(Caution: 1998 Prop. 105 applies)
A. The department of education shall establish a career training and workforce program to do all of the following:
1. Provide multi-year grants of up to five years to school districts, charter schools and career technical education districts from the career training and workforce fund established by section 15-1282 for the purpose of providing services to students in grades nine through twelve.
2. Provide support to school districts, charter schools and career technical education districts that receive grants from the career training and workforce fund established by section 15-1282.
B. Not later than nine months after the effective date of this section, the department of education shall adopt rules to implement this section. The rules shall include:
1. Procedures and requirements for school districts, charter schools and career technical education districts to apply for, receive and renew grants from the career training and workforce fund established by section 15-1282, including:
(a) Requiring that grant applications be approved by the governing board or governing body of the school district, charter school or career technical education district.
(b) Providing real-time, accessibly formatted data regarding student grades, attendance and behavior to grade nine teachers and support staff.
(c) Committing to allocate time for grade nine teachers and support staff to meet during the school day to review data and develop strategies to intervene with at-risk students in grade nine, keeping records of such meetings and providing those records to the department on request.
(d) Using grant monies to establish and expand programs, opportunities and strategies allowed under this section and not using grant monies to maintain programs, opportunities and strategies established before the effective date of this section, except when a use is necessary to replace the loss or expiration of time-limited grants and federal monies.
2. Procedures for the department’s evaluation of grant applications received pursuant to this section.
3. Allowable uses of grants received from the career training and workforce fund established by section 15-1282, including:
(a) Developing or expanding career and technical education programs that are tied to medium to high-wage, high-demand careers that result in one or more of direct work experience, industry certification or postsecondary credits.
(b) Developing or expanding career and technical education programs that inspire and prepare students to become classroom teachers.
(c) Hiring school counselors.
(d) Developing and implementing academic acceleration programs under which objective measures are used to enroll students who have reached proficiency into the next more rigorous course in that content area.
(e) Expanding college-level educational opportunities, including:
(i) Advanced placement, international baccalaureate or comparable college-level courses.
(ii) Dual credit, co-enrollment programs or extended co-enrollment programs offered in conjunction with an Arizona community college, public university or other accredited institution of higher learning or postsecondary educational institution.
(iii) Recruiting, licensing, employing and training personnel to provide college-level educational opportunities for high school students.
(f) Assisting students in completing grade nine with sufficient credits to be on track to on-time graduation, including:
(i) Expanding counseling services to students in grade nine and providing summer bridge programs for at-risk, incoming ninth graders.
(ii) Implementing evidence-based strategies and programs to combat chronic absenteeism.
(iii) Providing tutoring and mentoring services.
(iv) Providing real-time, accessibly-formatted data regarding student grades, attendance and behavior to grade nine teachers and support staff.
(v) Allowing grade nine teachers and support staff to meet during the school day to review data and develop strategies to intervene with at-risk students in grade nine, keeping records of such meetings and providing those records to the department upon request.
(g) Expanding tutoring, mentoring, counseling, mental health and wrap-around services that meet high school students’ immediate needs.
(h) Funding to offset the costs of students enrolled in ninth grade and who persist to complete four year career and technical education programs offered pursuant to section 15-393.
4. Procedures that will allow the department to provide ongoing support to school districts, charter schools and career technical education districts that receive grants pursuant to this section.
C. The department of education shall:
1. Begin accepting applications for grants pursuant to this section not later than one year after the effective date of this section.
2. Notify the state treasurer when grants are awarded under this section and direct the state treasurer to transfer monies from the career training and workforce fund established by section 15-1282 to grantees.
D. Grants made pursuant to this section are exempt from title 41, chapters 23 and 24.