281—22.32(261E) Project lead the way.
	22.32(1) Program established. A project lead the way program is established to be administered by the department to promote rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pursuits.
	22.32(2) Notification. A school district shall provide descriptions of the project lead the way courses available to students using a course registration handbook. The handbook shall identify which courses, if successfully completed, generate college credit under the program. Information about available project lead the way courses shall be provided to every junior high school student or middle school student prior to the development of a core curriculum plan pursuant to Iowa Code section 279.61.
	22.32(3) Access. Students from accredited nonpublic schools and students receiving competent private instruction under Iowa Code chapter 299A may access the program through the school district in which the accredited nonpublic school or private institution is located.
	22.32(4) Curriculum. A school district offering a project lead the way program must offer the curriculum developed by the national organization that administers the project lead the way program.
	22.32(5) Instructor. A school district shall ensure that a teacher or instructor employed to provide instruction under this rule meets the following additional criteria:
	a. 	The teacher shall have successfully completed the training required by the national organization that administers the project lead the way program.
	b. 	The teacher shall meet the minimum requirements of the national organization that administers the project lead the way program.
	c. 	The teacher shall participate, on a regular basis, in available professional development provided by the national organization that administers the project lead the way program.
	22.32(6) Accreditation standards.
	a. 	A project lead the way course may apply toward high school program accreditation standards pursuant to 281—subrule 12.5(5). To meet the requirement, the instructor must be appropriately licensed and endorsed by the board of educational examiners to teach the subject area of the accreditation standard.
	b. 	If the project lead the way course being taught is within a career and technical education program or is one in a sequence of project lead the way courses which collectively are used to meet one of the career and technical education sequential unit requirements of 281—Chapter 12, the program must be approved by the department pursuant to 281—Chapter 46.
	22.32(7)  Collaborative project lead the way courses.
	a. 	A collaborative program for project lead the way courses is established to be administered by the department to promote rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pursuits in partnership with a community college established under Iowa Code chapter 260C. The program shall be made available to all resident students in grades 9 through 12.
	b. 	A comparable course, as defined in rules adopted by the board of directors of the school district consistent with department administrative rule, must not be offered by the school district or accredited nonpublic school the student attends.
	c. 	A school district shall be certified by the national organization that administers the project lead the way program and have a signed agreement with that organization.
	d. 	To be eligible, institutions, instructors, and students shall meet the requirements of Iowa Code section 261E.3.
	e. 	A school district may set additional eligibility requirements to ensure student readiness to achieve success. All students in the shared course shall meet the expectations of the national organization that administers the project lead the way program and shall be registered for college credit.
	f. 	A district-to-community college sharing program for project lead the way courses that meets the requirements of 281—subrule 97.2(6) is eligible for funding under that provision for collaborative project lead the way career and technical education courses.
	22.32(8) Credit.
	a. 	The school district shall grant high school credit to a student enrolled in a project lead the way course not offered by a community college. At a school district’s discretion, a project lead the way course may count toward a school district’s graduation requirements provided that the teacher is licensed by the board of educational examiners and endorsed within the subject area of the graduation requirement.
	b. 	The school district shall grant high school credit to a student enrolled in a project lead the way course for college credit under this chapter if the student successfully completes the course as determined by the community college and the course was previously approved by the school board pursuant to Iowa Code subsection 261E.8(3) and paragraph 22.2(2)“a.” If a student is not successful in completing a project lead the way course as determined by the community college, the student’s high school transcript shall reflect the failing grade. The board of directors of the school district shall determine the number of high school credits that shall be granted to a student who successfully completes a project lead the way course.
	c. 	The school district may offer a project lead the way course as an articulated course. Articulated courses shall be offered through an agreement between the district and postsecondary institution which allows students to receive college credit at the postsecondary institution upon matriculation based on the demonstrated mastery of concepts in the high school course. An articulated course shall not be delivered by a postsecondary institution.
[ARC 0519C, IAB 12/12/12, effective 1/16/13; ARC 4809C, IAB 12/18/19, effective 1/22/20]