Career academy

1. A career academy may be established under an agreement between a single school district and a community college, or by multiple school districts and a community college organized into a regional career and technical education planning partnership pursuant to section 256.136. A career academy established under this section shall be a career-oriented or occupation-oriented program of study that includes a minimum of two years of secondary education, which may fulfill the sequential unit requirement in one of the four service areas required under section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “h”, is articulated with a postsecondary education program, and is approved by the director under section 256.130. A career academy shall do all of the following: a. Utilize regional career and technical education planning partnerships outlined in section 256.136 in an advisory capacity to inform the selection and design of the career academy and establishment of industry standards. b. Establish a program of study that meets all of the following criteria: 1. Is designed to meet industry standards and prepare students for success in postsecondary education and the workforce. 2. Integrates academic coursework, includes work-based learning, and utilizes the individual career and academic planning process established under section 279.61. 3. Allows students enrolled in the academy an opportunity to continue on to an associate degree and, if applicable, a postsecondary baccalaureate degree program. 2. The state board, in consultation with the community colleges and post-secondary readiness bureau, shall adopt rules setting minimum standards for the development and implementation of career academies under this section and ensuring compliance with the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006, 20 U.S.C. §2301 et seq., as amended.