Georgia § 20-2-159 - 1. Focused programs of study.

§ 20-2-159. 1. Focused programs of study.

The Department of Education shall develop, and the State Board of Education shall approve, state models and industry required content standards, after consultation with industries in Georgia and in collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia and the University System of Georgia to ensure alignment with postsecondary opportunities, for the following focused programs of study, as defined in Code Section 20-2-326, including, but not limited to: Agriculture, food, and natural resources; Architecture and construction; Arts, audio-video technology, and communications; Business, management, and administration; Education and training; Finance; Health science; Hospitality and tourism; Human services; Information technology; Law, public safety, and security; Manufacturing; Government and public administration; Marketing, sales, and service; Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; Transportation, distribution, and logistics; and Energy. Such focused programs of study may be combined around these and other related clusters. The focused programs of study established pursuant to this Code section may include or be revised to include industry certifications or industry credentialing, as defined in Code Section 20-2-326 , pertinent to any such focused program of study. After consultation with employers and industries in Georgia, the Department of Education and the Technical College System of Georgia shall jointly establish a list of industry credentials that are required by Georgia employers. Such list shall be made available on the Department of Education and the Technical College System of Georgia websites. Such list shall be annually reviewed and updated as appropriate and made available prior to the beginning of the annual competitive grant application process provided for in subsection (j) of Code Section 20-2-260 . (Code 1981, § 20-2-159.1 , enacted by Ga. L. 2011, p. 635, § 5/HB 186; Ga. L. 2012, p. 689, § 3/HB 713; Ga. L. 2015, p. 1376, § 9/HB 502; Ga. L. 2018, p. 731, § 3/SB 3.) The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, substituted "content standards" for "curriculum framework" in the introductory paragraph. The 2018 amendment, effective July 1, 2018, designated the existing provisions as subsection (a); in subsection (a), substituted "The" for "No later than July 1, 2013, the" at the beginning and substituted "industry required content standards, after consultation with industries in Georgia and in collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia and the University System of Georgia to ensure alignment with postsecondary opportunities," for "content standards" in the middle; deleted "and" at the end of paragraph (a)(15); added "; and" at the end of paragraph (a)(16); added paragraph (a)(17); and added subsection (b). Editor's notes. - Ga. L. 2011, p. 635, § 1/HB 186, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "The General Assembly finds that: "(1) Our state's long-term prosperity depends on supporting an education system that is designed to prepare our students for a global economy; "(2) High school students and parents must understand that they have options for career pathway programs of study that join a college-ready academic core with quality career, technical, and agricultural education studies that result in a high school diploma and preparation for success in advanced training, an associate's degree, a baccalaureate degree, and a career; "(3) Local school systems must provide every student with choices that are academically rigorous and aligned to opportunities in high-demand, high-skill, high-wage career fields and to postsecondary career and technical pathways leading to advanced credentials or degrees; "(4) The State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Board of Technical and Adult Education must work together so that academic courses that are embedded within career, technical, and agricultural education courses (CTAE) are given appropriate academic credit at the high school level and recognized at the postsecondary level; "(5) Teachers should be provided with professional development opportunities that enforce the academically rigorous standards in relevant, project based coursework; "(6) High school students should clearly understand the options for dual high school and postsecondary credit, and the state should properly fund these options; "(7) Every state education agency, postsecondary institution, and local school system should provide all high school students with opportunities for accelerated learning through dual credit coursework leading to at least six postsecondary credits and have as a collective goal to graduate every student with postsecondary credit; "(8) Georgia's strategic industries must be partners in our public education system (secondary and postsecondary) so that they are assured that our high school graduates are prepared for success in the workforce; "(9) Georgia's public education system must incorporate many different types of assessments and certificates into their programs so that a student's skill level is assessed and that it also has meaning to them for postsecondary and career success; and "(10) Georgia's students must understand that a high school diploma and some form of postsecondary credential are key to success in the workforce and earning a family living wage." Ga. L. 2018, p. 731, § 1/SB 3, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Creating Opportunities Needed Now to Expand Credentialed Training (CONNECT) Act.'" Law reviews. - For article on the 2011 enactment of this Code section, see 28 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 115 (2011).