281—46.10(258) Regional career and technical education planning partnerships. Regional career and technical education planning partnerships are established to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient, and economical means of delivering high-quality secondary career and technical education programs.
	46.10(1) Establishment. Partnerships shall be established to serve all school districts in the state no later than June 30, 2017.
	a. 	There shall be established in the state no fewer than 12 and no greater than 15 regions in which partnerships may operate.
	b. 	A partnership shall be considered established if approved pursuant to subrule 46.10(2).
	c. 	Convening the regional career and technical education planning partnership shall be the joint responsibility of the area education agency and community college located within the region. In convening the partnership, the area education agency and community college shall secure the participation of interim members of the partnership. When selecting interim members, the area education agency and community college shall ensure the membership requirements of subrule 46.10(3) are satisfied.
	46.10(2) Approval. All partnerships shall be approved by the department. As a condition of approval, each partnership shall meet the following requirements:
	a. 	Approval. By June 30, 2017, each partnership shall have adopted bylaws in a manner and format prescribed by the department. The partnership shall submit to the department by June 30, 2017, the partnership’s bylaws, a membership list which clearly denotes the required membership under subrule 46.10(3) and the chair, vice-chair, and secretary, the designated fiscal agent for the partnership, minutes from all meetings held prior to June 30, 2017, and a schedule of future meetings.
	b. 	Continuing approval. By June 30, 2018, and for each subsequent year, each partnership shall have adopted a multiyear plan meeting the requirements of subrule 46.10(5). The multiyear plan and documents required under paragraph 46.10(2)“a” shall be reviewed and, as necessary, revised on an annual basis by the partnership and submitted to the department. To maintain approval, the partnership shall maintain evidence that the duties assigned to the partnership under subrule 46.10(4) are performed on a continuing basis. In awarding continuing approval, the department shall consider documented findings from the financial monitoring process established under subrule 46.9(3).
	c. 	Failure to maintain approval. If the department denies or grants conditional approval of a partnership, the director, in consultation with the partnership, shall establish a plan detailing all areas of deficiency and prescribing the procedures that must be taken to achieve approval and a timeline for completion of the prescribed procedures. A final plan shall be submitted to the director within 45 days following notice of the department denying or granting conditional approval of a partnership. The partnership shall continue to perform the duties assigned to the partnership under subrule 46.10(4) for the duration of the timeline established in the plan. If at the end of the timeline established in the plan the noted deficiencies have not been adequately addressed, the partnership will be denied approval. Within one year of the action to deny approval of the partnership, the director will establish a plan which details how the partnership will be merged or restructured.
	d. 	Resolution of disputes. In the event of a dispute regarding the assignment of a district to a partnership under this rule, the director shall first attempt to mediate the dispute. If mediation is unsuccessful, the director shall schedule a hearing to obtain testimony. At the sole discretion of the director, the hearing may be held electronically or in person. The director shall issue within ten days after the hearing a written decision which shall be a final administrative decision.
	46.10(3) Membership. The membership of each partnership shall consist of stakeholders in a position to contribute to the development and successful implementation of high-quality career and technical education programs. Each district which falls within the boundaries of the partnership shall be represented on the partnership. Once established pursuant to subrule 46.10(1), the partnership shall be responsible for identifying and maintaining appropriate membership. Membership of the partnership shall include but not be limited to the following:
	a. 	The superintendent of a school district within the regional planning partnership, or the superintendent’s designee.
	b. 	The president of a community college within the regional planning partnership, or the president’s designee.
	c. 	The chief administrator of an area education agency within the regional planning partnership, or the chief administrator’s designee.
	d. 	Representatives of a regional work-based learning intermediary network.
	e. 	Representatives of regional economic and workforce entities including regional advisory boards established under Iowa Code section 84A.4.
	f. 	Representatives of business and industry, including representatives of regional industry sector partnerships.
	g. 	Career and technical education teachers and faculty.
	46.10(4) Duties. The partnership shall perform the following duties on a continuing basis.
	a. 	Develop a multiyear plan which meets the requirements of subrule 46.10(5). The plan shall be updated annually.
	b. 	Collect and review all relevant plans required by the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006, codified at 20 U.S.C. §2301 et seq., as amended, and subsequent reauthorizations; career and academic plans required under 281—Chapter 49; and regional labor market, socioeconomic, and demographic information for purposes of facilitating the program review process specified under paragraph 46.10(4)“f” and regional activities specified in the state plan developed under the aforementioned federal Act.
	c. 	Ensure compliance with standards adopted by the board for regional career and technical education planning partnerships.
	d. 	Appropriately expend career and technical education funds in accordance with subrule 46.10(6) assigned to the partnership pursuant to rule 281—46.9(258).
	e. 	Collect, review, and make available to districts appropriate labor market, socioeconomic, and other state, regional, or national information necessary for completing the program approval and review process pursuant to rule 281—46.6(258).
	f. 	Review career and technical education programs of school districts within the region and recommend to the department career and technical education programs for approval in accordance with subrules 46.6(1) and 46.6(3).
	g. 	Coordinate and facilitate advisory councils for career and technical education programs and, as necessary, establish regional advisory councils to serve in the same capacity as local advisory councils.
	h. 	Plan for regional centers with the purpose of achieving equitable access to high-quality career and technical education programming and concurrent enrollment opportunities for all students.
	46.10(5) Multiyear plan. The multiyear plan developed by the partnership shall outline the partnership’s goals, objectives, and outcomes; how the partnership will execute the authority and duties assigned to the partnership; how the partnership will secure collaboration with secondary schools, postsecondary educational institutions, and employers to ensure students have access to high-quality career and technical education programming, including career academies, that aligns career guidance, twenty-first century career and technical education and academic curricula, and work-based learning opportunities that empower students to be successful learners and practitioners; and how the partnership will ensure compliance with standards established under this rule. In addition, the multiyear state plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:
	a. 	Goals, objectives, and outcomes. The plan shall detail the partnership’s goals, objectives, and outcomes, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following goals:
	(1)	Promote career and college readiness through thoughtful career guidance and purposeful academic and technical planning practices.
	(2)	Promote high-quality, integrated career and technical education programming, including career academies and the delivery of quality career and technical education programs by school districts in fulfillment of the requirements of rule 281—46.4(258) comprised of secondary exploratory and transitory coursework to prepare students for higher-level, specialized academic and technical training aligned with labor market needs.
	(3)	Afford students the opportunity to access a spectrum of high-quality work-based learning experiences through collaboration with a work-based learning intermediary network.
	(4)	Afford all students equitable access to programs and encourage the participation of underrepresented student populations in career and technical education programming.
	b. 	Process to measure goals, objectives, and outcomes. The plan shall outline the processes to be used by the partnership to measure all goals, objectives, and outcomes established pursuant to paragraph 46.10(5)“a.”
	c. 	Program approval and review process. The plan shall outline the process the partnership will utilize in reviewing career and technical education programs of school districts within the region based on standards established in rule 281—46.6(258). The process shall detail how 20 percent of programs will be reviewed on an annual basis. The partnership shall provide a written five-year program review schedule which clearly indicates the specific year in which a program is to be reviewed within the five-year cycle.
	d. 	Advisory councils. The plan shall outline the process that the partnership will utilize in coordinating and facilitating local advisory councils for career and technical education programs as required under rule 281—46.8(258) and establishing regional advisory councils to serve in the same capacity as local advisory councils, as necessary.
	e. 	Use of funds. The plan shall detail the partnership’s budget including intended use of funds designated to the partnership pursuant to rule 281—46.9(258). The intended use of funds shall comply with the requirements of subrule 46.10(6) and be clearly connected to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the partnership established under paragraph 46.10(5)“a” and the needs of career and technical education programs and teachers as identified through the program approval and review process under rule 281—46.6(258).
	f. 	Planning for regional centers. The plan shall outline the process that the partnership will utilize in planning for regional centers, consistent with the requirements of rule 281—46.12(258), with the purpose of achieving equitable access to high-quality career and technical education programming and concurrent enrollment opportunities for all students.
	g. 	Meeting regularly. The plan shall outline the intended schedule of partnership meetings for a five-year period. The partnership shall meet at least twice per academic year.
	h. 	Annual review of multiyear plan. The plan shall outline the process to be utilized by the partnership to annually review and, as necessary, revise the plan. This process shall ensure that all members and stakeholders are included in the review and revision of the plan. The partnership shall maintain a written record of all reviews of and revisions to the plan.
	i. 	Assurance statement. The plan shall include, in a format prescribed by the department, an assurance that in all operations of and matters related to the partnership, the partnership does not discriminate against individuals protected under federal and state civil rights statutes.
	46.10(6) Secondary career and technical education funds. An approved regional career and technical education partnership may use funds received from state and federal sources on behalf of school districts and community colleges participating in the regional career and technical education planning partnership for the following:
	a. 	Staffing and resources to ensure the minimum duties and responsibilities assigned to the regional planning partnership under subrules 46.10(4) and 46.10(5) are satisfactorily executed. The partnership shall ensure adequate staffing and resources are committed to these purposes prior to allocating funds for any use authorized under paragraph 46.10(6)“b.”
	b. 	To offer regional career and technical education professional development opportunities; coordinate, maintain, and support a career guidance system pursuant to 281—Chapter 49 and related work-based learning opportunities for students; and purchase career and technical education equipment and curricular resources to include standard classroom consumable supplies directly related to and necessary for the course curriculum, other than basic consumable supplies that will be made into products to be sold or used personally by students, teachers, and other persons.
[ARC 2947C, IAB 2/15/17, effective 3/22/17; see Delay note at end of chapter; ARC 4163C, IAB 12/5/18, effective 1/9/19; ARC 5872C, IAB 8/25/21, effective 9/29/21]