Sec. 61.855. GRANTS FOR TECH-PREP EDUCATION

(a) From amounts made available under Section 61.854, the board, in accordance with this subchapter and with a formula adopted by the board, shall award grants to tech-prep consortia for tech-prep programs described by Subsection (d).

(b) To be eligible for a grant, a tech-prep consortium must be composed of:

(1) a local educational agency, intermediate educational agency, area vocational and technical education school serving secondary school students, or a secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and

(2) one of the following institutions of higher education:

(A) a nonprofit institution of higher education that offers:

(i) a two-year associate degree program or a two-year certificate program and that is qualified as a junior college or technical college to award associate degrees under Chapter 130 or 135, including an institution receiving assistance under the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. Section 1801 et seq.) and its subsequent amendments as a tribally controlled postsecondary vocational or technical institution; or

(ii) a two-year apprenticeship program that follows secondary instruction, if the nonprofit institution of higher education is not prohibited from receiving assistance under Part B, Title IV, of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 1071 et seq.) and its subsequent amendments as provided by Section 435(a) of that Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1085(a)) and its subsequent amendments; or

(B) a proprietary institution of higher education that offers a two-year associate degree program and that:

(i) is qualified as an institution of higher education under Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 1002) and its subsequent amendments; and

(ii) is not subject to a default management agreement plan required by the United States secretary of education.

(c) In addition to entities described by Subsection (b), a tech-prep consortium may include:

(1) an institution of higher education that awards a baccalaureate degree; and

(2) employers or labor organizations.

(d) A tech-prep program must:

(1) be implemented under an articulation agreement between the participants in the consortium;

(2) consist of two to four years of secondary school preceding graduation and:

(A) two or more years of higher education; or

(B) two or more years of apprenticeship following secondary instruction;

(3) have a common core of required proficiency based on the recommended high school program adopted by the State Board of Education under Section 28.025(a), with proficiencies in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, and technologies designed to lead to an associate's degree or postsecondary certificate in a specific career field;

(4) include the development of tech-prep program curricula for both secondary and postsecondary participants in the consortium that:

(A) meets academic standards developed by the state;

(B) links secondary schools and two-year postsecondary institutions, and, if practicable, four-year institutions of higher education through nonduplicative sequences of courses in career fields, including the investigation of opportunities for tech-prep students to enroll concurrently in secondary and postsecondary course work;

(C) uses, if appropriate and available, work-based or worksite learning in conjunction with business and all aspects of an industry; and

(D) uses educational technology and distance learning, as appropriate, to involve each consortium participant more fully in the development and operation of programs;

(5) include in-service training for teachers that:

(A) is designed to train vocational and technical teachers to effectively implement tech-prep programs;

(B) provides for joint training for teachers in the tech-prep consortium;

(C) is designed to ensure that teachers and administrators stay current with the needs, expectations, and methods of business and of all aspects of an industry;

(D) focuses on training postsecondary education faculty in the use of contextual and applied curricula and instruction; and

(E) provides training in the use and application of technology;

(6) include training programs for counselors designed to enable counselors to more effectively:

(A) provide information to students regarding tech-prep programs;

(B) support student progress in completing tech-prep programs;

(C) provide information on related employment opportunities;

(D) ensure that tech-prep students are placed in appropriate employment; and

(E) stay current with the needs, expectations, and methods of business and of all aspects of an industry;

(7) provide equal access to the full range of tech-prep programs for individuals who are members of special populations, including by the development of tech-prep program services appropriate to the needs of special populations; and

(8) provide for preparatory services that assist participants in tech-prep programs.

(e) A tech-prep consortium that receives a grant under this section must use the money awarded to develop and operate a tech-prep program described in Subsection (d).

(f) A tech-prep program may:

(1) provide for the acquisition of tech-prep program equipment;

(2) acquire technical assistance from state or local entities that have designed, established, and operated tech-prep programs that have effectively used educational technology and distance learning to deliver curricula and services and to develop an articulation agreement; and

(3) establish articulation agreements with institutions of higher education, labor organizations, or businesses located in or out of the region served by the tech-prep consortium, especially with regard to using distance learning and educational technology to provide for the delivery of services and programs.

Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1422, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.