Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 172 - Department of Career Education
Rule 172.00.15-010 - Policies and Procedures for Career and Technical Education

A grouping of occupations and broad industries into a national classification of 16 clusters that are based upon common knowledge and skills. Career clusters include hundreds of occupations that may be grouped into pathways around which educational programs of study can be built.

The organizing structure for the 16 career clusters and 38 pathways. The fields represent the broadest aggregation of careers. Students are normally exposed to career field exploration in middle school and early high school.

An organization of related occupational areas within a specific career cluster. These pathways have identified knowledge and skills validated by industry from which programs and programs of study are developed.

A career and technical education program of study begins with the exploration of career options; supports basic academic and life skills; and enables achievement of high academic standards; high-skill high-wage employment preparation; and advanced continuing education . A program of study links secondary and postsecondary education and combines coherent and rigorous academic and technical education in a structured, non-duplicative sequence of aligned courses that progress from broad foundation skills to occupationally specific courses . A program of study may include opportunities for secondary students to acquire postsecondary education credits and leads to an industry-recognized credential or a certificate or degree at the postsecondary level.

A student who has completed three (3) Carnegie units of credit in grades 9-12 including all the required core courses in a career pathway 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.

Tangible, nonexpendable, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $100 or more per unit.

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.

Sustained, intensive, and focused opportunities for administrators, teachers, and faculty to foster POS design, implementation, certification and maintenance.

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 on file a four-year Career Development Portfolio, either hardcopy or electronic format, which includes secondary courses to be taken. At least two years of postsecondary education planning is recommended. The career plan shall be revisited each year for any necessary adjustments. Parents/guardians shall be involved in the education and career planning process, with signatures documenting involvement each year.

Class periods shall conform to the minimum class hours established by the Standards for Accreditation of Public Schools.

All concurrent credit courses offered for high school graduation (required 22 units) credit must have approval and alignment from ACE.

Work based learning combines classroom instruction with alternating periods of on-the-job training in an 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 ensure the development of required competencies. Students may be paid and shall be given academic credit.

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

Coordinator/teacher Supervision Periods

Local school districts and secondary technical career centers governing authorities shall have the option of extending the length of career and technical teacher's contracts beyond the minimum number of contract days required by the Standards for Accreditation of Public Schools.

Exception: State law requires twelve (12) -month contracts for agriculture teachers.

It is recommended that three (3) units per year be given-one (1) unit for the related class and two (2) units for the 270 per semester/540 per year hours of on-the-job training required.

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

Facility requirements must meet ADE guidelines (http://arkansasfacilities.arkansas.gov). Equipment requirements may be obtained from the appropriate program section and must be met within the specified time for program approval.

The federal funds received through the Department must be used to improve CTE programs and services for students enrolled in the program. Federal rules and regulations along with the state's Plan for the funds must be followed. Pertinent information regarding the federal CTE federal funds may be obtained through the Perkins Coordinator Manual and the State's Five-Year Plan (posted on the Department's website) and through the U. S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical Education and Adult Education.

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 as defined by the Department of Career Education.

Instructors shall attend ACE required training for program start-up and/or annual approval.

Information is necessary via various reports and shall be submitted by due date. Refer to program area operational guides for program-specific reports.

The following programs of study must maintain accreditation by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF):

The Department provides end-of-course assessments for the core required courses of the CTE programs of study. Districts with students enrolled in any of the assessed courses are required to test students through the web-based assessment system. The assessment results shall be used to guide program improvement. Along with industry-credentials/certifications, the end-of-course assessment data is used to determine achievement for the technical skill attainment performance indicator required by the federal Perkins Act. These results are published annually on the CTE School Report Card.

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

ACE 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 by federal law.

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, ACE. Following documentation of the completion of individual requirements, a recommendation will be made to ADE Professional Licensure section to add related endorsements.

Concurrent credit classes offered for high school career and technical credit in a secondary area technical center operated by a post-secondary institution must have approval and course alignment by ACE.

An ACE approved concurrent credit 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 shall be given 1 unit of secondary credit.

Technical instructors teaching at a secondary area technical center operated by a two-year community/technical college shall have a minimum of an associate degree within the area of instruction, have completed all necessary 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, ACE. 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's License/Technical Permit.

The term "Traditional Apprenticeship" is used to designate the adult apprenticeship programs that are registered with the USDOL/OA 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 ACE, monitors the related classroom instruction portion of USDOL/OA 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/OA 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 sign their respective employer agreement and apprentice agreement which are also registered with the USDOL/OA. If an apprenticeship program is properly registered with the USDOL/OA then the program is eligible to apply for State Improvement Funds.

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 Career 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/Office of Apprenticeship. The State Apprenticeship Office and the Arkansas Apprenticeship Coordination Steering Committee review the applications.