Iowa Code r. 281-46.13 - Career academy incentive fund
A career academy incentive fund is a competitive grant program established by the department to expand opportunities for students to access high-quality career and technical education programming through innovative partnerships between school districts and community colleges.
(1)
Allowable expenses.
Funding issued under this rule will be used by the recipient for purposes
outlined in the proposal approved by the department to support the development
of career academy infrastructure, including regional centers as defined under
rule 281-46.12 (258). For purposes of
this rule, allowable expenses include the following:
a. Purchase and improvement of grounds,
including the legal costs relating to the property acquisition and surveys of
the property.
b. Construction of
buildings and roads to buildings.
c. Purchase or lease-purchase option
agreements for buildings.
d. Rental
of facilities under Iowa Code chapter 28E.
e. Purchase, lease, or lease-purchase of
equipment or technology exceeding $500 in value per purchase or lease-purchase
transaction. "Equipment" means both equipment and furnishings.
f. Repair, remodel, reconstruction,
improvement, or expansion of buildings and the additions to existing
buildings.
(2)
Applicants. Institutions eligible to apply for funds include a
school district as defined under rule
281-12.2 (256) or community
college as defined under Iowa Code chapter 260C.
(3)
Application proposals.
Institutions seeking funds under this rule shall submit an application proposal
to the department in a format prescribed by the department. An application for
funding that includes more than one institution will designate a single
institution to receive funds on behalf of all participating institutions. At a
minimum, all applications will include one school district and one community
college, though applications consisting of multiple school districts and a
community college are encouraged.
a.
Service area and aligned occupation. Program information will
be collected to identify the aligned service area and in-demand occupation as
identified by the state workforce development board pursuant to Iowa Code
section 84A.1B(14).
b.
Offerings and
enrollments. Information will be provided on all career academy
offerings made available by the participating institutions. All school
districts will provide actual or estimated enrollment by high school in each of
the offered career academies over the proceeding five-year period.
c.
Program structure. Each
proposal will include a response to the following components:
(1) A sequence of coursework, inclusive of
all aligned middle school, high school, and postsecondary offerings that
constitute the career academy. The sequence of coursework is developed
collaboratively between the school district or school districts and community
college, and is to be depicted in a template provided by the
department.
(2) A description and
evidence of integrated project-, problem-, and work-based learning
experiences.
(3) Identification of
the third-party industry certifications either made available to the student
through the program or which the program prepares the student to
complete.
d.
Partnerships. If applicable, the applicant will provide
information on all partnering institutions, and the extent to which each
partnering institution is contributing resources to the initiative, including
funds, staff, equipment, or other related resources.
e.
Business and industry
involvement. If applicable, the applicant will provide information on
business and industry involvement, including input solicited on offerings,
donation of equipment, and contribution of funds.
f.
Approved contracts. Each
district participating in the career academy will submit as evidence the
contract approved by the district's board established pursuant to subrule
46.11(2).
(4)
Criteria for evaluating proposals.
a.
Priority. Application
proposals will be ranked and sorted according to the following priorities:
(1) First priority. Proposals for a minimum
of four new career academies delivered collaboratively between multiple school
districts and a community college through a regional center as defined under
rule 281-46.12 (258) will receive
priority consideration.
(2) Second
priority. Proposals for existing career academies or establishing a new career
academy delivered collaboratively between multiple school districts and a
community college through an existing regional center as defined under rule
281-46.12 (258) will receive
second-priority consideration.
(3)
Third priority. Proposals for new or existing career academies delivered
through partnership arrangements other than a regional center, including but
not limited to individual career academy offerings delivered by one school
district, will receive third-priority consideration.
b.
Occupational alignment.
Proposals for career academies aligned with high-demand occupations as
identified by the state workforce development board pursuant to Iowa Code
section 84A.1B(14)
will be given preferential consideration.
c.
Improving access.
Proposals for career academies that demonstrate that the grant funds will
result in improved access to career and technical education programs for all
students enrolled in participating school districts, including underrepresented
and nontraditional students, as well as underserved geographical areas, will be
given preferential consideration.
d.
Program structure. The
proposals will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the components of
paragraph 46.13(3)"c" are evident in the career academy
program.
e.
Additional
criteria. Subject to paragraphs 46.13(4)"a" and
"b," proposals will be evaluated against additional criteria
including the following:
(1) Actual or
projected enrollment for each participating high school over a five-year period
is of sufficient size to support robust and sustainable offerings and justify
the request for funding.
(2)
Cumulative offerings provide students with access to a diverse array of
coursework in multiple career and technical education service areas.
(3) If programming is delivered at an
off-site location, the sending school district provides transportation to
participating students.
f.
Budget. Institutions will
submit a complete budget for the proposal, including a comprehensive summary of
costs and a complete list of funding sources to be put toward implementing and
sustaining the initiative.
g.
Regional center plan. Evidence will be provided to the
department that the regional planning partnership established under this
chapter and in which the applicants are participating members has developed a
plan for regional centers under paragraph 46.10(4)"h." The
plan will identify any underserved areas of the region, including areas of low
career and technical education enrollment and program offerings.
(5)
Awarding
grants. The department may fully or partially award funds for
proposals submitted pursuant to subrule 46.13(3).
a. The department will award funds for
first-priority proposals that meet the criteria established in rank order. The
department may award funds for second- and third-priority proposals based on
availability of funds.
b. A grant
award issued under this rule is subject to the limits in Iowa Code section
257.51(3).
(6)
Distribution of awarded
grants. The department will award funds to the designated fiscal agent
for approved proposals according to a payment schedule set by the department in
consultation with the applicant. Initiatives approved for funding under this
rule are to be completed within the agreed-upon time frame established in the
payment schedule, with final payment awarded upon receipt of evidence that the
initiative was completed as specified in the approved proposal, unless a waiver
issued at the discretion of the director grants the recipient additional time
to complete the approved proposal. Any unclaimed award balance will be used by
the department to fund future initiatives under this rule.
Notes
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