Career technical education: high school graduation requirements: apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs., the official text

An act to add Section 51225.45 to the Education Code, relating to career technical education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. The coursework requirements include, among others, the completion of one course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career technical education.
Existing law establishes the Division of Apprenticeship Standards within the Department of Industrial Relations and requires the division, among other things, to evaluate apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs to ensure that the program evaluated is complying with its standard, as specified.
This bill would authorize school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to deem a pupil who successfully completes coursework provided in an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program to have fulfilled, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school, the one course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career technical education requirement if the apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program meets specified requirements, including, among others, that it is approved by the division or registered with the United States Department of Labor.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 51225.45 is added to the Education Code, to read:
51225.45.
(a) A local educational agency may deem a pupil who successfully completes a course, or a series of courses, provided in an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program to have fulfilled the requirements of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3 if the apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The program is approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards or registered with the United States Department of Labor.
(2) The instructional content of the coursework aligns with the model curriculum standards for career technical education adopted pursuant to Section 51226.
(3) The coursework is supervised by qualified industry instructors approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3 of the Labor Code or certified by the North America’s Building Trades Unions.
(b) For purposes of this section, a “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.