705 Ky. Admin. Regs. 4:250

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 6, December 1, 2024

Section 705 KAR 4:250 - Energy Technology Engineering Career Pathway

RELATES TO: KRS 158.808, 158.810

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 156.070(4) authorizes the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations and prescribe courses of study and curriculums necessary for the efficient management, control, and operations of schools and programs under its jurisdiction. KRS 158.808 requires the board to promulgate administrative regulations to establish and administer an energy technology career track program, approve grant recipients, and distribute funds to local school districts. This administrative regulation establishes requirements for the application and the awarding of grants for an energy technology engineering career pathway.

Section 1. Definitions.

(1) "Career pathway program of study" is defined by KRS 158.810(7).

(2) "Secondary area center" is defined by KRS 158.810(11).

Section 2. Application Process.

(1) A Kentucky public school district shall be eligible to apply for a grant through a request for application process. The application materials shall be posted publicly on the department's Web site for a minimum of thirty (30) days. The application deadlines shall be published at http://education.ky.gov/districts/business/Pages/Competitive%20Grants%20from%20KDE.aspx.

(2) A local school district superintendent shall submit the Request for Application, Energy Technology Engineering Career Pathway Grant and have the approval of participating schools' school-based decision making councils and local board of education.

(3) A grant application shall indicate the fiscal agent as:

(a) A local board of education for all district comprehensive secondary schools and locally-operated secondary area centers; or

(b) The department's Office of Career and Technical Education for all state-operated secondary area centers.

(4) To be eligible for funding, an applicant school shall provide an energy career pathway approved by the department in accordance with this administrative regulation, and which includes the following components:

(a) Energy-related applications, including energy and power technology, engineering design and development, and energy-related research and applications as developed by the department in consultation with representatives from the energy technology industry, the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence, and local school districts;

(b) A curriculum that has been reviewed and is supported by representatives from the energy technology industry and by an institution of higher education as a curriculum that will prepare students for success in either college or career within the energy industry;

(c) The opportunity for students to participate in a related career and technical student organization, as well as energy related internships or cooperative education with energy-related industries or postsecondary education;

(d) Matching funds that shall be allocated to directly support the implementation of the program, which may include other state, federal, local, or nonpublic sources, within the uses and conditions set forth by the source of those funds. Previously awarded energy and engineering initiative state grants and local matches shall not be considered as matching funds for this program;

(e) Submission of an electronic copy; and

(f) The completion of all affiliate agreements and required registrations by the fall of each year.

Section 3. Selection of Grants.

(1) The criteria for selection of applications for funding shall be based on the appropriateness and quality of the following:

(a) Process for identifying potential students and estimated enrollment in the Energy Technology Engineering Career Pathway;

(b) An implementation plan, which includes:

1. Computer availability, including hardware and software commonly used in related fields;

2. Teacher availability and certification;

3. Elementary school integration;

4. Middle school and high school program;

5. Measures of student progress to be utilized;

6. Instructional space that is a minimum of 1,700 square feet;

7. Program Growth Plan, including recruitment of traditionally underserved populations;

8. Business and postsecondary partners and other education partnerships;

9. Narrative of budget and timeline, including the efficient and effective use of proposed grant funds and matching funds; and

10. Action plans for program sustainability, which shall include a description of the degree to which program objectives are to be met, specific methods and criteria used for evaluation, and the assessment used to determine if outcomes have been met;

(c) Program evaluation to include annual graduate follow-up surveys; and

(d) Level of individual school and district commitment for teacher professional development.

(2) An application shall be reviewed as follows:

(a) A team of evaluators shall review the application;

(b) The application shall be required to receive the minimum score as determined by the department according to the application's scoring rubric. The scoring rubric shall be posted in the application materials as part of the request for application; and

(c) The department shall approve funding based upon the results of the review.

(3) Consideration may be given to provide for geographic diversity and the number of students to be served, as well as the use of matching funds, in order to maximize the benefits of the program.

Section 4. Grant Allocations and Requirements.

(1) The award size or range of grants shall be determined by the department, in accordance with this section.

(a) A school shall be eligible for a maximum of three (3) years of funding.

(b)

1. Year one (1) funding shall be used for implementation; and

2. Years two (2) and three (3) shall be used for the sustainability of the program.

(2) Allowable expenditures include:

(a) Laboratory equipment and instructional materials necessary for instruction;

(b) Computers and computer upgrades;

(c) Computer software required by the curriculum;

(d) A laptop computer for the instructor;

(e) Travel expenses and registration fees for teachers and school administrators, including school counselors, to attend required conferences and trainings;

(f) Resources and professional learning for integrating energy activities in the curriculum;

(g) Energy related instructional materials and equipment; and

(h) A prorated allocation of the funding paid to a collaborating state-operated secondary area center or local community/ technical college, which shall be included in the requisite budget forms.

(3) State grant funds shall not be used to maintain, renovate, or build facilities or pay teacher salaries, but local district expenditures for these purposes may be included as matching funds.

(4) Monitoring of awarded grants shall include the following:

(a) Fiscal reports submitted semi-annually to the department; and

(b) Annual program evaluation report on the implementation plan that outlines the project accomplishments related to the project need, objectives, and outcomes.

Section 5. Incorporation by Reference.

(1) The "Energy Technology Engineering Career Pathway Grant Application", March 2015, is incorporated by reference.

(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Department of Education, 500 Mero Street, Capitol Plaza Tower, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is available on the department's Web site at http://education.ky.gov/districts/business/Pages/Competitive%20Grants%20from%20KDE.aspx.

705 KAR 4:250

34 Ky.R. 1904; Am. 2092; eff. 4-4-2008; 41 Ky.R. 1144; 1672; 2223; eff. 6-5-2015.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 156.070, 158.808