CHAPTER 48
CERTIFIED SCHOOL TO CAREER PROGRAM
281—48.1(78GA,ch1013) Purpose. The purpose of the certified school to career program is to provide an articulated sequential program of study, including secondary and postsecondary components (with the option of registered apprenticeship) and paid internship, resulting in a diploma, associate’s degree, or other credential in partnership with an employer to prepare participants for a career field. Additionally, the program provides the participant with postsecondary education financing and employment opportunities in Iowa.
281—48.2(78GA,ch1013) Definitions. For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
“Apprenticeship program” means a program that is registered by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, U.S. Department of Labor, and evidenced by a certificate of registration as meeting the standards of the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and includes a secondary school component. The apprenticeship program is one of the two eligible school to career programs.
“Appropriate labor organization” means an organization with whom an employer has entered into a collective bargaining agreement for the occupation(s) for which the program is being developed; or if an employer has not entered into a collective bargaining agreement with a labor organization for the occupation(s) for which the program is being developed, then a labor organization(s) that represents the occupation(s) in other employment settings would be the appropriate organization.
“Articulation” means the process of mutually agreeing upon skills, knowledge, and performance levels transferable among approved apprenticeship programs, secondary schools and postsecondary institutions for advanced placement or credit in a school to career program.
“Articulation agreement” means the written document that includes the decisions agreed upon by the secondary school(s) and eligible postsecondary institution(s) and the process used by the institution or apprenticeship program to grant advanced placement or credit.
“Career field” means an occupational area.
“Certified school to career program” or “certified program” means a sequenced and articulated secondary and postsecondary program registered as an apprenticeship program under 29 CFR Subtitle A, Part 29, which is conducted pursuant to an agreement as provided in 2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1013, or an individual program of study which is developed jointly by a secondary school, postsecondary institution, and an employer and meets the standards enumerated in 2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1013, that integrates a secondary school curriculum with private sector job training which places participants in job internships, and which is designed to continue into postsecondary education and that will result in teaching new skills and adding value to the wage-earning potential of participants and increase their long-term employability in the state and which is conducted pursuant to an agreement as provided in 2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1013.
“Department” means the state department of education.
“Individual training plan” means a written statement of the training commitment from institutions involved including an outline of a definite plan of progressive experiences and learning activities and serves as a schedule or step-by-step plan for training to be used by the employer, school, postsecondary institution, and participant.
“Internship” means work-site learning in which a three-way partnership is established among the secondary school or postsecondary institution, employer, and participant for the purpose of providing experiences related to the participant’s career field. A signed agreement among all parties outlining a participant’s individual training plan is a necessary component of an internship.
“Mentor” means an employee(s) who possesses the skills and knowledge of the occupation to be mastered by a participant and who instructs and critiques the performance of the participant in accordance with industry standards.
“Minimum academic standards” means the set of standards and performance levels agreed to by the employer and participant that must be maintained throughout the program for the participant to be eligible for financial program benefits and the academic requirements established by the secondary school and postsecondary institutions.
“Notice of intent” means a notification that the high school agrees to operate a certified program as provided in 2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1013. The notice of intent shall be on a form furnished by the department of education and include the name of the contact person charged with overseeing the district’s certified program. The high school shall maintain on file the certified program agreement required by Iowa Code section 15.364.
“Participant” means an individual between the ages of 16 and 24 who is enrolled in a public or private secondary school or postsecondary institution and who initiated participation in a certified school to career program no later than the start of the student’s senior year in high school.
“Postsecondary institution” means an institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents, a community college established under Iowa Code chapter 260C, or an accredited private institution as defined in Iowa Code section 261.9, subsection 1.
“Program of study” means a program other than an apprenticeship program that has been jointly developed by a secondary school, postsecondary institution, and an employer and meets the standards in Iowa Code section 15.363 as amended by 2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1013, sections 2 and 3. A public or private secondary school or postsecondary institution, or both, is the entity responsible for submission of the program, coordination of the required parties, program development, and coordination of the training agreement(s).
“Sponsor” means any person, association, committee, or organization operating a school to career program and in whose name the program is or will be registered or approved.
“Teacher” means the individual who holds an appropriate license and endorsement and who is responsible for the oversight of the participant’s preparation and participation, in school and in the work site, and for the development of the individual training plan.
281—48.3(78GA,ch1013) Program requirements. An approved school to career program shall comply with the following requirements:
	1.	An initial notice of intent to conduct a certified program, filed by the participant’s high school with the department of education.
	2.	Participation of a public or private secondary school, postsecondary institution, and one or more employers.
	3.	An agreement developed and agreed to by all entities participating in the program. The agreement shall identify the program sponsor and describe the roles and responsibilities of each of the entities and other administrative issues as required by Iowa Code chapter 28E.
	4.	Program’s standards and required performance levels of participants approved by the employer(s).
	5.	Specific career field content and related academic instruction during the junior and senior year of the secondary component and the (one or two years) of postsecondary component.
	6.	Paid employment at a base wage for each participant beginning no earlier than the participant’s junior year in high school and ending no later than the fall after the participant’s second year of postsecondary education.
	7.	Not less than a two-year work commitment provided for the participant following the participant’s completion of the program.
	8.	A mentor assigned by the employer in the career field of the participant.
	9.	Compliance with all state and federal laws pertaining to the workplace.
	10.	Instruction in health and safety related to the career field and industry the participant is preparing to enter.
	11.	A program evaluation component for gathering data that can be utilized to improve the program and report the impact of the program to members of the public.
	12.	Assessment services that are utilized to determine the supportive services (including remedial instruction) needed for each participant to successfully complete the program.
	13.	Recruitment strategies that encourage the full participation of all participants who desire to enter the career field that the program is preparing the participant to enter regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or disability.
	14.	An individual training plan developed for each participant and agreed to by the participant, public or private secondary school, postsecondary institution and sponsoring employer. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following: identification of the parties involved; statement of program purposes; career field of the participant; duration of the training period; time schedule of work; classroom instruction, including internships; beginning wage; employer responsibilities; school and teacher responsibilities; participant responsibilities; parent/guardian responsibilities; name, date of birth, age, address, and telephone number of participant; signatures of participant, parent/guardian where applicable, employer, and teacher; accident and liability insurance provisions; rotation across all work processes of the career field; causes for imposition of penalties or other disciplinary action; nondiscrimination statement; schedule of special training sessions provided by employer; tasks to be learned and performed on the job; employer-established performance and academic standards; safety instruction; schedule of specific job-related and academic instruction; and assessment and evaluation process and timeline.
	15.	An approval process which requires an assurance that the individual plan will be developed and monitored.
281—48.4(78GA,ch1013) Notice of intent. The nonpublic or public secondary school shall submit to the department a notice of intent to conduct a certified program. The department shall notify the department of economic development of the receipt of the notice of intent.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 15.361 to 15.367 and 2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1013.
[Filed 11/19/98, Notice 10/7/98—published 12/16/98, effective 1/20/99]
[Filed 10/20/00, Notice 8/23/00—published 11/15/00, effective 12/20/00]