Education standards. One 3-hour college course shall equate to one
Carnegie unit.
3. An active
advisory committee is required for each occupational program area.
The committee shall meet twice annually and minutes, sign-in sheets, agendas,
and any other supporting documentation shall be kept.
I.
Transportation
The secondary technical center director and the administration
of the local school district shall determine responsibility for transporting
students to and from the local school to a secondary technical center.
J.
Exceptions
Expansion of secondary technical centers into areas not being
served is a priority of the OSD. The OSD Director may, upon request, make
exceptions to the stated policies when such requests are supported by adequate
justification.
V.
Definitions
* Access is an attempt for every high school
student in Arkansas to have the opportunity to participate in any of a minimum
of three occupation-specific technical programs offered within 25 miles or 30
minutes of the home school.
* Concurrent credit is received by high school
career and technical education students who take classes offered through an
institution of higher education. These classes will be transcripted by the
local high school for secondary credit and by the institution of higher
education for college credit.
* Eligible student is a student enrolled in grades
10-12 and who is pursuing a program of study in a secondary technical
center.
* Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) shall be considered
the equivalent of one student attending class for six class periods per day per
year, e.g., one student attending a three period class the full year would be
equal to one-half FTE. Travel time cannot be included in FTE count.
* Local districts are the districts in the
locality, which are eligible to participate in secondary technical center
programs.
* Occupation-specific programs are technical
programs, which have paid employment in specific occupations as their
objectives.
* Satellite location is the extension of a
secondary technical center located outside the boundaries of an existing center
(25 miles or 30 minutes of driving time) or to students in isolated areas.
Satellite locations will be provided by an approved secondary technical center
and must be shared by more than one school district. All satellite locations
require the approval of the CEWDB.
* Secondary technical center is a public secondary
or post-secondary institution organized for the specific purpose of educating
high school students in specific occupational/technical programs. A center will
serve students from more than one participating high school. Students eligible
to attend a secondary technical center will generally come from a twenty-five
(25) mile radius or thirty (30) minute driving time from the local
school.
* Sponsoring institution is a comprehensive high
school, a post-secondary technical institute, a two-year or community/technical
college, an education service cooperative, or any other entity authorized by
law that has been approved by the CEWDB. The sponsoring institution will
function as the fiscal agent and will manage and administer the secondary
technical center. (Reference ACA
6-51-301 to
6-51-305)
* Vocational center aid is calculated and
distributed by the Department of Education based upon each secondary technical
center's eligible student FTE count.
