,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #chic ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bc1 #bjai,mr4 ,harder of ,california introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to direct the ,secretary of ,education to establish a program that awards grants to ,state coalitions that build or expand career pathways programs in schools within the ,state1 and to direct the ,secretary of ,education to establish a program that awards grants to eligible agencies to carry out career pathways programs4 #a4 ,short ,title ,this act may be cited as the ,school to ,career ,pathways ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in every congressional district1 career and technical education programs and career-connected pathways programs play a vital role in ensuring workers remain competitive in high-wage1 high-skill1 and in-demand career fields1 including information technology1 health care1 and the skilled trades1 all of which have hundreds of thousands of job openings across the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,every student should have access to career and technical education opportunities to learn how their academic background will prepare them for postsecondary education and a career4 7#c7 ,curriculum and course offerings should not be based on the assumption that every student has the same academic needs1 interests1 and goals4 ,instead1 schools should prepare students for their individualized career goals by providing opportunities for students to discover and delve into their interests4 ,these opportunities may include career and technical education1 personalized learning1 apprenticeships1 early college and dual enrollment1 and language immersion programs4 7#d7 ,specifically1 career and technical education and dual enrollment programs integrate classroom learning with technical1 job-specific skills to prepare students for high-skill careers in industries such as information technology1 manufacturing1 health science1 nursing1 medical professions1 construction1 engineering1 and more4 ,under the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,vocational and ,technical ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcja71 ,states receive funding to integrate career pathway programs with academic learning for students who choose to enroll in career and technical education programs4 7#e7 ,career and technical education programs currently serve #ab1ejj1jjj high school and college students and boast a graduation rate of about #ij percent1 which is #ae percent higher than the national average4 7#f7 ,career-connected learning programs1 which integrate college preparatory academics1 technical training1 work-based learning1 and support1 have had positive outcomes for students4 7#g7 ,six out of ten students plan to pursue a career related to the career-connected learning programs they are exploring in high school4 7#h7 ,according to the ,census ,bureau #cc4d percent of individuals in the ,united ,states hold college degrees as of #bjag1 which falls drastically short of meeting the national need for skilled labor and demonstrates that traditional college career paths only work for about #cj percent of individuals in the ,united ,states4 7#i7 ,while career and technical education models have been piloted across the ,united ,states1 grant programs need to be expanded to encourage additional school districts to offer students opportunities for career-connected learning1 including apprenticeships1 and project-based learning pathways4 7#aj7 ,career and technical education programs should incentivize school districts to offer summer internships or course credit through opportunities created by business and community partnerships4 #c4 ,state ,skills ,education ,coalitions 7a7 ,in ,general ,beginning not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,education shall award grants to ,states to establish a statewide career pathways coalition 7in this section referred to as a coalition74 7b7 ,eligible ,entities ,any ,state agency responsible for carrying out educational programs in a ,state shall be eligible for a grant awarded under subsection 7a74 7c7 ,use of ,funds ,funds made available under such a grant shall be used for-- 7#a7 convening employers to discuss local workforce needs and trends2 7#b7 reaching out to local and regional public or private partners and conducting research into local workforce needs and trends2 7#c7 promoting skill standards and career paths that match local employers' needs2 7#d7 helping to improve and govern the workforce development system2 7#e7 bringing together businesses1 faith-based and community organizations1 educational institutions1 labor unions1 social service agencies1 and other providers to implement programs and policies to improve labor market outcomes2 7#f7 increasing economic mobility for workers2 and 7#g7 increasing awareness of programs and related economic opportunities4 7d7 ,conditions ,as a condition for receipt of funds under such a grant1 a ,state agency shall require a coalition to do the following3 7#a7 ,develop ,state plans for how to expand on existing evidence-based programs that are effectively providing nontraditional paths to students and recommendations on new programs that would provide both academic and real-world work experience 7such as student apprenticeships1 dual programs1 career-connected or integrated programs that provide concurrent credit74 7#b7 ,establish a statewide career-connected learning system4 7#c7 ,promote diversity among apprentices by promoting outreach to underrepresented populations such as women and minorities1 youth1 individuals with disabilities 7as defined in section #c of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abajb771 and veterans4 7#d7 ,provide the ,governor of the ,state and ,secretary a list of findings and recommendations of the coalition regarding the elements of a successful statewide career-connected learning system4 7#e7 ,not later than #ah months after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 create a detailed and specific #d-year action plan for how the ,state school system can implement a statewide career-connected learning system1 with a timeline for the implementation1 and projected funding requirements of such system4 7#f7 ,not later than #b years after the provision of such plan1 the coalition shall report on the implementation and success of its plan1 including best practices1 and recommendations for improvement4 7e7 ,membership 7#a7 ,number and ,appointment ,each coalition established through funds received under such a grant shall be comprised of-- 7,a7 at least one individual recommended by the ,state's ,public ,university ,board or its equivalent representatives 7as determined by the ,governor72 and 7,b7 a minimum of #i individuals who have public and private career or technical education experience1 including course instruction1 selected by the chief ,state school officer with approval from the ,state ,board of ,education or its equivalent and ,state ,public ,university ,board or its equivalent4 7#b7 ,composition ,the coalition shall be representative of the ,state's geographical diversity4 ,all geographical regions 7as determined by the chief ,state school officer7 must be represented by a minimum of one education stakeholder and one public or private industry stakeholder4 ,a regional representative may be determined by residence or location of primary employment4 7f7 ,termination ,federal funds received under such a grant shall terminate on the day after #f years from the enactment of this ,act4 #d4 ,secondary school to career pathways innovation grant program 7a7 ,career ,pathways ,innovation ,grant ,program ,established 7#a7 ,in ,general ,from amounts made available to carry out this section1 the ,secretary1 after consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 shall establish a career pathways innovation grant program1 through which the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible agencies for the purpose of addressing the specialized skill needs of business and industry by carrying out programs of study and career pathways programs through school partnerships that support career pathways in high school and career exploration in the middle grades4 7#b7 ,duration ,a grant awarded under this section-- 7,a7 shall be for a period of #c years2 and 7,b7 may be renewed for one additional #b-year period1 if the eligible agency demonstrates sufficient progress in achieving the goals of the initial grant4 7b7 ,application 7#a7 ,in ,general ,an eligible agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require1 and in accordance with requirements under the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act of #bjjf 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcja et seq474 7#b7 ,contents2 ,partnership ,agreement ,the application submitted under paragraph 7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 an initial partnership agreement1 entered into by the eligible agency and all members of the school partnership1 that-- 7i7 specifies the duties and responsibilities of each partner2 7ii7 describes the commitment of resources or materials to be provided by each partner toward the school partnership1 ensuring that the business or industry partners in the school partnership provide an amount of resources1 in cash or in-kind1 toward the activities supported under the grant that equals or exceeds the amount contributed by the eligible agency and the amount to be provided by the grant under this section2 and 7iii7 describes how the overall goals of the school partnership align with any statewide or regional workforce development strategies in existence at the time of the application1 including those established under the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caja et seq47 or the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act of #bjjf 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcja et seq472 7,b7 a description of how the eligible agency and members of the school partnership will collaborate to ensure the quality of the career pathways program offered under the grant1 including any program that leads to an industry-recognized credential or recognized postsecondary credential earned as part of a career pathway2 7,c7 identification of the goals and measures used to define progress toward student outcomes2 and 7,d7 a strategic plan describing the role and activities of the eligible agency and all members of the school partnership in supporting how the program will be sustained following the end of the grant4 7c7 ,award ,basis ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 ensure that1 to the extent practicable based on the applications received under subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 not less than #ae percent of the grant funds available to carry out this section are awarded to rural eligible agencies2 and 7,b7 not less than #e percent of the grant funds available to carry out this section are awarded to eligible agencies that serve a substantial percentage of ,indian or ,native ,hawaiian children2 and 7#b7 except to the extent necessary to comply with paragraph 7#a71 give priority to-- 7,a7 any eligible agency whose school partnership includes an institution of higher education offering postsecondary credits1 or an entity offering a registered apprenticeship program that is articulated through secondary school programming counting towards the registered apprenticeship requirements1 through the career pathways program under the grant2 and 7,b7 any eligible agency whose career pathways program-- 7i7 in a high school1 offers concurrent enrollment opportunities for postsecondary credit2 or 7ii7 leads to an industry-recognized credential4 7d7 ,use of ,funds 7#a7 ,required use of funds ,an eligible agency receiving grant funds under this section shall use grant funds to build or expand a career pathways program featuring school partnerships that supports career pathways in high school and career exploration in the middle grades4 7#b7 ,permissive use of funds ,an eligible agency receiving grant funds under this section may use grant funds either during or outside of the school day or school year-- 7,a7 to hire a designated career pathways partnership coordinator to seek out and build relationships with business or industry partners to foster and manage the school partnerships supported under the grant2 7,b7 for the costs of new equipment1 infrastructure 7such as facilities1 technology1 and staffing71 or transportation related to the career pathways program2 7,c7 to recruit1 or assist with ,state licensure and credential requirements1 career and technical education teachers1 and others implementing career pathways programs2 7,d7 to train or support the professional development of career and technical education teachers and others implementing career pathways programs1 including providing externship opportunities for educators to spend time in industry2 7,e7 for youth apprenticeship1 internship1 or experiential learning opportunities2 7,f7 to provide1 as part of the career pathways program1 coursework that awards postsecondary credit at no cost to high school students2 and 7,g7 to support development of curricula that offer industry-certified credentials4 7e7 ,requirements 7#a7 ,matching ,funds ,an eligible agency that receives a grant under this section shall provide1 toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant and from non-,federal sources1 an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the grant4 ,such matching amount may be in cash or in-kind and shall include support from business or industry partners of a school partnership in accordance with the partnership agreement described in subsection 7b77#b74 7#b7 ,participation of business or industry partner ,in any case where a business or industry partner included in an initial partnership agreement described in subsection 7b77#b77;,a7 withdraws from a school partnership supported under a grant under this section1 the eligible agency shall notify the ,secretary immediately of the withdrawal and of the eligible agency's plan for obtaining a comparable business or industry partner4 7f7 ,reports 7#a7 ,eligible agency reports 7,a7 ,interim reports ,not later than #ah months after receiving a grant under this section1 the eligible agency shall submit a report to the ,secretary demonstrating that the eligible agency is achieving sufficient progress toward the goals of the grant1 and ensure that data collection aligns with the requirements under the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act of #bjjf 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcja et seq471 and demonstrates how the program advances ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act indicators4 7,b7 ,final reports ,each eligible agency receiving a grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the ,secretary a final report regarding the use of funds from the grant1 including the outcomes of the activities assisted under the grant1 not later than #ij days after the end of the grant period4 7#b7 ,secretary reports ,the ,secretary shall prepare and submit to the ,house ,education and ,labor ,committee and the ,senate ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,committee1 on an annual basis1 a report regarding the grant program under this section that includes a summary of the reports received under paragraph 7#a7 during the preceding year and the outcomes resulting from the use of grant funds4 #e4 ,career pathways technical assistance 7a7 ,in ,general ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary of ,career1 ,technical1 and ,adult ,education1 shall-- 7#a7 administer and manage the career pathways innovation grants awarded under section #d2 7#b7 provide technical assistance to eligible agencies preparing grant applications under section #d7;b72 and 7#c7 support career pathways partnership coordinators1 or other personnel of eligible agencies that have received a grant under section #c1 in order to ensure that-- 7,a7 the eligible agency participates in the required school partnership2 and 7,b7 the grant results in positive program outcomes4 7b7 ,designated personnel for rural and native-,serving applications ,the ,secretary shall designate not less than #a employee of the ,office of ,career1 ,technical1 and ,adult ,education who will exclusively support rural and native-serving eligible agencies with the preparation of grant applications under section #d7;b7 and the development of school partnerships necessary to apply for and implement a grant under section #d4 #f4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,business or industry partner ,the term business or industry partner means-- 7,a7 a local public or private business2 7,b7 a local public or private industry2 7,c7 a sector partnership 7which has the meaning given the term industry or sector partnership in section #c of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cajb772 7,d7 a community partner2 or 7,e7 an intermediary organization4 7#b7 ,career and technical education ,the term career and technical education has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjb71 including3 7,a7 ,work-based learning ,the term work-based learning means sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings1 to the extent practicable1 or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth1 firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field1 that are aligned to curriculum and instruction4 7,b7 ,program of study ,the term program of study means a coordinated1 nonduplicative sequence of academic and technical content at the secondary and postsecondary level that-- 7i7 incorporates challenging ,state academic standards1 including those adopted by a ,state under section #aaaa7;b77#a7 of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife2 7ii7 addresses both academic and technical knowledge and skills1 including employability skills2 7iii7 is aligned with the needs of industries in the economy of the ,state1 region1 ,tribal community1 or local area2 7iv7 progresses in specificity 7beginning with all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more occupation-specific instruction72 7v7 has multiple entry and exit points that incorporate credentialing2 and 7vi7 culminates in the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential4 7#c7 ,career-connected learning ,the term career-connected learning means programs that integrate college preparatory academics1 technical training1 work-based learning1 and support4 7#d7 ,career pathway ,the term career pathway means a combination of rigorous and high-quality education1 training1 and other services that-- 7,a7 aligns with the skill needs of industries in the economy of the ,state or regional economy involved2 7,b7 prepares an individual to be successful in any of a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options1 including apprenticeships registered under the ,act of ,august #af1 #aicg 7commonly known as the ,national ,apprenticeship ,act2 #ej ,stat4 #ffd1 chapter #ffc2 #bi ,u4,s4,c4 #ej et seq47 7referred to individually in this ,act as an apprenticeship1 except in section #aga72 7,c7 includes counseling to support an individual in achieving the individual's education and career goals2 7,d7 includes1 as appropriate1 education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster2 7,e7 organizes education1 training1 and other services to meet the particular needs of an individual in a manner that accelerates the educational and career advancement of the individual to the extent practicable2 7,f7 enables an individual to attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent1 and at least #a recognized postsecondary credential2 and 7,g7 helps an individual enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster4 7#e7 ,community partner ,the term community partner means a nonprofit organization that has expertise-- 7,a7 in the planning and delivery of education1 career training1 and related programs2 7,b7 in forging coordination and cooperation between educators and other members of the community2 7,c7 in training educators and other deliverers of educational services2 or 7,d7 in development and implementation of data systems that measure the progress of students1 schools1 and institutions of higher education1 and career pathways programs4 7#f7 ,eligible agency ,the term eligible agency means-- 7,a7 a local educational agency2 7,b7 a consortium of local educational agencies or an agent operating on behalf of the consortium2 or 7,c7 a school operated or funded by the ,bureau of ,indian ,education4 7#g7 ,,esea ,definitions ,the terms high school1 local educational agency1 middle grades1 and secondary school have the meanings given the terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#h7 ,indian ,the term ,indian has the meaning given the term in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 7#i7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74 7#aj7 ,intermediary organization ,the term intermediary organization means a nonprofit organization that has expertise in training1 forging public-private partnerships1 systems development1 capacity-building1 improving scalability1 and evaluation4 7#aa7 ,native ,hawaiian ,the term ,native ,hawaiian has the meaning given the term in section #fbjg of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #geag74 7#ab7 ,registered apprenticeship program ,the term registered apprenticeship program means a program registered under the ,act of ,august #af1 #aicg 7commonly known as the 8,national ,apprenticeship ,act02 #ej ,stat4 #ffd1 chapter #ffc2 #bi ,u4,s4,c4 #ej et seq474 7#ac7 ,school partnership ,the term school partnership means a partnership that-- 7,a7 shall include1 at a minimum-- 7i7 an eligible agency2 7ii7 instructors and faculty at an eligible agency2 and 7iii7 one or more local business or industry partners2 and 7,b7 may also include one or more of the following partners3 7i7 ,a local community-based organization4 7ii7 ,a joint labor-management partnership4 7iii7 ,an institution of higher education4 7iv7 ,a ,state board or local board 7as such terms are defined in section #c of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cajb774 7v7 ,an apprenticeship college 7as defined as an institution partnership that is registered under the ,act of ,august #af1 #aicg 7commonly known as the 8,national ,apprenticeship ,act02 #ej ,stat4 #ffd1 chapter #ffc2 #bi ,u4,s4,c4 #ej et seq47 and is an institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a77774 7vi7 ,any other entity that the ,secretary1 after consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 considers appropriate4 7#ad7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#ae7 ,state ,the term ,state means each ,state of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 and the territories of ,puerto ,rico1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 and ,u4,s4 ,virgin ,islands4 7#af7 ,state educational agency ,the term ,state educational agency has the meaning given the term in section #fjb of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adja74