CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE - This act requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council, to establish minimum requirements for a career and technical education certificate that a student can earn in addition to a high school diploma. Students entering high school in school year 2016-2017 and thereafter will be eligible to earn a CTE certificate.

The CTE requirements are intended to provide students with the necessary technical employability skills to be prepared for an entry-level career in a technical field or additional training in a technical field but must not be a means of tracking students, as described in the act. The State Board must work with local districts to ensure tracking does not occur.

Each local district will determine the curriculum, programs of study, and course offerings based on the needs and interests of the students in the district. The State Board must work with individual districts to stipulate the minimum number of CTE offerings. Each local district must strive to offer programs of study that are economically feasible. By January 1, 2016, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a process for recognition of a district's career and technical education program that offers a career and technical education certificate.

This section is identical to a provision contained in CCS#2/HCS/SCS/SB 172 (2015) and in HCS/SB 13 (2015) and is similar to HB 406 (2015). (Section 170.029)

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL: This act modifies the composition of the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council. Instead of the Governor appointing the Advisory Council's current eleven members, the Commissioner of Education will make these appointments. This act also expands the Advisory Council's membership to include two senators, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and two representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The four legislative members will serve on the Advisory Council until they resign, are no longer members of the General Assembly, or are replaced by new appointments.

This section is identical to a provision contained in HCS/SB 13 (2015). (Section 178.550)

MICHAEL RUFF