Each public school student shall master the basic skills and knowledge necessary for managing the dual roles of family member and wage earner and for gaining entry-level employment in a high-skill, high-wage job or continuing the student's education at the post-secondary level. Education Code 29.181.

The Board may conduct and supervise career and technology classes and other educational programs for students and for other persons of all ages and spend local maintenance funds for the cost of those classes and programs. Education Code 29.183 [See EEL]

The Board may develop and offer a program that provides a rigorous course of study consistent with the required curriculum [see EHAA] and under which a student may:

1. Receive specific education in a career and technology profession that leads to postsecondary education or meets or exceeds business or industry standards;

2. Obtain from the District an award for distinguished achievement in career and technology education and a stamp or other notation on the student's transcript that indicates receipt of the award.

An award granted under this section is not in lieu of a diploma or certificate of coursework completion. [See El]

In developing the program, the Board shall consider the state plan for career and technology education. The Board must submit the proposed program to the Commissioner of Education in accordance with criteria established by the Commissioner.

The Board may contract with an entity listed in Education Code 29.184(a) [see EEL] for assistance in developing the program or providing instruction to District students participating in the program. The Board may also contract with a local business or a local institution of higher education for assistance in developing or operating a career and technology education program. A program may provide education in areas of technology unique to the local area.

The Board may provide insurance to protect a business that contracts with the District under this provision. [See CRB]

Education Code 29.187

In this policy, a "member of a special population" includes:

1. An individual with a disability;

2. An individual from an economically disadvantaged family, including a foster child;

3. An individual preparing for nontraditional training and employment;

4. A single parent, including single pregnant women;

5. A displaced homemaker; and

6. An individual with other barriers to educational achievement, including an individual with limited English proficiency.

20 U.S.C. 2302(23)

A student with a disability shall be provided career and technology services in accordance with all applicable federal law and regulations including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations, state statutes, and rules of the SBOE and the Commissioner.

A student with a disability shall be instructed in accordance with the student's individualized education program (IEP), in the least restrictive environment, as determined by the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee. If a student with a disability is
unable to receive a free appropriate public education (educational benefit) in a regular career and technology education program, using supplementary aids and services, the student may be served in separate programs designed to address the student's occupational/training needs, such as career and technology education for students with disabilities (CTED). [See EHBA]

A student with a disability identified in accordance with IDEA is an eligible participant in career and technology education when the following requirements are met:

1. The ARD committee shall include a representative from career and technology education, preferably the teacher, when considering initial or continued placement of a student in career and technology education;

2. Planning for the student shall be coordinated among career and technology education, special education, and state rehabilitation agencies and should include a coherent sequence of courses;

3. The District shall monitor to determine if the instruction being provided students with disabilities in career and technology education classes is consistent with those students' IEPs;

4. The District shall provide supplementary services that each student with a disability needs to successfully complete career and technology education, such as curriculum modification, equipment modification, classroom modification, supportive personnel, and instructional aids and devices;

5. The District shall help fulfill the transitional service requirements of the IDEA Amendments of 1997 and implementing regulations, state statutes, and rules of the Commissioner for each student with a disability who is completing a coherent sequence of career and technology education courses.

When determining placement in a career and technology classroom, the ARD committee shall consider a student's graduation plan, the content of the individual transition plan, the IEP, and classroom supports. Enrollment numbers should not create a harmful effect on student learning for a student with or without disabilities in accordance with the provisions in the IDEA Amendments of 1997 and its implementing regulations.

19 TAC 75.1023