Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes “Career and Technical Education Scholar Awards” to annually recognize outstanding career and technical education students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the recognition of certain students and supplementing chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Career and technical education programs provide the high-level academic and technical skills needed to prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
b. In addition to meeting the State’s high school graduation requirements, career and technical education programs provide students with the opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials and college credits;
c. Career and technical education students often have the opportunity to participate in work-based learning experiences and in regional, State, and national skill competitions; and
d. Recognizing the achievements of career and technical education students throughout New Jersey will highlight the importance of career and technical education in addressing the demands of business and industry for highly skilled and trained workers.
2. a. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, shall establish an awards program to be known as the “Career and Technical Education Scholar Awards.” The awards program shall annually recognize outstanding career and technical education students who:
(1) demonstrate a high level of achievement in a career and technical education program as exemplified by course grades, industry-recognized technical assessments, and teacher recommendations;
(2) demonstrate a high level of achievement in at least three academic classes, as exemplified by course grades, end-of-course assessments, and teacher recommendations;
(3) successfully complete a college-level course or a work-based learning experience including, but not limited to, employment under a cooperative education agreement, an internship, or a work-based structured learning experience; and
(4) participate in a career and technical education student organization or a community service project that demonstrates the application of career and technical skills.
b. The department shall establish an application procedure and criteria and guidelines for the eligibility, nomination, and judging of applications for the awards program.
c. The department shall post the names of the recipients of the “Career and Technical Education Scholar Awards” prominently on its website, and shall recognize the recipients through the award of a certificate, a press announcement, or another form of recognition deemed appropriate to highlight the achievements of the recipients. The department may coordinate with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in recognizing the award recipients.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, to establish an awards program to be known as the “Career and Technical Education Scholar Awards.” The awards program will annually recognize outstanding career and technical education students who:
· demonstrate a high level of achievement in a career and technical education program as exemplified by course grades, industry-recognized technical assessments, and teacher recommendations;
· demonstrate a high level of achievement in at least three academic classes, as exemplified by course grades, end-of-course assessments, and teacher recommendations;
· successfully complete a college-level course or a work-based learning experience including, but not limited to, employment under a cooperative education agreement, an internship, or a work-based structured learning experience; and
· participate in a career and technical education student organization or a community service project that demonstrates the application of career and technical skills.
Under the bill, the department will establish an application procedure and criteria and guidelines for the eligibility, nomination, and judging of applications for the awards program.