Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 2, February 2024
I.
Application/Approval
A.
Secondary Area Center Approval1.
An application for a new secondary area center must be submitted to the
Associate Director of Workforce Training in the Department of Workforce
Education on or before October 1, prior to the school year in
which the center is scheduled to open. Guidelines and application forms for a
new secondary area center may be obtained by contacting the Associate
Director of Workforce Training, #3 Capitol Mall, Luther S. Hardin Bldg., Little
Rock, AR 72201-1083, or by calling (501)
682-1505.
2. Priority will
be given to areas not currently being served by a center. 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 educational service cooperative)_that has been approved as
an area center may begin operation with three occupation specific
programs, but must have five or more in operation by the
start of the fourth year. Only occupational specific programs will be
eligible for area center funding. Other programs will not be eligible
for vocational center aid.
4. An
area center that closes and desires to resume operation must submit a new
application to the State Board of Workforce Education and Career Opportunities
(SBWECO) for approval. A center that is approved by SBWECO for start-up, but
fails to begin operation within a two-year period, shall be considered null and
void.
B.
New or
Expanded Programs
1. For new or
expanded program approval, the sponsoring institution/entity shall submit a
proposal to the Deputy Director of_Career and Technical Education,
Department of Workforce Education prior to October 1,
preceding the year in which the program(s) is to be implemented.
Guidelines for preparation of this proposal may be requested from the
appropriate Career and Technical Education program manager or Workforce
Training office.
2. New programs
must be approved by the Associate Director of Workforce Training before the
center can draw vocational center aid.
C.
Satellite Locations
1. An existing secondary area center or
proposed center, approved by the SBWECO 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 director's
office concerning the operation of satellite locations.
3.
All applications for a satellite
location require the approval of SBWECO.
II.
Finance
A.
Funding
1.
Vocational center aid will be
calculated and distributed by the Department of Workforce Education based upon
each center's FTE enrollment.
2.
The education/training fee is set at $3,250 per FTE (Act 59 of 2004). Each high
school will receive $3,250 per FTE from the public school fund based on the
previous year's enrollment.
3. The
secondary area center will bill each high school $3,250 per FTE based on
current semester's enrollment.
4.
The $3,250 per FTE received by the high school from the public school fund
shall be used to pay the center the education/training fee for students
enrolled in the center for the current year.
5. In the event that the high school
increased the enrollment to the center, the high school must pay the additional
amount from other resources.
6. In
the event that the high school decreases the enrollment to the center, the high
school may hold the $3,250 per FTE in excess of the amount needed to support
students attending the secondary area center.
7. Funding modifications shall be approved by
the SBWECO.
B.
Supplemental Funds
1. Secondary
area centers shall be eligible for new program start-up funds as outlined in
Program Policies and Procedures for Secondary Programs (available on the
Workforce Education website at
http://www.work-ed.state.ar.us).
2. Secondary area centers shall be eligible
for capital equipment grants. (See the above-mentioned policies.)
3. Secondary area centers may from
time-to-time be eligible for federal vocational funds. The Department of
Workforce Education will inform secondary area center directors of these as
soon as they become available.
4.
Secondary area centers may apply for and receive on its own merits any special
grant funds from other agencies. Funding of secondary area centers is not
limited to state funding as described above.
A.
Policies for Start-up and Special
Equipment Funds1. See Program Policies
and Procedures for Secondary Programs.
III.
Expenditures
A.
Reporting
1. An annual expenditure report is to be
completed and sent to the Department of Workforce Education.
2. Enrollment data shall be submitted to DWE
each semester. Each center will include enrollment verification from each
participating high school. Enrollment and verification forms are available on
the Secondary Area Center website.
3. Funds not expended in accordance with Act
819 of 2001 shall be carried forward into the succeeding year.
IV.
Operations
A.
Secondary
Area Center Responsibility1. The
management, maintenance, and operation of a secondary area center shall be the
responsibility of the sponsoring institution or entity in accordance with the
policies established by the SBWECO.
2. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) shall
be completed, signed by cooperating parties, and on file in the director's
office concerning the operation of satellite locations. (Section A.2. is moved
to section
I.C.2.
)
3.
Failure to properly
maintain and operate a secondary area center may result, by recommendation to
the SBWECO, closure of the center.
B.
Designation of Secondary Area Center
Director1. Each secondary area center
having a minimum of five programs shall employ a vocational
director on a half time or full-time basis.
C.
Secondary Area Center Council
1. Each secondary center shall have an
active area center council. The council shall be comprised of
superintendents of the sponsoring and local school districts
participating in the secondary area center along with the director
of the center. When a postsecondary institution is designated as a
secondary area center, the director or president/chancellor of that institution
shall be a member. Additionally, where secondary area centers are sponsored by
an education service cooperative, the director shall be a member of the
council. The secondary area center council shall serve in an advisory capacity
for the area 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. An active advisory council is
recommended for each occupational program area.
D.
Instructor Qualifications
1. Instructors shall be required to meet the
certification/qualifications as outlined for each occupational area.
Documentation of these qualifications shall be on file in the certification
office of the Department of Education. Postsecondary instructors who
teach secondary students must meet the certification requirements for teaching
secondary students.
E.
Employee Policies
1. 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
1. 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 Periods1.
Occupation-specific programs offered at a secondary area center may be one,
two, or three 50-minute periods in length depending on the approved program
structure. When only two 50-minute periods are scheduled, there shall not be a
scheduled class break. Class periods of 100 to 129 minutes shall be considered
as two periods. Three period classes shall meet a minimum of 130 minutes. In
order to restructure a program of study, the vocational center may work with
the Department of Workforce Education to implement course design and class
lengths.
H.
Instruction1. Each approved
program offered must follow curriculum content frameworks and administer
student competency tests.
I.
Transportation
1. Responsibility for transporting students
to and from the local school to an area center shall be determined by the
secondary area center director and the administration of the local school
district.
J.
Exceptions1. Expansion of
secondary area centers into areas not being served is a priority of the
Department of Workforce Education. The director may,
upon request, make exceptions to the above 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 vocational programs offered within 25 miles or 30 minutes
of the home schools.
* Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) shall be considered the
equivalent of one student attending class for six class periods, e.g., one
student attending a three period class the full year would equal one-half FTE.
* Capacity of a vocational center is determined by
multiplying the number of blocks of occupation-specific programs (two or three
hours) by 20.
* Local districts are the districts in the locality, which
are eligible to participate in vocational center programs.
* Occupation-specific vocational education programs are a
vocational or technical program which have paid employment in specific
occupations as their objective.
* Private and/or home-schooled students are eligible to
participate in secondary area center programs through the local school district
in which they officially reside.
* Satellite location is the extension of a secondary area
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 area center, and must be shared by
more than one school district. All satellite locations require the approval of
the SBWECO.
* Secondary area center is a public secondary vocational
institution organized for the specific purpose of educating high school
students in specific occupational/vocational areas. A center will serve
students from more than one participating school district. Students eligible to
attend a secondary area center will generally come from a twenty-five (25) mile
radius or thirty minute driving time from the local school. A secondary area
center must be comprised of three specific vocational programs to begin
operation. Also, it must have at least five programs in operation by the start
of the fourth year.
* Short-term adult vocational classes are specialized
classes organized for the purpose of providing training, retraining, and
upgrading of skills for which there is an identified demand in the employment
market.
* Sponsoring institution is a comprehensive high school, a
postsecondary vocational 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 SBWECO. The sponsoring institution will
function as the fiscal agent, manage, and administer the secondary area center.
(Reference Act 788 of 1985 and Act 819 of 2001)
RELATED LINKS for Secondary Vocational Centers:
http://www.work-ed.state.ar.us/postsecond.html
http://www.work-ed.state.ar.us/about.html
http://www.work-ed.state.ar.us/CTEIogopage.htm
http://www.work-ed.state.ar.us/CTESCTENewandExpandedPrograms.htm
http://www.work-ed.state.ar.us/sacdirectorinformation.html
http://uark.edu/depts/awecc/content/listing.html
http://www.uark.edu/misc/sct/
