§ 3602-D — Work-prep education program

§ 3602-d. Work-prep education program. 1. Legislative findings. The\nlegislature recognizes that rapid technological advances and global\neconomic competition demand increased levels of skilled career education\npreparation and readiness on the part of youths entering the workforce.\nEffective strategies reaching beyond the boundaries of traditional\nschooling are necessary to provide early and sustained intervention by\nparents, teachers, and educational institutions in the lives of\nstudents. The establishment of a work-prep education program requiring\nsystematic career education articulation agreements between secondary\nschools and post-secondary educational institutions is such a strategy.\nYouths participating in this program will develop the skills in liberal\narts, basic academics, including literacy instruction, and career fields\nnecessary to acquire an associate degree or certificate increasingly\nrequired for positions in the workforce.\n 2. Definitions. As used in this section:\n (a) "Articulation agreement" shall mean a commitment between secondary\nand post-secondary institutions to a program designed to provide\nstudents with a non-duplicative sequence of courses leading to\ncompetencies, as demonstrated by an associate degree or certificate, in\nan occupationally oriented field.\n (b) "Disadvantaged" shall mean individuals (other than handicapped\nindividuals) who have economic or academic disadvantages and who require\nspecial services and assistance in order to enable them to succeed in\nwork-prep programs. Such term includes individuals who are: members of\neconomically disadvantaged families as set forth in regulations\npromulgated by the department pursuant to sections sixty-four hundred\nfifty-one and sixty-four hundred fifty-two of this chapter or as set\nforth in the Federal Job Training Partnership Act of nineteen hundred\neighty-two (PL 97-300) (29 U.S.C.A. § 1501 et seq.); migrants; English\nlanguage learners; and individuals who are identified as potential\ndropouts from secondary school.\n (c) "Work-prep education program" shall mean a combined secondary and\npost-secondary program which: leads to an associate degree or\ncertificate; provides preparation and establishes competencies in an\noccupationally oriented field; and leads to employment.\n (d) "Occupationally oriented field" shall mean applied science,\nengineering, health sciences, mechanical or industrial arts, and/or home\neconomics.\n 3. Work-prep education program. (a) The commissioner shall, out of\navailable funds pursuant to the Federal Carl D. Perkins Act (PL 98-524)\nand/or its successor, provide grants on a competitive basis, to pay the\ncost of activities authorized by this section to a consortia of:\n (1) school districts, local education agencies and/or boards of\ncooperative educational services serving secondary students; and\n (2) post-secondary educational agencies which offer an associate\ndegree program or certificate program.\n (b) Each consortia interested in initiating a work-prep program shall\nsubmit a five year plan for the development and implementation of\nwork-prep activities. At a minimum, the plan shall contain the\nfollowing:\n (1) an articulation agreement between the participants in the\nconsortium;\n (2) linkages between the two years of secondary school preceding\ngraduation and post-secondary study. Such linkage must incorporate a\nnext generation of required proficiency in an occupationally oriented\nfield leading to an associate degree or certificate in a specific career\nfield;\n (3) the development of work-prep education program curriculum\nappropriate to the needs of consortium participants, program\nparticipants, and the business community;\n (4) the development of specific measures to eliminate gender-based\nbias in occupational recruitment, counseling, instruction, and placement\nefforts;\n (5) the provision of in-service training for counselors designed to\nenable counselors to effectively: recruit students for work-prep\nprograms; ensure the student's successful completion of such programs;\nand assist in the student's employment placement; and\n (6) performance standards creating measures for evaluating program\nsuccess.\n (c) The commissioner shall give special consideration to applications\nwhich:\n (1) provide for effective employment placement activities;\n (2) demonstrate a commitment to continue such program activities;\n (3) include the input of business, industry, labor unions, joint\napprenticeship committees, and employers conducting registered\napprenticeship programs, in its development; and\n (4) address the issues of dropout prevention, disadvantaged youths,\nand handicapped youths.\n 4. Apportionment of funds. (a) Allowable costs under this section\nshall include expenses related to the coordination, administration\nand/or delivery of the work-prep program such as: costs of assessment,\nguidance, and instructional materials; purchase of equipment; personal\nservices associated with joint curriculum planning and development\nactivities; and costs of in-service training for participating teachers\nand guidance counselors.\n (b) Moneys appropriated under this section shall be apportioned\nensuring an equitable distribution of assistance throughout the state\nand among both urban and rural participants.\n