§ 115C-238.50. Purpose.
Part9. Cooperative Innovative High School Programs.
§ 115C‑238.50. Purpose.
(a) The purpose of this Part is to authorize local boards ofeducation to jointly establish with one or more boards of trustees cooperativeinnovative programs in high schools and colleges or universities that willexpand students' opportunities for educational success through high qualityinstructional programming. These cooperative innovative high school programsshall target:
(1) High school students who are at risk of dropping out ofschool before attaining a high school diploma; or
(2) High school students who would benefit from acceleratedacademic instruction.
(b) All the cooperative innovative high school programsestablished under this Part shall:
(1) Prepare students adequately for future learning in theworkforce or in an institution of higher education.
(2) Expand students' educational opportunities within the publicschool system.
(3) Be centered on the core academic standards represented bythe college preparatory or tech prep program of study as defined by the StateBoard of Education.
(4) Encourage the cooperative or shared use of resources,personnel, and facilities between public schools and colleges or universities,or both.
(5) Integrate and emphasize both academic and technical skillsnecessary for students to be successful in a more demanding and changingworkplace.
(6) Emphasize parental involvement and provide consistentcounseling, advising, and parent conferencing so that parents and students canmake responsible decisions regarding course taking and can track the students'academic progress and success.
(7) Be held accountable for meeting measurable studentachievement results.
(8) Encourage the use of different and innovative teachingmethods.
(9) Establish joint institutional responsibility andaccountability for support of students and their success.
(10) Effectively utilize existing funding sources for high school,college, university, and vocational programs and actively pursue new fundingfrom other sources.
(11) Develop methods for early identification of potentialparticipating students in the middle grades and through high school.
(12) Reduce the percentage of students needing remedial coursesupon their initial entry from high school into a college or university.
(c) Programs developed under this Part that target students whoare at risk of dropping out of high school before attaining a high schooldiploma shall:
(1) Provide these students with the opportunity to graduate fromhigh school possessing the core academic skills needed for postsecondaryeducation and high‑skilled employment.
(2) Enable students to complete a technical or academic programin a field that is in high demand and has high wages.
(3) Set and achieve goals that significantly reduce dropoutrates and raise high school and college retention, certification, and degreecompletion rates.
(4) Enable students who complete these programs to pass employerexams, if applicable.
(d) Cooperative innovative high school programs that offeraccelerated learning programs shall:
(1) Provide a flexible, customized program of instruction forstudents who would benefit from accelerated, higher level coursework or earlygraduation from high school.
(2) Enable students to obtain a high school diploma in less thanfour years, to begin or complete an associate degree program, to master acertificate or vocational program, or to earn up to two years of collegecredit.
(3) Offer a college preparatory academic core and in‑depthstudies in a career or technical field that will lead to advanced programs oremployment opportunities in engineering, health sciences, or teaching.
(e) Cooperative innovative high school programs may include thecreation of a school within a school, a technical high school, or a high schoolor technical center located on the campus of a college or university.
(f) Students are eligible to attend these programs as early asninth grade. (2003‑277, s. 2;2005‑276, s. 7.33(a).)