Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 172 - Department of Career Education
Rule 172.00.08-003 - Career and Technical Education Program Policies - Secondary Program Policies

A grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities. The sixteen career clusters provide an organizing tool for schools, small learning communities, academies and magnet schools.

A planned coherent sequence of courses within a cluster pathway as defined by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education (ADWE).

A grouping of occupations within a cluster with common knowledge and skills. They provide instruction as a basis for success in an array of careers and educational pursuits.

A student who has completed three Carnegie units of credit in grades 9-12 including all the required core courses in a career focus/program of study and graduated from high school. If core classes are taught below ninth grade level, they may fulfill the course requirement for completer status, however three units must be taken during grade 9-12. See lists of courses and grade levels at which they may be taught in each area's section of this handbook.

A student who has completed two (2) Carnegie units of credit within cluster area, during grades 9-12.

Equipment and program specific supplies and software that are required for approval and operation of pathway program of study and foundation courses.

A student who is enrolled in a career and technical course during the reporting period.

An SAEP is required for each student enrolled in an Agriculture Education course. Refer to the SAEP Guide for complete instructions and a description of each SAEP area.

The use of "shall" in these regulations indicates that the activity is mandatory.

Adult skills training classes offered on a short-term basis for the purpose of training and upgrading the workforce.

The following items will be reviewed annually to maintain program continuation:

Upon completion of the eighth grade, each student shall have a four-year plan, which includes courses to be taken on file. The career plan is then revisited each year for any necessary adjustments. It is recommended that career plans include a minimum of two (2) years of post secondary education.

All concurrent credit courses offered for high school graduation (required 21 units) credit must have approval and alignment from ADWE.

Cooperative education/ work based learning/ apprenticeship combines classroom instruction with alternating periods of on-the-job training occupation related to the student's career goal. Training sponsors are selected to coordinate the learning experiences provided on the job. Training plans are developed cooperatively by the teacher/coordinator and the training sponsor (employer) to insure the development of required competencies. Students are paid and given academic credit.

Cooperative students shall be sixteen (16) years of age to meet labor law requirements.

Each teacher shall follow State curriculum/content frameworks for each course approved by ADWE.

Facility and equipment requirements may be obtained from the appropriate program section and must be met within the specified time for program approval.

Foundation courses are those classes that encompass the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in any selected career and technical program. These courses are prerequisite in nature and required for all career and technical program approvals. These required courses are Career Orientation, Keyboarding, and Computer Technology Introduction, or alternate Computer Business Applications. Schools who teach keyboarding below the seventh grade may not use federal funds to support this activity. Students must have successfully completed the course in grade 7+ or have passed the proficiency test to satisfy the Keyboarding prerequisite for all higher-level computer-related courses.

Information is necessary via various reports and shall be submitted by due date.

Occupational-specific courses have paid employment in specific occupations or short-term specialization as their objective. The courses combine related classroom training with hands-on skill training in a specific selected occupational area. An example of such a program is Cashier-Checker Training, Engineering Robotics, or CISCO. These are course approvals only and not a part of a sequence of study. Approval is by submission of frameworks to the Deputy Director of Career and Technical Education, ADWE. These courses are ineligible for state improvement funds and do not have student organization or other occupational requirements.

Student competency testing is necessary to provide documentation for indicators of the Arkansas State Plan for the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998. The act requires states to develop an accountability system that includes performance measures and standards for secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs. The Arkansas system measures the learning and competency attainment, which includes student progress in the achievement of basic and more advanced academic skills. A real strength of the Arkansas system of accountability is the emphasis on student outcomes as the focus for evaluation and planning.

The measures and standards used in the Arkansas Student Competency Testing system are a direct result of the Arkansas Frameworks. The information generated by the accountability system is accessible by all persons interested in educational policy and performance.

The career and technical student organization(s) (CTSO):

* shall be an integral part of the career and technical education program(s) offered in each school and shall follow the applicable guidelines, goals, objectives, and shall participate in activities of the appropriate state and/or national student organization for each program;

* shall be optional for Career Orientation;

* shall be supervised by vocational personnel in the applicable occupational area.

ADE professional licensure section will provide current rules and regulations.

Textbook information may be obtained from the ADE guidelines for use of textbook funds.

ADWE will continue to inform school administration of current policies regarding gender equity, discrimination and nontraditional training with the intention that these policies will be infused into the local curriculum and instruction. Onsite monitoring of selected programs is required as a part of program approval.

Instructors who desire to teach identified courses, which require specific training not offered through Career and Technical approved programs of study, may receive added endorsement to an existing teaching license by completing the requirements identified for the following course specific-areas. Specific requirements for each course are found in the related section of the program policies and procedures for secondary career and technical programs.

Applications for these endorsements should be made to the Deputy Director for Career and Technical Education, ADWE. Following documentation of the completion of individual requirements, a recommendation will be made to ADE Professional Licensure section to add related endorsements.

* Career Academy Endorsement

Keystone

Capstone

* Career Orientation Endorsement

Career Orientation (A.Y.A. 7-12 or M.C.E.A 4-8)

* Career Preparation

Workforce Education Internship

Workplace Readiness

Workforce Technology

* Career Services for Special Populations

Jobs for Arkansas' Graduates

PROVE (Providing Real Opportunities for Vocational Education)

STRIVE (Students and Teachers Responsibly Integrating Vocational Education)

* Integrated Academics Endorsement

Principles of Technology

Physics in Context

Experienced professionals with appropriate state or national certification (where available) from their respective professions may receive a career and technical initial permit after completion of the application for teacher licensure (professional permit area), all appropriate background checks, documentation of a:

Concurrent credit classes offered for high school career and technical credit in a secondary area technical center must have approval and alignment by ADWE.

A secondary course number to be used by high schools to identify concurrent college classes will be issued following submission of course alignment approval request submitted to the deputy director for career and technical education. Three (3) hour college credit classes will normally align with .5 credit secondary courses.

Technical instructors teaching at a secondary area technical center must have a minimum of an associate degree within the area of instruction and must have completed fingerprint and background checks and meet all college accrediting standards for instructors. Secondary area technical centers should submit documentation of these records to the Office of Workforce Training, ADWE. Centers will annually submit a list of instructors providing concurrent credit and meeting the above requirements will be given an annual waiver from teacher licensure requirements. Those instructors not meeting these requirements or instructors teaching non-concurrent credit classes must hold an Arkansas teacher permit.

The term "Traditional Apprenticeship" is used to designate the adult apprenticeship programs that are registered with the USDOL/BAT and that receive State Improvement Funds based upon hours of related classroom instruction. These programs are operated by employers, employer associations, or jointly by management and labor on a voluntary basis. The State Apprenticeship Office (SAO), within ADWE, monitors the related classroom instruction portion of USDOL/BAT registered apprenticeship programs that apply and are approved for State Improvement Funds.

The Arkansas Apprenticeship Coordination Steering Committee (AACSC) provides guidance to and coordinates with the SAO to effectively promote and enhance apprenticeship programs in Arkansas. The AACSC is composed of 20 voting members, appointed by the Governor's Office, from business/industry, labor, education, and female minority sector, and six non-voting, advisory members appointed by government and education agencies.

Teachers or instructors of Traditional Apprenticeship related classroom instruction are chosen by the local apprenticeship committee based upon the instructor's experience and teaching abilities. Instructors are usually selected from the technical programs at high schools, technical institutes or colleges, and business/industry companies. The instructional materials are frequently developed by and available from labor associations and curriculum centers or developed locally by the employers and experienced journey workers.

The standards (or implementation plan) for each apprenticeship program is written in a specific format by the local committee and submitted to the USDOL/BAT for approval and registry. This document states how and when the learning processes will occur, what the responsibilities are of the employer and apprentice, and what wages will be awarded upon completion of each level of mastery. The employer and apprentice then signs their respective employer agreement and apprentice agreement which are also registered with the USDOL/BAT. If an apprenticeship program is properly registered with the USDOL/BAT, then the program is eligible to apply for State Improvement Funds.

The term "Youth Apprenticeship" is a shorten version of the term Youth Apprenticeship/Work-Based Learning or YA/WBL. These terms designate the high school and post-secondary youth apprenticeship programs that are approved by the Department of Workforce Education/State Apprenticeship Office (DWE/SAO) and that receive State Improvement Funds based upon a performance based budget. The youth apprentice or work-based learning student is usually 16 to 21 years old, entered the YA/WBL program while in high school, has a six year career plan that includes high school and post-secondary education and training, agreed to a three year (minimum) apprenticeship program, and will obtain not only certification/license in his/her occupation but a high school diploma and a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree. These programs are operated by consortia of employers, employer associations, and educational institutions. The SAO monitors and provides guidance, in both the training and education portions, to youth apprenticeship consortia that apply and are approved for State Improvement Funds.

The instructors in YA/WBL programs are usually secondary licensed or team-teach with a secondary licensed teacher so that the youth apprentice will receive high school credit toward graduation. These instructors are usually selected from the technical programs at high schools, technical institutes or colleges, and business/industry companies. The instructional materials are usually in place at participating high and post-secondary schools, but are sometimes acquired from labor associations, professional associations, and curriculum centers. In a few cases the instructional materials are developed locally by the employers, experienced journey workers, and the high and post-secondary instructors. In either case, the applicable or program manager at the Department of Workforce Education/Career and Technical Education will review and approve the instructional materials.

The implementation plan for each occupational apprenticeship program, the employer agreements, the apprentice agreements, and the apprentice six year career plans will be completed and maintained at the YA/WBL consortia for review and approval by the SAO. Additionally, the YA/WBL apprenticeship consortia are expected to achieve and maintain seven common design principles and six essential elements to be approved for State Improvement Funds.

The seven common design principles are:

The Construction Industry Training Education Program (pursuant to Act 474 of 1999) is designed to assist the construction industry in Arkansas to develop and improve the competencies and skill levels of their employees. Monies for this program are acquired from a construction permit surcharge and are available to qualified construction programs that apply to the Department of Workforce Education/State Apprenticeship Office. Most of the approved applicants are adult apprenticeship programs but some are area technical centers, high schools, technical schools and colleges associated with adult apprenticeship programs. Specific funds (20% of the total funds) are set aside each year for the infusion of curriculum into the public schools as well as the construction education institutions of Arkansas.

Rules and Regulations outline the application and award process. To qualify, the program must be performing actual work in Arkansas, the training must occur in Arkansas, and the applicant should be currently sponsoring a training, apprenticeship, or educational program in Arkansas that is approved by or registered with the State Apprenticeship Office and/or the United States Department of Labor/Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. The State Apprenticeship Office and the Arkansas Apprenticeship Coordination Steering Committee review the applications.

Must include one or more secondary schools offering vocational and technical education programs of study; and

Each consortium shall establish an advisory council to determine consortium needs, etc. All consortium members should be represented. Councils should meet at least once each semester with meeting minutes kept on file.

Each tech-prep program shall -

* be carried out under an articulation agreement between the participants in the consortium;

* consist of at least 2 years of secondary school preceding graduation and 2 years or more of higher education, or an apprenticeship program of at least 2 years following secondary instruction, with a common core of required proficiency in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communication, and technologies designed to lead to an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate in a specific career field;

* include the development of tech-prep programs for both secondary and postsecondary, including consortium, participants in the consortium that -

A TPAD career focus program of study is a coherent sequence of rigorous academic and technical courses that prepare a student for successful completion of state academic standards and more advanced postsecondary course work related to their career cluster of interest. This program of study must include an articulation agreement and combine a minimum of two years of secondary and two years of postsecondary (associate degree, certificate, apprenticeship, or two years of a four year program) education. The career focus must be designed around the ADWE Career Focus programs of study (must be a career and technical concentrator), the KUDER assessments, and a high school academic core that includes the minimum of completion of Algebra II until the 'Smart Core' comes into effect. Entry into the TPAD program requires a career focus program of study signed by the student and parent. This program of study must be reviewed and signed annually until completion of the secondary component.

NOTE: Grade 11 entry and Algebra II requirement begins with new enrollees in the fall of 2004. Students will receive credit for articulated courses completed in grades 9 and 10 that are a part of the defined program of study. Students currently in the system should be encouraged to complete Algebra II.

NOTE: 18-month technical certificate programs (equivalent to two traditional nine-month school terms) are accepted for the postsecondary component.

General Articulation Agreements: Agreements that involve only the general principle of cooperation and working together, or the general concept of granting college credit in escrow for high school technical courses.

Specific Articulation Agreements: Articulation agreements that focus on specific occupational specialties, and/or programs. These agreements must be true credit granting or advanced placement (time-shortened) articulation agreements that do not rely on testing other than the ADWE end-of-course assessment. Credit shall be granted upon enrollment, completion of no more than 12 hours, or completion of one semester at the postsecondary institution.

TPAD students who complete and meet all identified requirements of an articulated program should be presented a certificate (locally designed) showing completion of each articulated class. Only TPAD students whose intent is to attend the granting institution should receive this articulated credit.

Secondary: A student who is participating in an approved TPAD sequence of courses and has indicated intent (year program of study signed by student and parent on file) to follow the approved career focus. The major identifier is the intent to follow a recommended career focus.

NOTE: Academic dual credit courses are accepted for one year of the two years required at the secondary level.

Postsecondary: A student who has matriculated from the secondary program and continues to pursue a career focus which is an extension of an approved secondary TPAD program. The student will be receiving articulated/advanced placement (no minimum amount required) college credit. Many postsecondary schools do not list student majors in grades 13 and 14; the major identifier is the intent to follow a recommended career focus.

Hybrid: A student who has not graduated from secondary but has a minimum of 15 hours post-secondary transcript credit.

Completer: A student who has completed an associate degree, two-year certificate or apprenticeship, or enrolled in grade 15 of a four-year program.

Mid-year Accountability Report: A narrative report describing consortia July-December activities is required each January 31.

Annual Expenditure Report: Report of expenditures by budget category. Report and warrant for unexpended funds are due July 31. (Contact ADWE if a later date is needed.)

Annual Accountability Report: Accountability reports justify consortia expenditures and budget requests. An oral presentation of the Accountability Reports will be made by the consortia to state staff. Accountability reports are due each June 1.

Annual Application: A new request for consortia funding is required annually. The end-of-year accountability report will be used in budget approval. Basal funding is based on student data. (New consortia receive a base minimum for three years conditional upon performance.)

State staff will make on-site consortia reviews which will include validation/review of:

* random samples of student Social Security Numbers,

* parental involvement/attempt on agreements,

* capital equipment and identified supplies inventory for the previous three years,

* minutes of consortia meetings,

* accountability system and reports,

* business/industry involvement, and

* Perkins Title II required program contents.

Each consortium is required to maintain an accountability system. The Accountability Report will be used to justify consortium expenditures and in determining approval of new budget requests. Basal funding will be based on TPAD student data.

TPAD Student Data: Student SSNs and career focus_are required for ADWE to track students and obtain demographic, special populations, etc. data. This is a mandatory item for accountability and funding.

Required Accountability System Contents:

* Student SSN

* Program enrollment by career cluster

* KUDER assessment data

* Academic Courses Completed

* Articulated/Concurrent credit courses completed

* Potential articulated hours earned by 9-12 TPAD students

* Vocational courses completed

* Technical Skills/competencies attained

* End-of-course testing results

* Grades

* ACT scores

* High School graduation date (month & year)

* Career counseling services received

* Diploma/Degree/Certificate attainment (Secondary & Postsecondary)

* Workplace experiences as a part of TPAD

* Job placement data

* Wage data