SB 540, Wyland. Career technical education: recognition certificates.
Existing law authorizes a school district to issue diplomas or certificates evidencing the completion of a prescribed course of study following a pupil’s satisfactory completion of that course of study.
This bill would authorize a school district or county office of education to award a pupil a career technical education certificate if the pupil meets specified requirements, including satisfactory completion of the equivalent of 4 semester-long career technical education courses, a structured work-based learning experience, and a related culminating project. The bill would prohibit the award of a career technical education certificate awarded under the bill from being construed as equivalent to the award of a high school diploma or as a change to the statutory curriculum or compulsory education requirements.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 52377.3 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a school district or county office of education may award a pupil a career technical education certificate if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) The pupil has satisfactorily completed the equivalent of four semester-long career technical education courses. To the extent possible, the courses shall be within the same industry sector as identified in the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards adopted by the state board.
(2) The pupil has satisfactorily participated in a structured work-based learning experience related to the career technical education courses.
(3) The pupil has satisfactorily completed a culminating project related to the career technical education courses.
(b) The award of a career technical education certificate under this section shall in no way be construed as equivalent to the award of a high school diploma or as a change to the requirements of Section 48200 or 51225.3.
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