00 HOUSE BILL NO. 358 01 "An Act establishing the career and technical education mobility grant program; 02 relating to pre-apprenticeship and work-based learning opportunities for secondary 03 school students; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05  * Section 1. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 06 (a) The department shall 07 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 08 except the University of Alaska; 09 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 10 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 11 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 12 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 13 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 14 preparatory courses; 01 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 02 governing bodies and personnel; 03 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 04 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 05 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 06 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Family and 07 Community Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held 08 in juvenile detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are 09 defined in AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 10 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 11 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 12 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 13 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 14 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 15 the members of each house; 16 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 17 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 18 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 19 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 20 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 21 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that 22 receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by 23 a school district for students four and five years of age, approve an early education 24 program provided by a school district that complies with the standards adopted by the 25 board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5), and revoke approval of an early education program if 26 the program does not comply with the standards adopted by the board under 27 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); 28 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 29 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 30 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 31 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 01 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 02 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 03 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 04 licensed; 05 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 06 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 07 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 08 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 09 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 10 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 11 and costs, and final contract documents; 12 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 13 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 14 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 15 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 16 will lead to employment opportunities; 17 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 18 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 19 school bus driver training course; 20 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 21 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 22 behavior; 23 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 24 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 25 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 26 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 27 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 28 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 29 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 30 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 31 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 01 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 02 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 03 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 04 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 05 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 06 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 07 (18) establish a reading program to provide direct support for and 08 intervention in the reading intervention programs of participating schools as described 09 in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770; 10 (19) annually convene, either in person or electronically, a panel to 11 review and comment on the effectiveness of the programs created by the department 12 and the regulations adopted by the board to implement AS 14.03.410, 14.03.420, 13 AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.770, and 14.30.800; the panel 14 (A) shall provide recommendations and guidance to the board, 15 the department, and the legislature on how to integrate early education and 16 reading programs created under this title with tribal compacting or programs 17 focused on cultural education within the department; 18 (B) shall discuss support for reading in Alaska Native 19 languages and other non-English languages; 20 (C) must collectively represent the regions of the state and 21 include teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school administrators, 22 parents of students in grades kindergarten through three, stakeholders from 23 Indigenous language immersion programs, representatives from early 24 education stakeholder groups, and researchers of best practices for improving 25 literacy performance, including best practices for instruction of Indigenous 26 students and students whose first language is not English;  27 (20) collaborate with the Department of Labor and Workforce  28 Development under AS 44.31.020 to identify and expand pre-apprenticeship and  29 work-based learning opportunities for secondary school students, using existing  30 workforce or training programs where practicable. 31  * Sec. 2. AS 14.07.020(a), as amended by sec. 16, ch. 40, SLA 2022, is amended to read: 01 (a) The department shall 02 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 03 except the University of Alaska; 04 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 05 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 06 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 07 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 08 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 09 preparatory courses; 10 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 11 governing bodies and personnel; 12 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 13 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 14 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 15 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 16 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in juvenile 17 detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are defined in 18 AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 19 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 20 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 21 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 22 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 23 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 24 the members of each house; 25 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 26 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 27 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 28 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 29 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 30 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that 31 receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by 01 a school district for students four and five years of age; 02 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 03 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 04 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 05 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 06 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 07 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 08 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 09 licensed; 10 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 11 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 12 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 13 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 14 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 15 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 16 and costs, and final contract documents; 17 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 18 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 19 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 20 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 21 will lead to employment opportunities; 22 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 23 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 24 school bus driver training course; 25 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 26 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 27 behavior; 28 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 29 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 30 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 31 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 01 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 02 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 03 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 04 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 05 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 06 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 07 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 08 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 09 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 10 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 11 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15);  12 (18) collaborate with the Department of Labor and Workforce  13 Development under AS 44.31.020 to identify and expand pre-apprenticeship and  14 work-based learning opportunities for secondary school students, using existing  15 workforce or training programs where practicable. 16  * Sec. 3. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 17 Article 17. Career and Technical Education Mobility Grant Program.  18 Sec. 14.30.810. Statewide career and technical education mobility grant  19 program. (a) The statewide career and technical education mobility grant program is 20 established in the department to encourage participation in career and technical 21 education programs by facilitating students who are enrolled in one school district to 22 participate in career and technical education programs offered by a different school 23 district. Grants awarded under this section are subject to appropriation. If insufficient 24 money is appropriated to fully fund the program, the department shall prioritize 25 awarding funding to host districts with small student populations, with limited 26 capacity to deliver a career and technical education program, or where distance, lack 27 of road access, seasonal travel limitations, or reliance on air or ferry transportation 28 materially increase the cost or time required for students to participate in career and 29 technical education programs. 30 (b) The department may award to a host district a grant to reimburse the 31 district for the incremental, student-specific, or participation-specific expenses the 01 district incurs by providing career and technical education to students enrolled in a 02 different school district. Allowable uses of grant funds distributed under this 03 subsection include program-specific infrastructure and equipment improvements 04 necessary to accommodate additional students. Funding awarded under this subsection 05 may not exceed the amount awarded to the school district for performance-based 06 incentive grants under (c) of this section. 07 (c) The department may award to a host district a performance-based incentive 08 grant. The department may not adopt a regulation that caps the total amount of a grant 09 that may be awarded under this subsection. In determining whether to award a grant to 10 a host district under this subsection, the department shall consider 11 (1) measurable outcomes of the host district's career and technical 12 education program, including whether the program 13 (A) results in a student gaining a certification; 14 (B) includes apprenticeships or direct-to-employment 15 placements; 16 (C) allows a student to earn both high school and college 17 credit; and 18 (D) measures a student's demonstrated improvement in 19 (i) academic skills that directly support workforce 20 participation and technical skill development; or 21 (ii) foundational academic areas, including general 22 academic engagement and attendance, when those improvements are 23 reasonably related to participation in a career and technical education 24 program; 25 (2) the number of students in the host district's career and technical 26 education program who achieve measurable outcomes such as earning a certification, 27 earning dual high school and college credit, participating in an apprenticeship, or 28 gaining employment in a field related to the student's career and technical education; 29 and 30 (3) the percentage of students who are enrolled in the host district's 31 career and technical education program who achieve a measurable outcome described 01 in (2) of this subsection. 02 (d) The department may award to a host district a facility and equipment 03 modernization grant to update or expand career and technical education facilities and 04 equipment. Allowable uses of grant funds distributed under this subsection include 05 facility safety and compliance upgrades that are required under state or federal law. In 06 determining whether to award a grant under this subsection, the department shall 07 prioritize grants for facilities or equipment that will be used by multiple school 08 districts and shall consider 09 (1) how and whether the host district's existing career and technical 10 education program uses the facilities or equipment; 11 (2) whether the host district's career and technical education program 12 meets relevant performance outcomes, as determined by the department; and 13 (3) whether the host district's career and technical program includes 14 apprenticeship agreements or industry partnerships. 15 (e) In implementing this section, the department shall try to minimize the 16 administrative burden placed on a host district by using existing reporting systems and 17 data sources when possible. 18 (f) The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement this 19 section. 20 (g) In this section, 21 (1) "career and technical education" means classes or programs 22 designed to provide a student with technical skills, industry certifications, or 23 workforce preparation; 24 (2) "host district" means a school district providing career and 25 technical education to students enrolled in a different school district; 26 (3) "school district" means a municipal school district or a regional 27 educational attendance area. 28  * Sec. 4. AS 44.31.020 is amended to read: 29 Sec. 44.31.020. Duties of department. The Department of Labor and 30 Workforce Development shall 31 (1) enforce the laws and adopt regulations under them concerning 01 employer-employee relationships, including the safety, hours of work, wages, and 02 conditions of workers, including children; 03 (2) accumulate, analyze, and report labor statistics; 04 (3) operate systems of workers' compensation and unemployment 05 insurance; 06 (4) gather data reflecting the cost of living in various locations of the 07 state upon request of the director of personnel under AS 39.27.030; 08 (5) operate the federally funded employment and training programs 09 under 29 U.S.C. 2801 - 2945 (Workforce Investment Act of 1998); 10 (6) administer the state's program of adult basic education and adopt 11 regulations to administer the program; 12 (7) administer the programs of the Alaska Vocational Technical Center 13 and adopt regulations to administer the programs, including regulations that set rates 14 for student tuition and room and board and fees for the programs and services 15 provided by the department regarding the Alaska Vocational Technical Center; [AND]  16 (8) gather data on the progress of each high school graduating class in 17 a district by collecting career, postsecondary education, and residency data on each 18 student in the graduating class; the department shall gather the data required under this 19 paragraph every five years for 20 years after the high school graduation date of each 20 high school graduating class; the department shall publish a biennial report on the data 21 gathered under this paragraph; in this paragraph, "district" has the meaning given in 22 AS 14.17.990; and  23 (9) collaborate with the Department of Education and Early  24 Development under AS 14.07.020 to identify and expand pre-apprenticeship and  25 work-based learning opportunities for secondary school students, using existing  26 workforce or training programs where practicable. 27  * Sec. 5. Section 2 of this Act takes effect on the effective date of sec. 16, ch. 40, SLA 28 2022.