§ 16-45-6.1 - Career and technical education. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-45-6.1

   § 16-45-6.1  Career and technicaleducation. – The general assembly finds that career and technical education programs thatmeet rigorous industry standards and prepare Rhode Island's students to succeedin a wide variety of employment settings are a critical component of thestate's public education system and a necessary element of the state's economicdevelopment.

   The general assembly further finds that the proportion ofstudents now enrolled in such programs is inadequate. Therefore, all RhodeIsland school districts shall file a plan with the Commissioner of Elementaryand Secondary Education no later than January 1, 2006 setting forth the meansthrough which no fewer than forty (40) percent of their students enrolled ingrades nine (9) through twelve (12) shall be provided the opportunity to enrollin career and technical programming that is certified by the Rhode IslandDepartment of Education as meeting industry standards by September 2007.

   To facilitate the development of additional career andtechnical program offerings for Rhode Island students that meet industrystandards the department of elementary and secondary education shall, infurtherance of the reports and studies that have been developed since 2000setting forth recommendations for an updated system of career and technicaleducation for the State of Rhode Island, develop a system design that includessite assessments of all current career and technical programs and sets forthstandards and procedures for the department of elementary and secondaryeducation to approve programs that are developed in cooperation with business,industry and postsecondary institutions. The department shall also develop asystem design for three additional state operated career and technical schools,in addition to the William H. Davies School and the Metropolitan Career andTechnical Center, including recommendations for a model for the siting,building costs, operational costs and program design for each such school. Thegeneral assembly shall appropriate funds to the department for purposes oftheir completion of the system design for the statewide program approvalprocess to industry standards and the development of the models, siting andprogram design of the three additional state operated career and technicalschools.