§ 16-45-6.1. Career and technical education. (a) The general assembly finds that career and technical education programs that meet rigorous industry standards and prepare Rhode Island's students to succeed in a wide variety of employment settings are a critical component of the state's public education system and a necessary element of the state's economic development.

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

(c) To facilitate the development of additional career and technical program offerings for Rhode Island students that meet industry standards the department of elementary and secondary education shall, in furtherance of the reports and studies that have been developed since 2000 setting forth recommendations for an updated system of career and technical education for the State of Rhode Island, develop a system design that includes site assessments of all current career and technical programs and sets forth standards and procedures for the department of elementary and secondary education to approve programs that are developed in cooperation with business, industry and postsecondary institutions. The department shall also develop a system design for three additional state operated career and technical schools, in addition to the William H. Davies School and the Metropolitan Career and Technical Center, including recommendations for a model for the siting, building costs, operational costs and program design for each such school. The general assembly shall appropriate funds to the department for purposes of their completion of the system design for the statewide program approval process to industry standards and the development of the models, siting and program design of the three additional state operated career and technical schools.

History of Section. (P.L. 2005, ch. 117, art. 13, § 11; P.L. 2013, ch. 501, § 57.)