(a) On or before July 1, 2010, the governing board of each regional occupational center or program shall ensure that at least 90 percent of all state-funded courses offered by the center or program, in occupational areas in which both the program or center and the community college offer instruction, are part of occupational course sequences that target comprehensive skills. Each occupational sequence shall do all of the following:

(1) Result in an occupational skill certificate developed in cooperation with the appropriate employer advisory board created under Section 52302.2.

(2) Provide prerequisite courses that are needed to enter apprenticeship or postsecondary vocational certificate or degree programs. Where possible, sequenced courses shall be linked to certificate and degree programs in the region.

(3) Focus on occupations requiring comprehensive skills leading to high entry-level wages or the possibility of significant wage increases after a few years on the job, or both.

(4) Offer as many courses as possible that have been approved by the University of California as courses meeting the “A-G” admissions requirements.

(b) (1) On or before July 1, 2008, the governing board of each regional occupational center or program shall develop a plan for establishing sequences of courses, and certify to the department, that those sequences have been developed, as described in subdivision (a). The board shall consult with the superintendents of the school districts served by the center or program and presidents of community colleges in the area during the development of the plan.

(2) The plan shall be presented at a public hearing by the governing board of each school district served by the regional occupational center or program and by the county board of education.

(3) Community college boards with identified articulated programs shall also review the plans in a public session.

(4) In developing the plan, each regional occupational program or center shall consult with school districts and community college districts located within the region served by the program or center and with the relevant occupational advisers and local workforce investment board to ensure the plan meets the vocational education needs of high school pupils in the region by providing sequences of courses that begin with middle or high school introductory courses, including, but not limited to, occupational skill courses provided by high schools or regional occupational programs or centers.

(5) The plan shall maximize the use of local, state, and federal resources in helping high school pupils enter comprehensive skill occupations or apprenticeship programs, or continue education in college, or all of these, after graduating from high school.

(6) The plan shall include strategies for filling gaps in courses or other services needed to make the sequences effective in meeting the needs of pupils in developing skills and attending community college upon graduation from high school.

(7) Each center or program shall submit a copy of the approved plan to the appropriate community college or colleges in the region and the Superintendent on or before September 1, 2008. Every four years after this date, on or before July 1, each center and program shall submit an update to the plan to the local community college or colleges and the Superintendent.

(c) As a condition of receiving federal funds provided under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 2301 et seq.), or a successor of that act, and to the extent permitted by federal law, school districts, regional occupational centers or programs, and community college districts shall do all of the following:

(1) Develop course sequences that meet the requirements of this section according to the schedule set forth in this paragraph.

(A) On or before July 1, 2008, school districts, regional occupational centers or programs, and community college districts shall have adopted an approved plan as required under this section.

(B) On or before July 1, 2009, school districts, regional occupational centers or programs, and community college districts shall have established course sequences as required under this section that include at least one-third of the courses offered by the regional occupational center or program in occupational areas in which both the program or center and the community college offer instruction.

(C) On or before July 1, 2010, school districts, regional occupational centers or programs, and community college districts shall have established course sequences as required under this section that include at least two-thirds of the courses offered by the regional occupational center or program in occupational areas in which both the program or center and the community college offer instruction.

(2) Provide pupils who are participating in vocational sequences with information and experiences designed to increase their postgraduation work and school options, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(A) Information about the admissions requirements of the University of California and California State University.

(B) Information about the placement requirements of the local community college or colleges.

(C) Information about higher education options related to the interests of the pupil.

(D) Encourage visits to local colleges and universities offering programs that allow pupils to gain additional skills and degrees in related occupations.

(E) Information and referrals to employers for internships, summer employment opportunities, and employment after graduation from high school.

(3) School districts, regional occupational centers or programs, and community college districts that do not develop course sequences on or before the dates established under this subdivision, and have not received a waiver under subdivision (d), shall enter into a corrective action plan with the department and shall meet any timelines established by the Superintendent.

(d) (1) The department, with the assistance of the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, shall meet with each program or center and the community college or colleges in the region no later than the 2009–10 fiscal year to validate that course sequences meeting the requirements of this section have been developed. These meetings shall be conducted using the existing resources of the department and shall be consistent with the standards developed pursuant to Section 51226.

(2) The department and the office of the chancellor shall provide technical assistance to programs or centers and community colleges that have developed articulated sequences for less than half of the courses offered by the program or center.

(3) The Superintendent may waive the requirements of subdivision (a) for programs or centers and community colleges located in rural areas of the state if the Superintendent finds that development of sequences is infeasible because of the distance, travel time, or safety between the center or program and the community college.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 223, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2009.)