(a) General authority

Each eligible recipient that receives funds under this part shall use such funds to develop, coordinate, implement, or improve career and technical education programs to meet the needs identified in the comprehensive needs assessment described in section 2354(c) of this title.

(b) Requirements for uses of funds

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Funds made available to eligible recipients under this part shall be used to support career and technical education programs that are of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective and that—

(1) provide career exploration and career development activities through an organized, systematic framework designed to aid students, including in the middle grades, before enrolling and while participating in a career and technical education program, in making informed plans and decisions about future education and career opportunities and programs of study, which may include—

(A) introductory courses or activities focused on career exploration and career awareness, including non-traditional fields;

(B) readily available career and labor market information, including information on—

(i) occupational supply and demand;

(ii) educational requirements;

(iii) other information on careers aligned to State, local, or Tribal (as applicable) economic priorities; and

(iv) employment sectors;

(C) programs and activities related to the development of student graduation and career plans;

(D) career guidance and academic counselors that provide information on postsecondary education and career options;

(E) any other activity that advances knowledge of career opportunities and assists students in making informed decisions about future education and employment goals, including non-traditional fields; or

(F) providing students with strong experience in, and comprehensive understanding of, all aspects of an industry;

(2) provide professional development for teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, or paraprofessionals, which may include—

(A) professional development on supporting individualized academic and career and technical education instructional approaches, including the integration of academic and career and technical education standards and curricula;

(B) professional development on ensuring labor market information is used to inform the programs, guidance, and advisement offered to students, including information provided under section 49l-2(e)(2)(C) of title 29;

(C) providing teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, or paraprofessionals, as appropriate, with opportunities to advance knowledge, skills, and understanding of all aspects of an industry, including the latest workplace equipment, technologies, standards, and credentials;

(D) supporting school leaders and administrators in managing career and technical education programs in the schools, institutions, or local educational agencies of such school leaders or administrators;

(E) supporting the implementation of strategies to improve student achievement and close gaps in student participation and performance in career and technical education programs;

(F) providing teachers, faculty, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, principals, school leaders, or paraprofessionals, as appropriate, with opportunities to advance knowledge, skills, and understanding in pedagogical practices, including, to the extent the eligible recipient determines that such evidence is reasonably available, evidence-based pedagogical practices;

(G) training teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, or paraprofessionals, as appropriate, to provide appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities, and students with disabilities who are provided accommodations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.];

(H) training teachers, faculty, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals in frameworks to effectively teach students, including a particular focus on students with disabilities and English learners, which may include universal design for learning, multi-tier systems of supports, and positive behavioral interventions and support; or

(I) training for the effective use of community spaces that provide access to tools, technology, and knowledge for learners and entrepreneurs, such as makerspaces or libraries;

(3) provide within career and technical education the skills necessary to pursue careers in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations;

(4) support integration of academic skills into career and technical education programs and programs of study to support—

(A) CTE participants at the secondary school level in meeting the challenging State academic standards adopted under section 6311(b)(1) of this title by the State in which the eligible recipient is located; and

(B) CTE participants at the postsecondary level in achieving academic skills;

(5) plan and carry out elements that support the implementation of career and technical education programs and programs of study and that result in increasing student achievement of the local levels of performance established under section 2323 of this title, which may include—

(A) a curriculum aligned with the requirements for a program of study;

(B) sustainable relationships among education, business and industry, and other community stakeholders, including industry or sector partnerships in the local area, where applicable, that are designed to facilitate the process of continuously updating and aligning programs of study with skills that are in demand in the State, regional, or local economy, and in collaboration with business outreach staff in one-stop centers, as defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102), and other appropriate organizations, including community-based and youth-serving organizations;

(C) where appropriate, expanding opportunities for CTE concentrators to participate in accelerated learning programs (as described in section 7114(b)(3)(A)(i)(IV) of this title), including dual or concurrent enrollment programs, early college high schools, and the development or implementation of articulation agreements as part of a career and technical education program of study;

(D) appropriate equipment, technology, and instructional materials (including support for library resources) aligned with business and industry needs, including machinery, testing equipment, tools, implements, hardware and software, and other new and emerging instructional materials;

(E) a continuum of work-based learning opportunities, including simulated work environments;

(F) industry-recognized certification examinations or other assessments leading toward a recognized postsecondary credential;

(G) efforts to recruit and retain career and technical education program teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals;

(H) where applicable, coordination with other education and workforce development programs and initiatives, including career pathways and sector partnerships developed under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) and other Federal laws and initiatives that provide students with transition-related services, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.];

(I) expanding opportunities for students to participate in distance career and technical education and blended-learning programs;

(J) expanding opportunities for students to participate in competency-based education programs;

(K) improving career guidance and academic counseling programs that assist students in making informed academic and career and technical education decisions, including academic and financial aid counseling;

(L) supporting the integration of employability skills into career and technical education programs and programs of study, including through family and consumer science programs;

(M) supporting programs and activities that increase access, student engagement, and success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (including computer science and architecture) for students who are members of groups underrepresented in such subject fields;

(N) providing career and technical education, in a school or other educational setting, for adults or out-of-school youth to complete secondary school education or upgrade technical skills;

(O) supporting career and technical student organizations, including student preparation for and participation in technical skills competitions aligned with career and technical education program standards and curricula;

(P) making all forms of instructional content widely available, which may include use of open educational resources;

(Q) supporting the integration of arts and design skills, when appropriate, into career and technical education programs and programs of study;

(R) partnering with a qualified intermediary to improve training, the development of public-private partnerships, systems development, capacity-building, and scalability of the delivery of high-quality career and technical education;

(S) support to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for special populations participating in career and technical education, including those participating in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or early college high school programs, and supporting the costs associated with fees, transportation, child care, or mobility challenges for those special populations; or

(T) other activities to improve career and technical education programs; and

(6) develop and implement evaluations of the activities carried out with funds under this part, including evaluations necessary to complete the comprehensive needs assessment required under section 2354(c) of this title and the local report required under section 2323(b)(4)(B) of this title.

(c) Pooling funds

An eligible recipient may pool a portion of funds received under this chapter with a portion of funds received under this chapter available to one or more eligible recipients to support implementation of programs of study through the activities described in subsection (b)(2).

(d) Administrative costs

Each eligible recipient receiving funds under this part shall not use more than 5 percent of such funds for costs associated with the administration of activities under this section.