| School Board of Alachua County |
| Bylaws & Policies |
2423.01 - CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
The Florida statutes require each district school board to develop a five (5) year strategic plan that meets local and regional work force demands through the establishment of Career and Professional Education (CAPE) programs. In addition to the Career and Professional programs that are offered in the District, the plan will include a Career and Professional Academy to be implemented in at least one (1) middle school in the District. The middle school Career and Professional Academy shall be designed to enable the transition to a high school Career and Professional Academy currently operating in the District.
The strategic plan shall be developed in collaboration with Alachua/Bradford Regional Workforce Development Board; Council for Economic Outreach; and Santa Fe College.
This plan shall be reviewed and updated every five (5) years by the District.
When the plan has been reviewed and updated, it shall be jointly approved by the School Board.
The Board expects career and professional academies offered in the District’s high schools to provide rigorous and relevant career-themed courses that articulate to postsecondary-level coursework and provide students with the opportunity to receive a standard high school diploma, the opportunity to earn industry certification, the opportunity to attain the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, and the opportunity to earn postsecondary credit.
The Board further expects that students who successfully complete the curriculum of the Career and Professional Academies that are established at the middle school level will have the opportunity to earn an industry certificate, high school credit, and participate in career planning, job shadowing, and business leadership development activities.
The Board encourages the Superintendent to forge partnerships with local businesses in the development of career and professional education academies. These partnerships will help prepare students for the State's workforce needs, as well as help attract, expand, and retain targeted, high-value industry and jobs in the community.
The District's career and professional education academies should increase student academic achievement and graduation rates through integrated academic and career curriculum. Each middle school career exploration program, middle and high school career and professional academies leading to industry certification, and high school graduation requirements shall be aligned.
Each career and professional academy at the high school level must:
| A. | provide a rigorous standards-based academic curriculum integrated with a career curriculum; | |
| The curriculum must take into consideration multiple styles of student learning; promote learning by doing through application and adaptation; maximize relevance of the subject matter; enhance each student's capacity to excel; and include an emphasis on work habits and work ethics. | ||
| B. | include one (1) or more partnerships with postsecondary institutions, businesses, industry, employers, economic development organizations, or other appropriate partners from the local community; | |
| Such partnerships shall be delineated in articulation agreements to provide for career-based courses that earn postsecondary credit. | ||
| C. | provide, shared, maximum use of private-sector facilities and personnel; | |
| D. | provide personalized student advertisement, including a parent participation component, and coordination with middle schools to promote and support career exploration and education planning; | |
| E. | promote and provide opportunities for career and professional education academy students to attain, at a minimum, the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award; | |
| F. | provide instruction in career designated as high growth, high demand, and high pay by the regional workforce development board, the chamber of commerce, economic development agencies, or the Department of Economic Opportunity; | |
| G. | deliver academic content through instruction relevant to the career, including intensive reading and mathematics intervention with an emphasis on strengthening reading for information skills; | |
| H. | offer applied courses in combination with technical skills; | |
| I. | provide instruction resulting in competency, certification, or credentials in workplace skills, including, but not limited to, communication skills, interpersonal skills, decision making skills, the importance of attendance and timelines in the work environment, and work ethics; | |
| J. | include an evaluation plan developed jointly with the Department of Education and the local workforce board; | |
| K. | include a plan to sustain career and professional education academies; | |
| L. | redirect appropriated career funding to career and professional academies. |
Each career and professional academy at the middle school level must:
| A. | provide instruction in courses leading to careers in occupations designated a high growth, high demand, and high pay in the Industry Certification Funding List approved under State Board rule; | |
| B. | offer career and professional academy courses that integrate content from core subject areas; | |
| C. | offer courses that integrate career and professional academy content with intensive reading and mathematics as required by State law; | |
| D. | coordinate with high schools to maximize opportunities for middle school career and professional academy students to earn high school credit; | |
| E. | provide middle school students with access to virtual instruction courses which are aligned with the state’s Curriculum Standards for Middle School Career and Professional Academy students. A priority will be given to students who are deficient in required courses. | |
| F. | provide instruction from highly skilled professionals who hold industry certificates in the career area in which they teach; | |
| G. | offer externships; and | |
| H. | provide personalized student advisement that includes a parent-participation component. |
An adult student who is enrolled in an apprenticeship program that is registered with the Department of Education in accordance with F.S. Chapter 446, Job Training, is exempt from the provisions of F.S. 1004.91 relating to career preparatory instruction.
The Superintendent shall develop and update administrative procedures as necessary for implementation of this policy, including the development of forms upon which such reports may be made.
F.S. 445.06, 446 et seq., 1003.4156, 1003.428, 1003.491, 1003.492, 1003.493
F.S. 1003.4935, 1004.91, 1009.536
Adopted 10/6/09
Revised 3/20/12
© Neola 2011