Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 4.00 - Vocational Technical Education › Section 4.03 - Program Approval Criteria and Operational Requirements

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Each school district requesting full approval of a vocational
				technical education program shall demonstrate that the program meets the
				following approval criteria:
(1)
Organization
.
(a)
			 Each vocational technical school district and agricultural school shall employ
			 a vocational technical superintendent and vocational technical principal
			 licensed pursuant to
			 603
			 CMR 4.00.
(b) Each school district that conducts five
			 or more approved vocational technical education programs in public
			 comprehensive high schools must employ a licensed vocational technical
			 supervisor/director of vocational technical education to plan and supervise the
			 programs. A supervisor/director of vocational technical education who is
			 assigned to a single school within a district shall report to the principal of
			 that school. The supervisor/director reports to the superintendent in cases
			 where the supervisor/director supervises programs in more than one school in
			 the district or supervises programs that are not under the principal.
(c) Each school district seeking approval for
			 a vocational technical education program shall demonstrate that the program has
			 been planned in consultation with the following advisory committees:
1.
Program Advisory
			 Committee
. Each school committee shall appoint a Program Advisory
			 Committee for each program area under its control. The Program Advisory
			 Committee shall consist of representatives of local business and industry
			 related to the program, organized labor, postsecondary institutions,
			 parents/guardians, students and representatives from registered apprenticeship
			 programs if the program area has such registered programs; provided however,
			 that no member of the school committee, or other school official or school
			 personnel shall serve on the committee. Every effort shall be made to promote
			 membership on the Advisory Committee that includes females, racial and
			 linguistic minorities, persons with disabilities and individuals in occupations
			 nontraditional for their gender who are representative of the particular
			 district or community served by the school. The members shall appoint a
			 facilitator who in most cases would be a program teacher or a program
			 supervisor/director. The Program Advisory Committee shall meet at least twice
			 per year. Meetings shall comply with the Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 30A,
			 §§ 18 through 25. It shall be the responsibility of the Program
			 Advisory Committee to advise, assist and support school personnel in order to
			 improve planning, operation and evaluation in its program area. Such advice
			 shall be based on adequate and timely information as to workforce and job
			 development demands or job market trends, technological developments, training
			 alternatives and other factors affecting the quality of the program.
2.
General Advisory
			 Committee
. Each school committee shall appoint a General Advisory
			 Committee for all vocational technical education programs under its control.
			 The General Advisory Committee shall include, but not be limited to,
			 chairpersons of the program advisory committees. Every effort shall be made to
			 promote membership on the General Advisory Committee that includes females,
			 racial and linguistic minorities, persons with disabilities and individuals in
			 occupations nontraditional for their gender who are representative of the
			 particular district or community served by the school. The General Advisory
			 Committee shall meet at least twice per year, provided that one of the meetings
			 is with the school committee. Meetings shall comply with the Open Meeting Law,
			 M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18 through 25. It shall be the responsibility of
			 the General Advisory Committee to advise the school committee, based on
			 adequate and timely information, as to the planning, operation and evaluation
			 of vocational technical instruction provided by programs under its control. The
			 chief administrative officer of the school committee, or designee, shall act as
			 facilitator to the General Advisory Committee.