Career and Technical Education Programs. Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. CTE instruction is delivered through programs at middle and high schools, through approved online courses, and at skill centers.

Career and Technical Education  Funding. The prototypical school model provides funding for CTE courses offered at the middle school and high school level. This funding is calculated using CTE-specific student-to-teacher ratios and per-pupil amounts for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC). MSOC funds are currently provided for exploratory CTE courses offered in grades 7 to 12, preparatory CTE courses offered in grades 9 to 12, and preparatory CTE courses offered in grades 11 to 12 through a skill center.

School districts may offer exploratory CTE courses to sixth grade students in middle school.

Sixth grade middle school students enrolled in exploratory CTE programs may not be included in enrollment counts for purposes of  CTE allocations. 

Middle and high school CTE courses must be treated as a single program when accounting for and calculating minimum expenditures, carryover amounts, and recovery amounts. This treatment is exclusively for accounting purposes and must not result in disparate program quality across grade levels.

• Removes provisions that provide funding allocations for sixth grade students enrolled in an exploratory career and technical education (CTE) course offered in a middle school and related language limiting middle school CTE funding to courses developed within a planned program of study.
• Authorizes school districts and public schools to allow sixth grade middle school students to enroll in exploratory CTE courses, but prohibits the district from including such students in CTE enrollment counts for purposes of calculating prototypical school allocations.

PRO: Coming from a family of manufacturing and trade was a unique and valuable experience, and it is something we have gotten away from in recent decades. This bill would allow students in middle school to have these hands on experiences. This is a simple, agency request bill that allows students in 6th grade to explore CTE opportunities.  Currently one third of students in a three-year middle school cannot be part of the master schedule and, if they are allowed, then it adds work for the fiscal managers to back out the calculation on their end. This would allow sixth graders to participate and makes sure there is a continuum process that supports the CTE pathway and high school and beyond plan. More sixth graders are moving to middle schools as the school buildings are being remodeled and this creates hands on experiences for them that aren't currently available. If the Legislature is unable to fully fund it this year at least there will be a framework in place for future years.

The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard.  PRO: This is a good little bill. It allows more students to access CTE. This bill streamlines funds up and down the continuum and it is appreciated. This allows 6th graders to explore early and it gets youth engaged. Strongly believe CTE is vital, and courses provide experience and hands on learning with real world applications.