Virginia Law

Article 4. State Board of Career and Technical Education.

The Board of Education is designated as the State Board of Career and Technical Education to carry out the provisions of the federal Vocational Education Act of 1963, as amended, and as such shall promote and administer the provision of agriculture, business, marketing, home economics, health, technology education, trade and industrial education in the public middle and high schools, regional schools established pursuant to § 22.1-26, institutions of higher education, and other eligible institutions for youth and adults.

For the purposes of this section, "promote" shall not be construed to mandate the implementation of any additional career and technical education programs that are not currently offered.

Code 1950, § 22-319; 1980, c. 559; 1992, cc. 673, 897; 2001, c. 483.

As used in this article, "career and technical education" means an organized education program offering a sequence of courses that (i) may incorporate field, laboratory, and classroom instruction; (ii) emphasize career and technical occupational experiences; (iii) are designed to prepare individuals for further education and gainful employment; and (iv) are aligned with state or national program certification and accreditation standards, if such standards exist for the sequence of courses. However, clause (iv) shall not apply to any program offered by industry in cooperation with a local school board.

1996, c. 400; 2001, c. 483; 2015, c. 588.

A. The Board shall incorporate into career and technical education the Standards of Learning for mathematics, science, English, and social studies, including history, and other subject areas as may be appropriate. The Board may also authorize, in its regulations for accrediting public schools in Virginia, the substitution of industry certification and state licensure examinations for Standards of Learning assessments for the purpose of awarding credit for career and technical education courses, where appropriate.

B. The Board shall also develop a plan for increasing the number of students receiving industry certification and state licensure as part of their career and technical education. The plan shall include an annual goal for school divisions. Where there is an accepted national industry certification for career and technical education instructional personnel and programs for automotive technology, such certification shall be mandatory.

C. With such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose, there shall be established, within the Department, a unit of specialists in career and technical education. The unit shall (i) assist in developing and revising local career and technical curriculum to integrate the Standards of Learning, (ii) provide professional development for career and technical instructional personnel to improve the quality of career and technical education, (iii) conduct site visits to the schools providing career and technical education, and (iv) seek the input of business and industry representatives regarding the content and direction of career and technical education programs in the public schools of the Commonwealth.

D. The Board shall develop guidelines for the establishment of High School to Work Partnerships, hereafter referred to as "Partnerships," between public high schools and local businesses to create opportunities for high school students to (i) participate in an apprenticeship, internship, or job shadow program in a variety of trades and skilled labor positions or (ii) tour local businesses and meet with owners and employees. These guidelines shall include a model waiver form to be used by high schools and local businesses in connection with Partnership programs to protect both the students and the businesses from liability.

Each local school board may establish Partnerships or delegate the authority to establish Partnerships to the local school division's career and technical education administrator or his designee, in collaboration with the school counselor office of each public high school in the school division, and shall educate high school students about opportunities available through such Partnerships.

Students who miss a partial or full day of school while participating in Partnership programs shall not be counted as absent for the purposes of calculating average daily membership, but each local school board shall develop policies and procedures for students to make up missed work and may determine the maximum number of school days per academic year that a student may spend participating in a Partnership program.

E. Each public middle school and high school, regardless of whether such school offers career and technical education courses, may establish career and technical education student organizations.

1999, cc. 435, 442; 2001, c. 483; 2002, c. 167; 2008, c. 150; 2011, c. 388; 2013, cc. 56, 500; 2016, cc. 720, 750; 2018, cc. 142, 388; 2019, cc. 139, 796; 2024, c. 776.