Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

APPROVED                 CHAPTER
                                                                JUNE 10, 2021                 36
                                                               BY GOVERNOR               RESOLVES
                                 STATE OF MAINE
                                            _____
                          IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
                        TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
                                            _____
                                  S.P. 140 - L.D. 313
   Resolve, To Advance Career and Technical Education Opportunities in
                                 Maine
    Sec. 1. Department of Education to convene a work group. Resolved: That
the Department of Education shall convene a work group, referred to in this resolve as "the
work group," to explore innovative approaches to advancing career and technical education
opportunities for middle and high school students.
    Sec. 2. Membership. Resolved: That the Department of Education shall invite the
following persons to participate in the work group:
    1. One member of a regional chamber of commerce;
    2. One member of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce;
    3. One superintendent of a school administrative unit that has an industrial arts
program;
    4. One representative from a trade association;
    5. One representative from the Maine Community College System;
    6. One member of the Maine Association of Nonprofits;
    7. One parent of a current career and technical education student;
    8. One student from a career and technical education and bridge program;
    9. One representative from an organization representing superintendents;
    10. One representative from an organization representing principals;
   11. One representative from an organization representing career and technical
education directors;
    12. One principal of a school;
    13. One member of the Maine Climate Council;
    14. The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee; and
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   15. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the
commissioner's designee.
    Sec. 3. Duties. Resolved: That the work group shall:
    1. Conduct a statewide inventory of available career and technical education programs;
   2. Identify existing systemic barriers to expanding access to career and technical
education programs;
    3. Explore options for career and technical education programs to be included in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, endorsements;
    4. Recommend changes to the career and technical education teacher certification
process to address the shortage of career and technical education teachers by
acknowledging skills demonstrated in a trade or profession;
    5. Propose multiple college and career pathways for students to learn and demonstrate
their knowledge in the career and technical education setting while creating programs that
address the State's critical workforce shortage;
    6. Consider new pathways within career and technical education programs by:
    A. Proposing career and technical education course work for school counselor
    certification;
    B. Exploring an industrial arts pathway under the career and technical education
    program framework;
    C. Considering technical mathematics and technical writing as equivalencies to local
    secondary school course work requirements; and
    D. Exploring the availability of internships and apprenticeships statewide related to a
    program of study;
    7. Consider refinements to career and technical education certification including:
    A. Changing current endorsement codes to their assigned classification of instructional
    program codes;
    B. Creating an endorsement code for the career and technical education essential
    programs and services funded positions of career and technical education student
    services coordinator and career and technical education career counselor; and
    C. Initiating a career and technical education certification sub-workgroup composed
    of Department of Education representatives, career and technical education directors,
    career and technical education student services coordinators and career and technical
    education career counselors to review career and technical education certification
    rulemaking; and
    8. Use the data provided by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute draft report
available in the summer of 2021 to consider the following options:
    A. Fully funding the essential programs and services career and technical education
    funding formula as proposed by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute to
    support the State Board of Education goal of increasing statewide career and technical
    education enrollment, including an additional per-pupil weight for students with
    special needs and English language learners;
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    B. Creating a formula approach to include an allowance for yearly building
    maintenance, capital improvements and equipment costs;
    C. Funding middle school career and technical education separately from high school
    career and technical education based on the data provided at the completion of the
    current pilot projects for middle school career and technical education exploration
    pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15688-A, subsection 8;
    D. Developing a regional index for salary adjustments across the State with a specific
    career and technical education teacher and administrator salary matrix; and
    E. Examining an adjustment to the student-to-teacher ratio for those career and
    technical education programs that have legal requirements or industry restrictions
    determining the student-to-teacher ratio.
    Sec. 4. Report. Resolved: That the Department of Education shall submit an
interim report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later
than December 15, 2021 on the work conducted by the work group and any
recommendations developed. The Department of Education shall submit a final report no
later than March 15, 2022. The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural
Affairs may submit legislation related to either report to the Second Regular Session of the
130th Legislature.
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