172.00.04 Ark. Code R. 004

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 10, October, 2024

Rule 172.00.04-004 - Secondary Area Technical Centers

SPECIAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR SECONDARY AREA TECHNICAL CENTERS

I. Application/Approval

A. Secondary Area Center Approval

1. An application for a new secondary area technical center must be submitted to the Associate Director of Workforce Training in the Department of Workforce Education (DWE) on or before October 1, prior to the school year in which the center is scheduled to open. Guidelines and application forms for a new secondary area technical center may be obtained by contacting the Associate Director for Workforce Training, #3 Capitol Mall, Luther S. Hardin Bldg., Little Rock, AR 72201-1083, or by calling (501) 682-1505.

2. Priority will be given to areas not currently being served by a center. A center will not be approved within 25 miles of an existing center unless it can be demonstrated that the creation of a new center will not adversely impact adjoining centers.

3. A sponsoring institution/entity (public high school, postsecondary technical institute, two-year college, or educational service cooperative) that has been approved as a secondary area technical center may begin operation with three occupation specific programs, but must have six programs of study in at least five career clusters by the start of the fourth year. Only occupational specific programs will be eligible for secondary area technical center funding. Other programs will not be eligible for vocational center aid.

4. A secondary area technical center that closes and desires to resume operation must submit a new application to the State Board of Workforce Education and Career Opportunities (SBWECO) for approval. A center that is approved by SBWECO for start-up, but fails to begin operation within a two-year period, shall be considered null and void.

B. New or Expanded Programs

1. For new or expanded program approval, the sponsoring institution/entity shall submit a proposal to the Deputy Director of Career and Technical Education, Department of Workforce Education prior to October 1, preceding the year in which the program(s) is to be implemented. The application is available in the Career & Technical Education link on the DWE website at Career and Technical Education.

2. New programs must be approved by the Associate Director of Workforce Training before the center can draw vocational center aid.

C. Satellite Locations

1. An existing secondary area technical center or proposed center, approved by the SBWECO may provide satellite location(s) to school districts that are located outside the 25 miles or 30 minutes of driving time. Satellite locations must be shared by more than one school district. Satellite locations will be eligible for funding in the same manner as center programs.

2. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) shall be completed, signed by cooperating parties, and on file in the director's office concerning the operation of satellite locations.

3.All applications for a satellite location require the approval of SBWECO.

II. Finance

A. Funding

1.Vocational center aid will be calculated and distributed by the Department of Workforce Education based upon each center's FTE enrollment.

2. The education/training fee is set at $3,250 per FTE (Act 59 of 2004) per year. Each high school will receive $3,250 per FTE from the public school fund based on the previous year's enrollment.

3. The secondary area technical center will bill each high school a minimum of $1,625 per FTE based on current semester's enrollment.

4. The $3,250 per FTE received by the high school from the public school fund shall be used to pay the center the education/training fee for students enrolled in the center for the current year.

5. In the event that the high school increased the enrollment to the center, the high school must pay the additional amount from other resources.

6. In the event that the high school decreases the enrollment to the center, the high school may hold the $3,250 per FTE in excess of the amount needed to support students attending the secondary area center.

7. Funding modifications shall be approved by the SBWECO.

B. Supplemental Funds

1. Secondary area technical centers shall be eligible for new program startup funds as outlined in Program Policies and Procedures for Secondary Programs (available on the Workforce Education website at http://dwe.arkansas.gov).

2. Secondary area technical centers may from time-to-time be eligible for federal vocational funds. The Department of Workforce Education will inform secondary area center directors of these as soon as they become available.

3. Secondary area technical centers may apply for and receive on its own merits any special grant funds from other agencies. Funding of secondary area centers is not limited to state funding as described above.

III. Expenditures

A. Reporting

1. An annual expenditure report is to be completed and sent to the Department of Workforce Education.

2. Enrollment data shall be submitted to DWE each semester. Each center will include enrollment verification from each participating high school. Enrollment and verification forms are available on the Secondary Area Technical Center website.

3. The center will report to DWE each school year a list of participating high schools (School Participation Report)

4. The center will report at the end of each school year all students that were enrolled in Career & Technical Education programs (End of Year Report).

5. Funds not expended in accordance with Act 819 of 2001 shall be carried forward into the succeeding year.

IV. Operations

A. Secondary Area Technical Center Responsibility

1. The management, maintenance, and operation of a secondary area technical center shall be the responsibility of the sponsoring institution or entity in accordance with the policies established by the SBWECO.

2. Failure to properly maintain and operate a secondary area center may result, by recommendation to the SBWECO, closure of the center.

B. Designation of Secondary Area Technical Center Director

1. Each secondary area technical center having a minimum of six programs must employ a vocational director on a half-time or full-time basis.

C. Secondary Area Center Council

1. Each secondary area technical center shall have an active area center council. The council shall be comprised of superintendents of the sponsoring and local school districts participating in the secondary area technical center along with the director of the center. When a postsecondary institution is designated as a secondary area technical center, the director or president/chancellor of that institution shall be a member. Additionally, where secondary area technical centers are sponsored by an education service cooperative, the director shall be a member of the council. The secondary area technical center council shall serve in an advisory capacity for the secondary area technical center in all areas of administration and operation, e.g., scheduling, student discipline, program design, etc. The center council may also assist with determining the capacity of a center.

2. An active advisory council is recommended for each occupational program area.

D. Instructor Qualifications

1. See certification/qualifications in Program Policies and Procedures Manual.

E. Employee Policies

1. The sponsoring institution/entity shall adopt official employee policies and procedures, including a salary schedule, sick leave, inclement weather, grievance, benefits, and other policies. These must be adopted by the start of the second semester of operation.

F. Student Handbook

1. The sponsoring institution/entity shall adopt a student handbook outlining the rules and regulations relating to discipline, attendance, hand tools, textbooks, OCR Grievance Procedures, and other matters. These must be adopted by the start of the second semester of operation.

G. Class Periods

1. Class periods shall conform to the minimum class hours established by the Standards for Accreditation of Public Schools and North Central Association (NCA). In order to restructure a program of study, the secondary area technical center may work with the Department of Workforce Education to implement course design and class lengths.

H. Instruction

1. Each approved program offered must follow curriculum content frameworks and administer student competency tests.

I. Transportation

1. Responsibility for transporting students to and from the local school to a secondary area technical center shall be determined by the secondary area technical center director and the administration of the local school district.

J. Exceptions

1. Expansion of secondary area technical centers into areas not being served is a priority of the Department of Workforce Education. The director may, upon request, make exceptions to the above stated policies when such requests are supported by adequate justification.

V. Definitions

* Access is an attempt for every high school student in Arkansas to have the opportunity to participate in any of a minimum of three occupation specific vocational programs offered within 25 miles or 30 minutes of the home schools.

* Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) shall be considered the equivalent of one student attending class for six class periods, e.g., one student attending a three period class the full year would equal one-half FTE.

* Capacity of a secondary area technical center is determined by multiplying the number of blocks of occupation-specific programs (two or three hours) by 20.

* Local districts are the districts in the locality, which are eligible to participate in vocational center programs.

* Occupation-specific vocational education programs are a vocational or technical program which have paid employment in specific occupations as their objective.

* Private and/or home-schooled students are eligible to participate in secondary area technical center programs through the local school district in which they officially reside.

* Satellite location is the extension of a secondary area technical center located outside the boundaries of an existing center (25 miles or 30 minutes of driving time) or to students in isolated areas. Satellite locations will be provided by an approved secondary area technical center, and must be shared by more than one school district. All satellite locations require the approval of the SBWECO.

* Secondary area technical center is a public secondary vocational institution organized for the specific purpose of educating high school students in specific occupational/vocational areas. A center will serve students from more than one participating school district. Students eligible to attend a secondary area technical center will generally come from a twenty-five (25) mile radius or thirty minute driving time from the local school. A secondary area technical center must be comprised of three specific vocational programs to begin operation. Also, it must have at least six programs out of five career clusters in operation by the start of the fourth year.

* Short-term adult vocational classes are specialized classes organized for the purpose of providing training, retraining, and upgrading of skills for which there is an identified demand in the employment market.

* Sponsoring institution is a comprehensive high school, a postsecondary vocational technical institute, a two-year or community/technical college, an education service cooperative, or any other entity authorized by law that has been approved by the SBWECO. The sponsoring institution will function as the fiscal agent, manage, and administer the secondary area technical center. (Reference Act 788 of 1985 and Act 819 of 2001)

RELATED LINKS for Secondary Area Technical Centers:

http://dwe.arkansas.gov/postsecond.html

http://dwe.arkansas.gov/about.html

http://dwe.arkansas.gov/CTElogopage.htm

http://dwe.arkansas.gov/CTESCTENewandExpandedPrograms.htm

http://dwe.arkansas.gov/sacdirectorinformation.html

http://uark.edu/depts/awecc/content/listing.html

http://www.uark.edu/misc/sct/

Effective Date: December 17, 2004

172.00.04 Ark. Code R. 004

12/7/2004