KRS 158.816: Annual statewide analysis and report of academic achievement of technical

education students -- Assistance plan -- Occupation skill standards and

assessments.

(1) The Department of Education, with involvement of representatives from the local

school districts and teacher preparation institutions, shall complete an annual

statewide analysis and report of academic achievement of technical education

students who have completed or are enrolled in a sequence of a technical program

of at least three (3) high school credits.

(2) (a) The analysis shall include the previous year's results from the state assessment

program described in KRS 158.6453. The data shall be disaggregated for all

high school students by career cluster areas of agriculture, business a nd

marketing, human services, health services, transportation, construction,

communication, and manufacturing and by special populations. Where

available, disaggregated data from other national assessments shall also be

used.

(b) In addition to assessment scores required under paragraph (a) of this

subsection, the analysis shall include:

1. The number of students who took state or national assessments of skill

standards and qualified for skills certificates;

2. The number of senior concentrators as defined in the Carl D. Perkins

Vocational and Technical Education Act, Pub. L. No. 105 -332, who

have attained a high school diploma or equivalent;

3. The number of students who made successful transitions to work,

military, or postsecondary education. A successful transition to

postsecondary education means a student enters directly into advanced

training, a certificate program, or a degree program without having to

take remedial academic courses;

4. The number of students employed in nontraditional careers; and

5. Other factors deemed appropriate by the state education agencies or

required under federal law.

(3) (a) The Department of Education shall coordinate the development of a statewide

technical assistance plan to aid providers of programs in identifying areas for

improvement for those schools that do not meet their school performance goal

and for those schools where technical students as a group do not score equal to

or better than the school average in each of the academic areas. The plan shall

address method ologies for further analysis at each school including but not

limited to:

1. The academic course-taking patterns of the technical students;

2. The rigor and intensity of the technical programs and expectations for

student performance in reading, math, scie nce, and writing and other

academic skills as well as in technical skill development;

3. The level of communication and collaboration between teachers in

technical programs and academic programs, planning, and opportunity

for analyzing student achievement, particularly between faculty in the

comprehensive high schools with the faculty in state -operated or locally

operated secondary area centers and vocational departments;

4. The faculties' understanding of Kentucky's program of studies, academic

expectations, and core content for assessment;

5. The knowledge and understanding of academic teache rs and technical

teachers in integrating mutually supportive curricula content;

6. The level of curricula alignment and articulation in grades eight (8) to

sixteen (16);

7. The availability of extra help for students in meeting higher standards;

8. The availability and adequacy of school career and guidance counseling;

9. The availability and adequacy of work-based learning;

10. The availability and adequacy of distance learning and educational

technology;

11. The adequacy of involvement of business and in dustry in curricula,

work-based learning, and program development; and

12. The adequacy of teachers' preparation to prepare them for teaching both

academic and technical skills to all students that are necessary for

successful transition to postsecondary education, work, or the military.

(b) 1. The department and the office, in cooperation with the Education

Professional Standards Board, teacher preparation programs,

postsecondary education institutions, and other appropriate partners,

shall ensure that academic core content is embedded or integrated within

the performance requirements for teacher education students.

2. Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter, the Education

Professional Standards Board shall, as a condition of program approva l,

require career and technical educator preparation programs to include

instructional techniques for teacher education students to embed reading,

mathematics, and science knowledge and skills into all career and

technical education instruction at the secondary level.

(c) The department, in cooperation with the Kentucky Community and Technical

College System, shall encourage postsecondary education and business and

industry to provide professional development and training opportunities to

engage technical faculty in continuous improvement activities to enhance their

instructional skills.

(d) The department shall continue efforts with business and industry to develop

occupation skill standards and assessments. All efforts shall be made with the

involvement of business, industry, and labor. Skill standards and assessments,

where available, shall be used as the focus of the curricula.

(4) The department shall consult with the Education Professional Standards Board in

carrying out the requirements of this section as they relate to teacher preparation.