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An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 4 of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1 a section numbered
22.1-227.2
, relating to Board of Education; career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials; biennial review; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 4 of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1 a section numbered
22.1-227.2
as follows:
§
22.1-227.2
. Biennial review of career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials; report.
A. The Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, with the assistance of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, the Virginia Office of Education Economics, the Department of Education, the Virginia Community College System, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, shall conduct a biennial review of all career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials that are offered to public school students across the Commonwealth. In conducting such review, the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development shall:
1. Account for, review, and collect data on all career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings available to public school students (i) in the Commonwealth as a whole, (ii) in each individual public school, (iii) through any regional school or career and technical education center, (iv) in each local school division, and (v) in each Superintendent's region;
2. Consult with and incorporate input from employers, industry representatives, career and technical education student organizations, and other relevant stakeholders;
3. Assess the extent to which current career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings are aligned with industry needs and workforce demands, industry standards, and emerging trends in labor market needs;
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of current career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings in preparing students for gainful employment in a high-demand industry or field, enrollment in postsecondary education, or enlistment in the United States Armed Forces;
5. Identify gaps in current career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings and make recommendations on new or updates to existing course, pathway, or credential offerings based on current and emerging industry, workforce, and labor market needs, demands, and standards; and
6. Identify and approve any new career and technical education course, pathway, or credential offerings that were not identified during the review conducted in the immediately preceding biennium.
B. The Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development shall develop and submit to the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, the Chair of the House Committee on Education, and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 1 of each odd-numbered year a report on the biennial review conducted pursuant to subsection A. Such report shall include:
1. A summary of the findings of the review, including a list of all current career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings available to public school students (i) in the Commonwealth as a whole, (ii) in each individual public school, (iii) through any regional school or career and technical education center, (iv) in each local school division, and (v) in each Superintendent's region;
2. Recommendations for improvements, additions, or modifications to existing career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings in the Commonwealth;
3. Recommendations for facilitating and enhancing partnerships between local school divisions, education agencies and institutions, workforce development agencies and entities, and employers; and
4. A list of any new career and technical education course, pathway, or credential offerings identified and approved in accordance with subdivision A 6.
2. That the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development shall (i) conduct a biennial review of career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings, in accordance with subsection A of §
22.1-227.2
of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, beginning with the fiscal year starting on July 1, 2026, and (ii) submit by October 1, 2026, a progress report on such initial biennial review in accordance with subsection B of §
22.1-227.2
of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act. The Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development shall develop and include in such progress report on the initial biennial review, in addition to the requirements set forth in subsection B of §
22.1-227.2
of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, (a) recommendations relating to improvements or changes that could be made to the biennial review process, including a process for conducting the biennial review; (b) recommendations on best practices for ensuring that the administration and governance of career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings across the Commonwealth reflect innovative and successful models that support student achievement and postsecondary success and are aligned with, and are capable of evolving to reflect, current and emerging industry and workforce needs and demands in the Commonwealth, developed based on an analysis of the administrative and governance structures of career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings across states; and (c) a process for identifying and approving, pursuant to subdivision A 6 of §
22.1-227.2
of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, any new career and technical education course, pathway, or credential offerings that were not identified during the review conducted in the immediately preceding biennium for the purpose of ensuring all such course, pathway, or credential offerings available to public school students in the Commonwealth are aligned with current and emerging industry, workforce, and labor market needs, demands, and standards.