ORS Chapter 344 - Oregon Statutes

Chapter 344 — Careerand Technical Education; Rehabilitation; Adult Literacy

 

2009 EDITION

 

 

CAREERAND TECHNICAL EDUCATION; REHABILITATION; ADULT LITERACY

 

EDUCATIONAND CULTURE

 

CAREERAND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

 

344.055     Policyon career and technical education and employment training

 

344.058     FrontierLearning Network program; grant

 

344.070     Revolvingaccounts for federally sponsored education or training; advances; uses; rules

 

344.080     Reimbursementvouchers; accounts and records; bond

 

344.090     Procedurewhen training and educational programs are no longer needed, or when advancesare improperly handled or accounted for

 

344.100     Acceptanceof provisions of federal Act

 

344.120     Paymentof claims approved by board

 

344.130     Cooperationby district school boards to establish career and technical education

 

Note          Careerand Technical Education Collaboration Task Force--2009 c.844 §§1,2

 

COORDINATIONOF CONTINUING EDUCATION

 

344.257     Definitionof “continuing education”

 

344.259     Coordinationof continuing education

 

VOCATIONALREHABILITATION AND TRAINING

 

344.511     Definitionsfor ORS 344.511 to 344.690 and 344.710 to 344.730

 

344.530     Departmentof Human Services rehabilitation duties; rules

 

344.540     Federalcooperation

 

344.550     Eligibilityfor and extent of rehabilitation services

 

344.555     Trainingunder apprenticeship program

 

344.557     Eligiblevocational training schools and programs

 

344.560     Application;form

 

344.570     Actionupon application

 

344.580     Paymentsexempt from process

 

344.590     Appealand hearing

 

344.600     Unauthorizeduse of official rehabilitation data

 

344.620     StateVocational Rehabilitation Account; federal funds; custody and disbursement;records

 

344.630     Giftsfor rehabilitation purposes

 

344.685     VocationalRehabilitation Revolving Fund

 

344.690     Advancesto fund from account; repayment

 

REHABILITATIONFACILITIES

 

344.710     Rehabilitationfacility defined

 

344.720     Establishmentof rehabilitation facilities; application; approval

 

344.730     Financialreport

 

344.735     Stateadvisory committee; members; duties

 

YOUTHAPPRENTICESHIP, TRAINING AND WORK BASED LEARNING PROGRAMS

 

344.745     Youthapprenticeship, training and work based learning programs; number ofparticipants; qualifications; guidelines; credit

 

344.750     Ratiosof apprentices or trainees; rules; workers’ compensation coverage required;wages; hours; removal

 

344.753     Employerseligible for reimbursement for costs of training programs; education servicecredits

 

344.755     Lossof eligibility for tax credit and for program participation

 

344.757     Giftsand grants

 

ADULTLITERACY

 

344.760     Legislativefindings on adult literacy

 

344.765     Establishmentof literacy coalitions by community colleges

 

344.770     Shorttitle

 

REHABILITATIONOF WORKERS

 

344.840     Careerand technical instruction in public schools; reimbursement

 

344.850     Reimbursementsto Department of Human Services

 

      344.010 [Repealed by1959 c.641 §38]

 

      344.020 [Repealed by1959 c.641 §38]

 

      344.030 [Repealed by1959 c.641 §38]

 

      344.040 [Repealed by1959 c.641 §38]

 

      344.050 [Repealed by1959 c.641 §38]

 

CAREERAND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

 

      344.055Policy on career and technical education and employment training. It shall be thepolicy on career and technical education and employment training in this statethat:

      (1)Accessibility to career and technical education programs should be facilitated.Individuals should have a choice of training opportunities for which they arequalified and from which they can benefit. Such opportunities should beavailable from school districts, community colleges, federal and state workforcetraining programs, private career and technical education schools,apprenticeship programs and institutions of higher education. The studentshould have easy access to training with the flexibility to move in and out ofprograms as needs indicate. Opportunities should be available for allindividuals to obtain the skills and knowledge needed for initial employment aswell as for occupational upgrading and job changes.

      (2)State and local planning and program operations should be coordinated to providethe most efficient use of federal, state, local and private resources.

      (3)A comprehensive system of education and employment training should bedeveloped. Secondary schools should provide an educational program thatbalances the educational skills of reading, writing, speaking, computation andreasoning ability, occupational skills including technical knowledge,manipulative ability and other skills required to perform job tasks andemployment skills such as job seeking, work attitude, work adjustment andjob-coping abilities. Community colleges should provide comprehensive programsin both academic and career and technical education subjects. In addition,community colleges should provide short-term training designed for specificoccupations, related training for apprenticeships and opportunities foremployed persons to improve their skills. Other providers of employmenttraining should compliment this effort with programs aimed at specific jobtraining.

      (4)Full working partnerships among education, business, industry, labor,government and agriculture should be developed to meet employer needs for askilled workforce and to promote employee job satisfaction. Such partnershipsshould be fostered by promoting efforts such as work site training stations,lending or donating of equipment to training programs, employee-teacherexchange programs, advisory committees and cooperative work experienceprograms. All segments of the community should be encouraged to assist incareer and technical education.

      (5)Federal, state, local and private funding resources should be combined toensure the development and implementation of quality programs. Both thegovernmental and private sectors should make a commitment to career andtechnical education as an investment that will help bring about economicdevelopment and stability as well as high social and financial returns.Improvement of existing training programs, as opposed to development ofduplicative or parallel efforts, should be utilized to promote flexibility andeconomy in the design and delivery of career and technical education.

      (6)High quality career and technical education requires an adequate supply of wellprepared teachers and support personnel. Provisions should be made for theformal preparation of teachers and for the recruitment of teachers frombusiness and industry. Programs should be designed and implemented to ensurethat teachers remain current in their areas of expertise, and instructorsshould be encouraged to return to business and industry to gain additionalexperience in their fields. To promote retention of qualified personnel,institutions preparing and licensing teachers and agencies employing teachersshould allow credit for relevant career and technical education experiences.

      (7)Career and technical education programs and other employment training programsshould be developed, operated and evaluated jointly with representatives of thecareer and technical education instructional areas included in the programs.Evaluation of efforts should consider the cost effectiveness of the programboth for society and the state.

      (8)Each student’s academic, career and technical education and employment skillsshould be assessed upon entering so that proper placement in the educationalprogram can occur. Credit should be given for prior education, work experienceand community service. Assessments to determine progress, competency attainmentand needed corrective action should be made on a periodic basis. Assistance inobtaining employment and follow-through services to help students succeed onthe job should be provided.

      (9)Provisions should be made to meet the needs of women, minorities, disadvantagedor persons with disabilities and others who have special training needs.Special curricula, facilities, equipment, counseling and instruction should beprovided as necessary. The agencies and institutions serving these groupsshould coordinate use of the available resources to provide cost effectiveservices.

      (10)Career and technical education provides the learning experience needed to makeeffective career choices and to develop the attitudes, knowledge and skillsthat enable persons to perform successfully in the producer role and to assistthem in other related life roles. It progresses through the steps of awarenessand exploration of work, preparation for a broad range of occupations andspecialization in a specific occupation.

      (11)Career and technical education is taught at the secondary school level, inpost-secondary career and technical education institutions, community collegesand apprenticeship programs and may continue through skill upgrading orretraining for a new career. [1981 c.756 §1; 1993 c.45 §243; 2005 c.22 §238;2009 c.94 §16]

 

      344.058Frontier Learning Network program; grant. Each biennium, in addition toand not in lieu of any other moneys, the Department of Education shall award agrant to the Frontier Learning Network career and technical education program.The grant may be used for:

      (1)Mobile classrooms;

      (2)Developing information and technical systems;

      (3)Creating and implementing curricula;

      (4)Capital improvements;

      (5)Teachers and technical staff;

      (6)Distance learning communications expenses; and

      (7)Special project materials. [1999 c.1028 §1; 2005 c.22 §239; 2009 c.94 §17]

 

      344.060 [Amended by1959 c.641 §35; repealed by 1965 c.100 §456]

 

      344.070Revolving accounts for federally sponsored education or training; advances;uses; rules.(1) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services may draw warrants upon anystate fund to which federal funds for training or education have been credited,in payment of vouchers approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction orthe Commissioner for Community College Services pursuant to rules of the StateBoard of Education, in favor of school districts, education service districtsand community college districts, for such sums, not exceeding $100,000 for asingle district in the aggregate, as the state board, by rule, shall determine.The warrants, upon delivery thereof to the districts, shall constitute advancesfrom state funds to enable the districts more readily to effectuate thepurposes set forth in any federal law or regulation pertaining to career andtechnical education or other education or training sponsored by the federalgovernment.

      (2)The districts to which moneys are advanced shall be responsible for the fullrepayment to the state of all sums advanced. The advances are not within anylimitation upon indebtedness prescribed by law for districts. The moneysadvanced to districts may not exceed in the aggregate the moneys to the creditof the state fund from which they are paid, and shall constitute advances tothe recipient district in anticipation of verified vouchers to be suppliedtherefor. The advances are to be used as revolving funds for the payment of thecosts of career and technical education programs. The advances shall be madeonly in those cases in which the federal government defrays all or part of thecost of such programs. [Amended by 1965 c.100 §435; 1965 c.102 §1; 1983 c.740 §109;1989 c.491 §48; 1993 c.45 §244; 2009 c.94 §18]

 

      344.080Reimbursement vouchers; accounts and records; bond. (1) Allreimbursement vouchers for claims paid from the revolving funds mentioned inORS 344.070 shall be approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction orthe Commissioner for Community College Services pursuant to rules of the StateBoard of Education. When vouchers are so approved, warrants covering the sameshall be drawn by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, payablefrom the appropriate fund, and be used to reimburse the revolving funds.

      (2)The districts receiving such advances shall maintain their accounts and recordsso as to disclose at all times the true status of the unpaid vouchers issuedfor the reimbursement of the funds, the district warrants drawn against thefunds advanced and the balances to the credit thereof.

      (3)The revolving funds and accounts shall be subject to examination and audit bythe state in the manner provided by law for other state funds and accounts. TheState Board of Education may require an audit of the revolving accounts andshall take proper precautions as to the safety of, and accountability for, allfunds advanced.

      (4)The State Board of Education may require the filing with it of a bond of acorporate surety duly licensed to transact business in this state to insure theproper handling of and responsibility for any funds advanced. The bond shall becumulative and supplemental to fidelity insurance coverage already held by thedistrict concerned. The state may have recourse to any and all fidelity bondsof clerks or other financial officers of the district to protect such advances.[Amended by 1983 c.740 §110; 1989 c.491 §49; 1993 c.45 §245]

 

      344.090Procedure when training and educational programs are no longer needed, or whenadvances are improperly handled or accounted for. When it appearsto the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Commissioner for CommunityCollege Services that the training and educational programs for which funds areadvanced under ORS 344.070 have been completed, or that the need for suchadvances or revolving funds no longer exists, or that the sums advanced are notbeing properly handled or accounted for, the superintendent or commissioner mayrequire that all or part of the amounts advanced to any district shall bereturned, with any interest earned, to the state funds or accounts from whichthe amounts originally were withdrawn. Upon receipt of notification from the superintendentor commissioner that funds advanced are to be returned, the district concernedshall immediately repay the same to the State Treasurer, for credit to theproper fund or account. To the extent that funds advanced are so repaid,security or protection theretofore required by the State Board of Educationunder ORS 344.080 (4) to insure the safety of such funds may be released. [Amendedby 1989 c.491 §50; 1993 c.45 §246]

 

      344.100Acceptance of provisions of federal Act. The State of Oregon hereby accepts allprovisions and benefits of an Act of Congress with the stated purpose: “To makethe United States more competitive in the world economy by developing morefully the academic and occupational skills of all segments of the population.This purpose will principally be achieved through concentrating resources onimproving educational programs leading to academic and occupational skillcompetencies needed to work in a technologically advanced society.” [Amended by1993 c.45 §247]

 

      344.110 [Amended by1989 c.491 §51; repealed by 1993 c.45 §248]

 

      344.120Payment of claims approved by board. All lawfully incurred claims dulyapproved pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, including allclaims to be paid from the moneys received by the state from the federalgovernment for career and technical education purposes and for which the StateTreasurer is custodian shall be paid as provided in ORS 293.295 to 293.462. TheOregon Department of Administrative Services shall draw warrants on the StateTreasurer in payment thereof out of the proper appropriations or funds. [Amendedby 1983 c.740 §111; 1989 c.491 §52; 1993 c.45 §249; 2009 c.94 §19]

 

      344.130Cooperation by district school boards to establish career and technicaleducation.Any district school board may cooperate with the State Board of Education inestablishment of career and technical education schools or classes givinginstruction in agricultural subjects, the trade or industrial subjects, or inhome economics subjects, and may use any moneys raised by public taxation inthe same manner as moneys for other school purposes are used for themaintenance and support of public schools. [Amended by 1993 c.45 §250; 2009c.94 §20]

 

      Note: Sections 1 and2, chapter 844, Oregon Laws 2009, provide:

      Sec.1. Career and Technical Education Collaboration Task Force. (1) The Careerand Technical Education Collaboration Task Force is created. The purpose of thetask force is to develop a plan to increase collaboration and developpartnerships among kindergarten through grade 12 schools, community colleges,labor, business and industry in relation to career and technical education.

      (2)The task force consists of 12 members appointed as follows:

      (a)The President of the Senate shall appoint one member from among members of theSenate.

      (b)The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from amongmembers of the House of Representatives.

      (c)The Governor shall appoint:

      (A)One member who is a teacher or administrator at a school that teaches any gradefrom kindergarten through grade 12.

      (B)One member who is a teacher or administrator at a community college.

      (C)One member who represents labor.

      (D)One member who represents business or industry.

      (E)One member who represents a career school.

      (F)One member who represents a nonprofit organization.

      (G)One member who represents the Department of Community Colleges and WorkforceDevelopment.

      (H)One member who represents the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

      (I)One member who represents the Department of Education.

      (J)One member who represents the State Workforce Investment Board.

      (3)For the purpose of developing the plan described in subsection (1) of thissection, the task force shall:

      (a)Identify the collaborations and partnerships among kindergarten through grade12 schools, community colleges, labor, business and industry in relation tocareer and technical education that are currently established or are in theprocess of being established.

      (b)Make recommendations regarding increasing collabo