(a) Local application required

Any eligible recipient desiring financial assistance under this part shall, in accordance with requirements established by the eligible agency (in consultation with such other educational training entities as the eligible agency determines to be appropriate) submit a local application to the eligible agency. Such local application shall cover the same period of time as the period of time applicable to the State plan submitted under section 2342 of this title.

(b) Contents

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The eligible agency shall determine the requirements for local applications, except that each local application shall contain—

(1) a description of the results of the comprehensive needs assessment conducted under subsection (c);

(2) information on the career and technical education course offerings and activities that the eligible recipient will provide with funds under this part, which shall include not less than 1 program of study approved by a State under section 2344(b)(2) of this title, including—

(A) how the results of the comprehensive needs assessment described in subsection (c) informed the selection of the specific career and technical education programs and activities selected to be funded;

(B) a description of any new programs of study the eligible recipient will develop and submit to the State for approval; and

(C) how students, including students who are members of special populations, will learn about their school’s career and technical education course offerings and whether each course is part of a career and technical education program of study;

(3) a description of how the eligible recipient, in collaboration with local workforce development boards and other local workforce agencies, one-stop delivery systems described in section 3151(e)(2) of title 29, and other partners, will provide—

(A) career exploration and career development coursework, activities, or services;

(B) career information on employment opportunities that incorporate the most up-to-date information on high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations, as determined by the comprehensive needs assessment described in subsection (c); and

(C) an organized system of career guidance and academic counseling to students before enrolling and while participating in a career and technical education program;

(4) a description of how the eligible recipient will improve the academic and technical skills of students participating in career and technical education programs by strengthening the academic and career and technical education components of such programs through the integration of coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical education programs to ensure learning in the subjects that constitute a well-rounded education (as defined in section 7801 of this title);

(5) a description of how the eligible recipient will—

(A) provide activities to prepare special populations for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations that will lead to self-sufficiency;

(B) prepare CTE participants for non-traditional fields;

(C) provide equal access for special populations to career and technical education courses, programs, and programs of study; and

(D) ensure that members of special populations will not be discriminated against on the basis of their status as members of special populations;

(6) a description of the work-based learning opportunities that the eligible recipient will provide to students participating in career and technical education programs and how the recipient will work with representatives from employers to develop or expand work-based learning opportunities for career and technical education students, as applicable;

(7) a description of how the eligible recipient will provide students participating in career and technical education programs with the opportunity to gain postsecondary credit while still attending high school, such as through dual or concurrent enrollment programs or early college high school, as practicable;

(8) a description of how the eligible recipient will coordinate with the eligible agency and institutions of higher education to support the recruitment, preparation, retention, and training, including professional development, of teachers, faculty, administrators, and specialized instructional support personnel and paraprofessionals who meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements (including any requirements met through alternative routes to certification), including individuals from groups underrepresented in the teaching profession; and

(9) a description of how the eligible recipient will address disparities or gaps in performance as described in section 2323(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II) of this title in each of the plan years, and if no meaningful progress has been achieved prior to the third program year, a description of the additional actions such recipient will take to eliminate those disparities or gaps.

(c) Comprehensive needs assessment

(1) In general

To be eligible to receive financial assistance under this part, an eligible recipient shall—

(A) conduct a comprehensive local needs assessment related to career and technical education and include the results of the needs assessment in the local application submitted under subsection (a); and

(B) not less than once every 2 years, update such comprehensive local needs assessment.

(2) Requirements

The comprehensive local needs assessment described in paragraph (1) shall include each of the following:

(A) An evaluation of the performance of the students served by the eligible recipient with respect to State determined and local levels of performance established pursuant to section 2323 of this title, including an evaluation of performance for special populations and each subgroup described in section 6311(h)(1)(C)(ii) of this title.

(B) A description of how career and technical education programs offered by the eligible recipient are—

(i) sufficient in size, scope, and quality to meet the needs of all students served by the eligible recipient; and

(ii)(I) aligned to State, regional, Tribal, or local in-demand industry sectors or occupations identified by the State workforce development board described in section 3111 of title 29 (referred to in this section as the “State board”) or local workforce development board, including career pathways, where appropriate; or

(II) designed to meet local education or economic needs not identified by State boards or local workforce development boards.

(C) An evaluation of progress toward the implementation of career and technical education programs and programs of study.

(D) A description of how the eligible recipient will improve recruitment, retention, and training of career and technical education teachers, faculty, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, and career guidance and academic counselors, including individuals in groups underrepresented in such professions.

(E) A description of progress toward implementation of equal access to high-quality career and technical education courses and programs of study for all students, including—

(i) strategies to overcome barriers that result in lower rates of access to, or performance gaps in, the courses and programs for special populations;

(ii) providing programs that are designed to enable special populations to meet the local levels of performance; and

(iii) providing activities to prepare special populations for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations in competitive, integrated settings that will lead to self-sufficiency.

(d) Consultation

In conducting the comprehensive needs assessment under subsection (c), and developing the local application described in subsection (b), an eligible recipient shall involve a diverse body of stakeholders, including, at a minimum—

(1) representatives of career and technical education programs in a local educational agency or educational service agency, including teachers, career guidance and academic counselors, principals and other school leaders, administrators, and specialized instructional support personnel and paraprofessionals;

(2) representatives of career and technical education programs at postsecondary educational institutions, including faculty and administrators;

(3) representatives of the State board or local workforce development boards and a range of local or regional businesses or industries;

(4) parents and students;

(5) representatives of special populations;

(6) representatives of regional or local agencies serving out-of-school youth, homeless children and youth, and at-risk youth (as defined in section 6472 of this title);

(7) representatives of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations in the State, where applicable; and

(8) any other stakeholders that the eligible agency may require the eligible recipient to consult.

(e) Continued consultation

An eligible recipient receiving financial assistance under this part shall consult with stakeholders described in subsection (d) on an ongoing basis, as determined by the eligible agency. This may include consultation in order to—

(1) provide input on annual updates to the comprehensive needs assessment required under subsection (c)(1)(B);

(2) ensure programs of study are—

(A) responsive to community employment needs;

(B) aligned with employment priorities in the State, regional, tribal, or local economy identified by employers and the entities described in subsection (d), which may include in-demand industry sectors or occupations identified by the local workforce development board;

(C) informed by labor market information, including information provided under section 49l-2(e)(2)(C) of title 29;

(D) designed to meet current, intermediate, or long-term labor market projections; and

(E) allow employer input, including input from industry or sector partnerships in the local area, where applicable, into the development and implementation of programs of study to ensure such programs of study align with skills required by local employment opportunities, including activities such as the identification of relevant standards, curriculum, industry-recognized credentials, and current technology and equipment;

(3) identify and encourage opportunities for work-based learning; and

(4) ensure funding under this part is used in a coordinated manner with other local resources.