§ 20-30-5-14 — Career awareness and career development education; Indiana career explorer program and standards; use of alternative Internet based system and standards

(a) As used in this section, "Indiana career
explorer program and standards" refers to the:
(1) software or Internet based system approved by the department
of workforce development; and
(2) standards established by the department of workforce
development that are aligned to interdisciplinary employability
skills standards prescribed in subsection (c);
that provides students with career and college planning resources.
(b) To:
(1) educate students on the importance of their future career
choices;
(2) prepare students for the realities inherent in the work
environment; and
(3) instill in students work values that will enable them to succeed
in their respective careers;
each school within a school corporation shall include in the school's
curriculum for all students in grades 1 through 12 instruction
concerning employment matters and work values described in
subsection (c).
(c) Each school within a school corporation shall include
interdisciplinary employability skills standards established by the
department, in conjunction with the department of workforce
development, and approved by the state board in the school's
curriculum.
(d) Each school shall:
(1) integrate within the curriculum instruction that is; or
(2) conduct activities or special events periodically that are;
designed to foster overall career awareness and career development as
described in subsection (b).
(e) The department shall develop career awareness and career
development models as described in subsection (f) to assist schools in
complying with this section.
(f) The models described in this subsection must be developed in
accordance with the following:
(1) For grades 1 through 5, career awareness models to introduce
students to work values and basic employment concepts.
(2) For grades 6 through 8, initial career information models that
focus on career choices as they relate to student interest and skills.
(3) For grades 9 through 12, career exploration models that offer
students insight into future employment options and career
preparation models that provide job or further education
counseling, including the following:
(A) Initial job counseling, including the use of job service
officers to provide school based assessment, information, and
guidance on employment options and the rights of students as
employees.
(B) Workplace orientation visits.
(C) On-the-job experience exercises.
(g) The department, with assistance from the department of labor
and the department of workforce development, shall:
(1) develop and make available teacher guides; and
(2) conduct seminars or other teacher education activities;
to assist teachers in providing the instruction described in this section.
(h) The department shall, with assistance from the department of
workforce development, design and implement innovative career
preparation demonstration projects for students in at least grade 9.
(i) Each school in a school corporation and each charter school:
(1) shall include in the school's curriculum state developed career
standards for all students in grade 8 that include instruction in and
use of either:
(A) the Indiana career explorer program and standards; or
(B) an alternative Internet based system and standards that
provide students with career and college planning resources
that have been approved by the state board under subsection (j);
and
(2) except as provided in subdivision (1), may include in the
school's curriculum state developed career standards for all
students in any grade level that include instruction in and use of
the program and standards or system and standards described in
subdivision (1)(A) or (1)(B).
(j) A school corporation or charter school may submit a request to
the state board to approve an alternative Internet based system and
standards that provide students with career and college planning
resources. The state board, in consultation with the department and the
department of workforce development, may approve an alternative
system and standards if the state board determines that the alternative
system:
(1) has an aptitude assessment tool;
(2) contains educational course track information;
(3) has a tool for the preparation and development of the
graduation plan prescribed in IC 20-30-4, including a parent sign
in component;
(4) allows access to education and career demand information
using data prepared by the department of workforce development;
and
(5) is aligned to interdisciplinary employability skills standards
prescribed in subsection (c).
(k) Beginning July 1, 2023, the department of workforce
development shall, in consultation with the department and
commission for higher education, implement an Indiana career explorer
program that includes software or an Internet based system that does
the following:
(1) Provides access to education and career demand information
using data prepared by the department of workforce development.
(2) Provides educational and career assessments or tools that:
(A) must include an aptitude and career assessment;
(B) are aligned to interdisciplinary employability skills
standards prescribed in subsection (c); and
(C) may include:
(i) educational course track information; and
(ii) a tool for the preparation and development of the
graduation plan prescribed in IC 20-30-4, including a parent
sign in component.
(3) Is interoperable with the comprehensive career navigation and
coaching system under IC 21-18-19.
[Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education
Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-4-12.]

Legislative History

As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.246-2005, SEC.171; P.L.230-2017, SEC.9; P.L.57-2018, SEC.1; P.L.76-2020, SEC.2; P.L.202-2023, SEC.18.