(1) The purpose of career education is to enable students who complete career programs to attain and sustain employment and realize economic self-sufficiency. The purpose of this section is to identify issues related to career education for which school boards and Florida College System institution boards of trustees are accountable. It is the intent of the Legislature that the standards articulated in subsection (2) be considered in the development of accountability standards for public schools pursuant to ss. 1000.03, 1001.42(18), and 1008.345 and for Florida College System institutions pursuant to s. 1008.45.

(2)(a) School board, superintendent, and career center, and Florida College System institution board of trustees and president, accountability for career education programs includes, but is not limited to:

1. Student demonstration of the academic skills necessary to enter an occupation.

2. Student preparation to enter an occupation in an entry-level position or continue postsecondary study.

3. Career program articulation with other corresponding postsecondary programs and job training experiences.

4. Employer satisfaction with the performance of students who complete career education or reach occupational completion points.

5. Student completion, placement, and retention rates pursuant to s. 1008.43.

(b) Department of Education accountability for career education includes, but is not limited to:

1. The provision of timely, accurate technical assistance to school districts and Florida College System institutions.

2. The provision of timely, accurate information to the State Board of Education, the Legislature, and the public.

3. The development of policies, rules, and procedures that facilitate institutional attainment of the accountability standards and coordinate the efforts of all divisions within the department.

4. The development of program standards and industry-driven benchmarks for career, adult, and community education programs, which must be updated every 3 years. The standards must include career, academic, and workplace skills; viability of distance learning for instruction; and work/learn cycles that are responsive to business and industry.

5. Overseeing school district and Florida College System institution compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

6. Ensuring that the educational outcomes for the technical component of career programs are uniform and designed to provide a graduate who is capable of entering the workforce on an equally competitive basis regardless of the institution of choice.

(3) Each career center operated by a district school board shall establish a center advisory council pursuant to s. 1001.452. The center advisory council shall assist in the preparation and evaluation of center improvement plans required pursuant to s. 1001.42(18) and may provide assistance, upon the request of the center director, in the preparation of the center’s annual budget and plan as required by s. 1008.385(1).

History.—s. 235, ch. 2002-387; s. 118, ch. 2003-1; s. 94, ch. 2004-357; s. 19, ch. 2008-108; s. 67, ch. 2011-5.