170.029.  Career and technical education (CTE) plan — CTE certificates, minimum requirements — curriculum — work groups — recognition of program — rulemaking authority. — 1.  The state board of education shall develop a statewide plan for career and technical education (CTE) that ensures sustainability, viability, and relevance by matching workforce needs with appropriate educational resources.

  2.  The state board of education, in consultation with the career and technical education advisory council as established in section 178.550, shall establish minimum requirements for a CTE certificate that a student can earn in addition to the student's high school graduation diploma.  Students entering high school in school year 2017-18 and thereafter shall be eligible to earn a CTE certificate.

  3.  The statewide plan shall establish CTE requirements intended to provide students with the necessary technical employability skills to be prepared for an entry-level career in a technical field or additional training in a technical field.  The provisions of this section shall not be considered a means for tracking students in order to impel students to particular vocational, career, or college paths.  The state board of education shall work with local school districts to ensure that tracking does not occur.  For purposes of this section, "tracking" means separating pupils by academic ability into groups for all subjects or certain classes and curriculum.

  4.  Each local school district shall determine the curriculum, programs of study, and course offerings based on the needs and interests of the students in the district and meeting the requirements of the statewide plan.  As required by Missouri's state plan for career education and the Missouri school improvement program, the state board of education shall work in cooperation with individual school districts to stipulate the minimum number of CTE offerings.  Each local school district shall strive to offer programs of study that are economically feasible for students in the district.  In establishing CTE offerings, the district may rely on standards, technical coursework, and skills assessments developed for industry-recognized certificates or credentials.

  5.  To enable school districts to offer CTE programs of study that are current with business and industry standards, the department of elementary and secondary education shall convene work groups from each program area to develop and recommend rigorous and relevant performance standards or course competencies for each program of study.  The work groups shall include, but not be limited to, educators providing instruction in each CTE program area, advisors from each CTE program area from the department of elementary and secondary education, the department of higher education and workforce development, business and industry, and institutions of higher education.  The department of elementary and secondary education shall develop written model curriculum frameworks relating to CTE program areas that may be used by school districts.  The requirements of section 160.514 shall not apply to this section.

  6.  No later than January 1, 2017, the department of elementary and secondary education shall develop a process for recognition of a school district's career and technical education program that offers a career and technical education certificate.

  7.  The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the administration of this section.  Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028.  This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2016, shall be invalid and void.