Career technical education: Linked Learning Pilot Program.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop, in conjunction with specified persons and entities, a report that explores the feasibility of expanding and establishing career multiple pathway programs, as defined, in California. This bill, commencing with the 2012–13 school year, would establish the Linked Learning Pilot Program to be administered by the State Department of Education according to specified requirements for the purpose of implementing districtwide linked learning programs, as defined, in all participating school districts. The bill would authorize a school district that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to apply to the Superintendent to operate a pilot program. The bill would require the department to review these applications and would authorize the Superintendent to initially approve no more than 20 applications. The bill would require that, if funds become available for purposes of the pilot program, the Superintendent allocate these funds on a competitive basis, based on the applications submitted. The bill would require the Superintendent to transmit a report to the Legislature and the Governor by September 30, 2016, that makes specified evaluations and recommendations. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2017, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2018.