15-391. Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. " Career technical education board" means a career technical education district governing board.

2. " Career technical education course" means a course that is offered by a career technical education district as part of a career technical education district program, that is approved by the career and technical education division of the department of education and that meets each of the following requirements:

(a) Is taught by an instructor who is certified to teach career and technical education by the state board of education or by a postsecondary educational institution.

(b) Is part of a program that requires students to obtain a passing score of at least sixty percent on an assessment that demonstrates the level of skills, knowledge and competencies necessary to be successful in the designated vocation or industry for that program of study.

(c) Is part of an approved career technical education district program.

(d) Is not a course or any variation of a course, including honors, that is required under the minimum course of study pursuant to section 15-701.01 in order to graduate from high school, except that credit may be awarded for any career and technical education course.

(e) Requires a majority of instructional time to be conducted in a laboratory environment, field-based environment or work-based learning environment, except for community college courses.

(f) Has demonstrated a need for extra funding in order to provide the career technical education course.

(g) Requires specialized equipment and specialized materials in order to provide instruction to students that exceeds the cost of a standard educational course.

3. " Career technical education district" means a district that is formed pursuant to this article and that offers career technical education courses.

4. " Career technical education district program" means a sequence of courses that is offered by a career technical education district and that meets all of the following requirements:

(a) Is taught by an instructor who is certified to teach career and technical education by the state board of education or by a postsecondary educational institution.

(b) Requires an assessment that demonstrates the level of skills, knowledge and competencies necessary to be successful in the designated vocation or industry or an assessment necessary for certification, if appropriate, or for career readiness and entry-level employment, in and acceptance by that vocation or industry. Any assessment adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall require a passing score of at least sixty percent.

(c) Requires specialized equipment and specialized materials in order to provide instruction to students that exceeds the cost of a standard educational course.

(d) Requires a majority of instructional time to be conducted in a laboratory environment, field-based environment or work-based learning environment, and requires career and technical student organization participation, except for community college courses.

(e) Demonstrates alignment through a curriculum, instructional model and course sequence to meet the standards of a career and technical education preparatory program as determined by the career and technical education division of the department of education.

(f) Has a defined pathway to career and postsecondary education in a specific vocation or industry as determined by the career and technical education division of the department of education.

(g) Is approved by the career and technical education division of the department of education based only on the requirements prescribed in this paragraph after the submission of all required documentation.

(h) Is certified by the career technical education district governing board to have met all the requirements prescribed in this article.

(i) Is offered only to students in grades nine, ten, eleven and twelve.

(j) Fills a high-need vocational or industry need as determined by the career and technical education division of the department of education.

(k) Requires a single or stackable credential as described in subdivision (l) of this paragraph or a skill that will allow a student to obtain work as described in subdivision (l) of this paragraph on graduation before receiving an associate degree or baccalaureate degree.

(l) Leads to certification or licensure, if available, or to career readiness and entry-level employment where relevant certification or licensure does not exist in that industry, in the designated vocation or industry that has been verified and accepted by that vocation or industry and that qualifies the person for employment. If there is no certification or licensure that is accepted by the vocation or industry, or if business practicalities do not require certification or licensure, completion of the program must qualify the student for at least entry-level employment.

(m) Requires instruction and instructional materials in courses that are substantially different from and exceed the scope of standard instruction and that include vocational skills, competencies and knowledge to be successful in the designated career technical education district program vocation or industry.

(n) An industry or vocation has agreed to provide financial or technical support to the career technical education district for a specific career technical education district program. For the purposes of this subdivision, " financial support" includes in-kind contributions and donations.

(o) A career technical education district has demonstrated a need for extra funding in order to provide the career technical education district program.

5. " State board" means the state board of education.