Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-46.6
Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 10, November 13, 2024
Rule 281-46.6 - Career and technical education program approval and review(1)Secondary program approval. All career and technical education programs offered by a district are to be approved by the department. As a condition for approval, a district will comply with the following paragraphs: a.Data collection and analysis. A district, for each program, will conduct an analysis of appropriate data and information related to the program and occupational fields applicable to the program. For purposes of this subrule, data includes, at a minimum, program enrollment numbers and trends by high school, course completion rates and trends, data needed under federal statutes governing career and technical education, and labor market information and socioeconomic and demographic data elements as provided by the partnership.b.Program report and self-study. A district will create a program report and self-study for each offered program. The program report and self-study includes the following minimum criteria:(1) Program overview. This section includes an overview of the program's purpose, a summary of data and information as described under paragraph 46.6(1)"a" and any conclusions drawn from this data and information, and an analysis of future trends in occupations associated with the program.(2) Statement of program goals, objectives, and outcomes. This section includes clear statements of the program's goals, objectives, and outcomes, including a justification of the program's goal(s), objective(s), and outcome(s) based on the review conducted under subparagraph 46.6(1)"b"(1), and describes methods that will be used to measure the program's stated outcomes.(3) Competencies. This section describes the established program competencies aligned with state standards pursuant to rule 281-46.5(256) and the program's goals, objectives, and outcomes; includes evidence of advisory committee approval of competencies, technical skill assessment tool(s), and proficiency benchmarks; includes evidence of postsecondary approval of competencies and technical skill assessment tool(s); outlines and describe the coherent sequence of coursework that constitutes the program, including any related foundational and concurrent enrollment coursework, depicted in a plan of study template; describes processes utilized to employ contextualized and effective work-based, project-based, and problem-based learning approaches; describes efforts to integrate career and technical education student organization(s) into the program, if applicable; and describes processes utilized to review and update the curriculum, ensuring continued relevancy to the occupational field.(4) Student assessment. This section describes how the program will assess student outcomes established under subparagraph 46.6(1)"b"(2) and program competencies established under subparagraph 46.6(1)"b"(3) and the established technical skill assessment tool(s) to measure competencies, utilizing industry-approved technical skill assessments, where available and appropriate.(5) Educational resources. This section describes key equipment and materials currently used in instruction; processes to determine whether the equipment is relevant and up to date; processes to maintain the equipment; and new equipment needs, with a description of how the proposed new equipment would improve the program.(6) Advisory council. This section describes how the program engages with the business community to recruit members for the advisory council pursuant to rule 281-46.8 (258) and includes a current member list with titles and company; describes advisory committee meeting logistics including, but not limited to, meeting frequency, agendas, and minutes; details and describes the advice the advisory council has suggested for the program and any actions or results taken by the program that stem from this advice as well as any advice not acted upon by the program; and includes, as an appendix to the narrative, advisory council minutes from the prior year.(7) Partnerships. This section describes how the program's curriculum is integrated with other curricular offerings required of all students; describes the articulation, contractual agreements for shared courses with community colleges, and other agreements with community colleges and other postsecondary institutions; and describes how the program partners with counselors at various levels to assist all students and stakeholders in the exploration of pathway opportunities within the service area.(8) Removing barriers. This section describes how the program removes barriers for all students to access education opportunities both while in and beyond high school.c.Feedback. The district will submit the program report and self-study completed under paragraph 46.6(1)"b" to the partnership for peer review and feedback. The partnership is to complete a review of the program report and self-study and provide the district with recommendations and feedback based on that review. The partnership's recommendations will be documented and submitted to the department and the district. The partnership will include in the recommendations a determination of whether the program should or should not receive department approval. A program must be recommended for approval by the partnership for the program to receive approval by the department. The district will modify the program report and self-study based on the partnership's recommendations. The partnership's recommendations will be included as an appendix to the program report and self-study submitted to the department. The final program report and self-study will be submitted by the district to the department.d.Department approval. Final approval of programs is reserved to the department. Approval will be awarded to a program if clear evidence of compliance with the criteria established in this rule is provided in the program report and self-study under paragraph 46.6(1)"b." A program that fails to be approved by the department will have one year to address identified deficiencies and resubmit for approval of the program. The department will provide a summary of the deficiencies in need of addressing.(2)Postsecondary program approval. All community college career and technical education programs will be approved through the process established in 281-Chapter 21.(3)Secondary program review. The program review process will ensure that 20 percent of secondary career and technical education programs are reviewed on an annual basis and that career and technical education programs meet standards adopted by the board. The review will include an assessment of the extent to which the competencies in the program are being mastered by the students enrolled, the costs are proportionate to educational benefits received, the career and technical education curriculum is articulated and integrated with other curricular offerings required of all students, the programs would permit students with career and technical education backgrounds to pursue other educational interests in a postsecondary institutional setting, and the programs remove barriers for all students to access educational and employment opportunities.a.Secondary program review. As a condition of continuing approval, districts will comply with the following provisions for career and technical education program review. Units of instruction necessary under rule 281-46.4 (258) are to have students from each participating high school enrolled. Each district that sends students to a shared program with another district that is used by the sending district to fulfill rule 281-46.4 (258) is to have students from the sending district enrolled in the shared program. (1) Conclusions drawn from annual program measurement. A district will, for each program, annually review and evaluate program outcomes and student assessment data. The district will document any conclusions drawn from the review and evaluation of program outcomes and student assessment data, and how those conclusions impact the future direction of the program. In addition to and as a result of this review, the district will identify program strengths, in order of importance, and describe how these strengths will be maintained; perceived barriers to accomplishing the program's goal(s) and objective(s); and primary opportunities for improvement, in order of importance, and how these opportunities for improvement will be addressed. The district will also review program enrollment and participation data by high school to determine if students from each participating high school have access to the program. The district will describe how the district is ensuring access to the program for all students from each participating high school.(2) Revision of program goals, objectives, and outcomes. The district is to update and make appropriate revisions to the program, including goals, objectives, and outcomes, as outlined in the program report and self-study based on the results of the activities prescribed under subparagraph 46.6(3)"a"(1).b.Feedback. The district will submit the program report and self-study completed under subparagraph 46.6(3)"a"(2) to the partnership for peer review and feedback. The partnership will complete a review of the program report and self-study and provide the district with recommendations and feedback based on the review. The partnership's recommendations are to be documented and submitted to the department and the district. The partnership will include in the recommendations a determination of whether the program should or should not receive department approval. A program is to be recommended for approval by the partnership for the program to receive approval by the department. The district will modify the program report and self-study based on the partnership's recommendations. The partnership's recommendations will be included as an appendix to the program report and self-study submitted to the department. The final program report and self-study will be submitted by the district to the department.c.Department approval. Final approval of programs will be reserved for the department. Approval will be awarded to a program if clear evidence of compliance with the criteria established in this rule is provided in the program report and self-study under this rule. A program that fails to be approved by the department will have one year to address identified deficiencies and resubmit for approval of the program. The department will provide a summary of the deficiencies in need of addressing.(4)Postsecondary program review. The postsecondary program review process is to ensure career and technical education programs meet standards adopted by the board. The review will include an assessment of the extent to which the competencies in the program are being mastered by the students enrolled, the program costs are proportionate to educational benefits received, the curriculum is articulated and integrated with other curricular offerings required of all students, the program provides opportunities for students to pursue other educational interests in a postsecondary institutional setting, and the program removes barriers for all students to access educational and employment opportunities. a.Process. Each community college will establish a process that ensures at least 20 percent of career and technical education programs are reviewed on an annual basis. The department will ensure compliance with this paragraph through the community college accreditation process established in 281-Chapter 21.b.Components. The following minimum components will be addressed through the process outlined in paragraph 46.6(4)"a."(1) Industry or professional standards. Community colleges will utilize standards established and recognized by industry or professional organizations when available and appropriate. In lieu of these standards, community colleges will develop program standards through a structured group interview process, which involves committees of incumbent workers within an occupational cluster analyzing standards that include new and emerging technologies, job seeking, leadership, entrepreneurial, and occupational competencies. This analysis includes identifying standards that ensure program participants have access to instruction that leads to employment and further training. All standards will be analyzed for the reinforcement of academic skills.(2) Program standards. Additional standards to be addressed during the program review include currency of curriculum; faculty qualifications; professional development; adequacy of equipment and facilities; student outcomes, in terms of student demographics to include gender, race and ethnicity, national origin, and disability; enrollment retention, completion, and replacement rates; articulation; and employment rates and wages.(3) Advisory council. The community college will document how the program engages with the business community to recruit members for the advisory council under rule 281-46.8(258). Program review documentation will include a current member list with titles and employer; advisory committee meeting logistics including, but not limited to, meeting frequency, agendas, and minutes; advice the advisory council has suggested for the program; and any actions or results taken by the program that stem from this advice.(4) Articulation. Teachers and administrators from both secondary and postsecondary instructional levels (when applicable) meet to identify competencies required at each level and to jointly prepare agreements of articulation between secondary and postsecondary levels for specific occupational areas. Such joint articulation efforts will facilitate the secondary-postsecondary transition and help reduce duplication between the two levels.(5)Program modification. Any modifications to a program are to be approved by the department. Modification includes a change to the courses in the program, a change to the description of a program, discontinuing a program or option, a change to instructional or occupational classification, or changes in program entrance requirements.Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-46.6
Amended by IAB February 15, 2017/Volume XXXIX, Number 17, effective 3/22/2017Amended by IAB December 5, 2018/Volume XLI, Number 12, effective 1/9/2019Adopted by IAB April 17, 2024/Volume XLVI, Number 21, effective 5/22/2024