Section 79-12-004 - General This program is to provide a system where higher education students interested in a career in law enforcement can complete a course of study towards a degree and complete academy training as part of a cooperative certification program, pre-certification program, or combination of both. The Council may direct that such programs be established based upon the capability of the Center to administer the programs. The following procedures shall be followed for the administration of law enforcement cooperative certification/pre-certification programs in the State:
004.01 Police Standards Advisory Council The Council shall:
004.01A Establish standards for schools and academies for participation in cooperative certification/pre-certification programs.004.01B Approve application processes for training schools and academies.004.01C Approve all training schools and academies for participation in such programs on an annual basis004.01D Establish enrollment allocations, tuition and fee rates for all academy cooperative certification/pre-certification programs.004.01E Approve all additions, changes, and deletions of learning and performance objectives to the State basic curriculum.004.01F Approve the learning objectives to be incorporated into pre-certification programs by training schools.004.01G Approve academy pre-certification basic training curriculum.004.02 Director The Director shall:
004.02A Recommend learning objectives to be taught by the training schools in pre-certification programs to the Council.004.02B Present the pre-certification curriculum to the Council for approval.004.02C Serve as the academy registrar for all cooperative certification students.004.02D Develop cooperative certification/pre-certification application processes for schools and academies and submit them to the Council for approval.004.02E Make recommendations regarding enrollment allocations to academies for students.004.02F On an annual basis review school and academy performances, prepare reports, and make recommendations to the Council regarding continued participation in programs set out in this chapter.004.02G Provide for a staff member to serve as a liaison to schools and academies participating in programs established as provided in this chapter.004.02H Provide for the development and administration of an academy admission pretest for pre-certification students. 004.02H(1) The pretest shall be comprised of questions that are related to the State curriculum learning objectives taught in the pre-certification course. The pretest shall be developed from questions from the State curriculum test banks of the Center. The pretest shall be constructed to ensure that questions relevant to learning objectives from each topic area taught in the pre-certification course are included in the test.004.02H(2) The Director shall have at least two separate forms of the pretest developed for pre-certification testing.004.02H(3) A score of seventy percent (70%) or higher shall be a passing score for the pretest.004.02H(4) A person participating in a pre-certification program may take a pretest two times within twelve months. A person failing to obtain a passing score after two attempts shall not be eligible for admission to the pre-certification course. Such persons may make or continue to make application to attend the complete academy course.004.02H(5) The Director shall provide for: 004.02H(5)(a) Security to attempt to avoid compromise of the pretest.004.02H(5)(b) Testing dates and sites to reasonably accommodate pre-certification students.004.02H(5)(c) Notification to students and training schools of the student's test results.004.02I Report the status of programs established as provided in this section to the Council on an annual basis to include: 004.02I(1) Number of students enrolled in and completing programs.004.02I(2) An evaluation of each participating school and or academy that includes: 004.02I(2)(a) Conformance to standards, rules and policies.004.02I(2)(b) Any identified deficiencies and specific plans to correct the deficiencies.004.02I(2)(c) Percentage of students completing the degree/certification program by individual school.004.02I(2)(d) When relevant, numbers of students passing and failing the pre-certification test and or academy training by individual school or academy.004.02I(2)(e) A recommendation to approve each school or academy for participation in the cooperative certification/pre-certification program for the continuing year.004.02J Make recommendations to the Council regarding tuition rates, testing fees, and application fees for cooperative certification/pre-certification applicants on an annual basis.004.02K Approve or deny all student admissions based upon minimum standards to become a certified law enforcement officer.004.02L Issue diplomas for the completion of training to students who have successfully completed a cooperative certification/pre-certification training program and are eligible for certification in the State.004.03 Training Schools Schools participating in a cooperative certification program shall:
004.03A Submit annually to the director or his/her designee an application as approved by the Council for the establishment of a cooperative certification program. Such application will require: 004.03A(1) A description of the general program of study and how academy attendance relates to the general program, to include the number of college credit hours assigned to successful completion of academy certification training and any degree awarded.004.03A(2) Submission with application and update as changes occur of the name and means of contact of liaison personnel.004.03A(3) Agreement to cooperate fully in admission requirements for certification program students.004.03A(4) Agreement that cooperative certification program student must abide by the rules and regulations pertaining to admission requirements, attendance priorities, academic evaluations, and conduct/discipline while attending an academy. 004.03B Submit annually to the director or his/her designee an application as approved by the Council for the establishment of a pre-certification program. Such application shall require: 004.03B(1) A description of the general program of study which incorporates learning objectives required by the Council, and disclosing the number of college credit hours assigned to successful completion of such program of study and any degree obtained.004.03B(2) A list of all courses containing Council required learning objectives listing the learning objectives covered in each course.004.03B(3) Submission with application and updated as changes occur of the name and means of contact of liaison personnel.004.03B(4) Agreement to cooperate fully with the academy in preparing students in pre-certification programs for admission to the academy.004.03C Incorporate Council required training objectives into a course of pre-certification study.004.03D Provide student counseling in relation to the degree/certification program and law enforcement as a career. The counseling program shall address the following: 004.03D(1) The essential job task functions of a law enforcement officer.004.03D(2) The minimum standards for law enforcement certification and admission to a training academy.004.03D(3) The standards and rigors of law enforcement certification academy training.004.03D(4) The academy standards for academic and skills testing which the student must meet.004.03D(5) The pre-certification test requirements for admission to an academy under the school's pre-certification program.004.03D(6) The academic standards of an equivalent grade of C or better in course work related to the pre-certification learning objectives.004.03D(7) The completion of the application process to attend the academy.004.03D(8) The costs, equipment and materials needed to attend the academy.004.03E Provide verification to the Center of a student/applicant's academic completion and grades in all courses where learning objectives are taught. (Only schools in 004.04A(1) )004.03F Enter into an agreement with all participating academies dealing with administrative aspects of the cooperative certification program not covered in this chapter.004.04 Academies Academies other than the Center may participate in a cooperative certification/pre-certification program where the academy provides basic certification training to students who are not employed by a law enforcement agency or an agency where employees exercise law enforcement powers. Academies participating in a cooperative certification/pre-certification program shall:
004.04A Meet the standards established by the Council in Chapter (16), Certification of Law Enforcement Academies.004.04B Enter into a contract with the training school dealing with administrative aspects of cooperative certification students not covered in this chapter.004.04C Council approved training academies shall submit a request to conduct a cooperative certification or pre-certification basic training class to the Council. The request shall identify the proposed dates of and number of students the academy wants to enroll in the class. The Council shall approve or deny the request on a case-by-case basis and set the enrollment size of the class and tuition.004.04D Academies can contact training schools to enroll students for the Council approved pre-certification class. Pre-certification students must complete their application to attend an academy through the Training Center. Academies can only enroll students who have completed their application process and have been approved by the Center.004.04E Academies shall provide the Center a report of student performance during the training program to include academic and performance failures. Academies shall provide the Center a report of all students successfully completing the training course so the Director can issue students diplomas.004.05 Students 004.05A Pre-certification students must: 004.05A(1) Have been enrolled in a training school approved by the council for conducting a pre-certification course.004.05A(2) Have maintained a "C" average in all pre-certification courses in which Council required training objectives are taught.004.05A(3) Arrange with the training school for a transcript of grades to be forwarded to the academy.004.05A(4) Meet all academy admission requirements.004.05A(5) Take and pass with a score of 70% or higher the academy pretest for pre-certification students.004.05A(6) Upon admission to an academy, comply with all rules and regulations pertaining to academic and discipline standards.004.05B Cooperative Certification Students must:004.05B(1) Be enrolled in a training school approved by the Council for conducting a cooperative certification course.004.05B(2) Be in good standing with the training school at the time of application to the academy. 004.05B(3) Meet all academy admission requirements.004.05B(4) Upon admission to the academy, comply with all rules and regulations pertaining to academic and discipline standards.79 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12, § 004