Section 75.210  Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants under this Subpart B shall be as specified in Section 2-3.80 of the School Code.  For purposes of eligibility, an "approved agricultural education program" is one that:

a)         offers a series of courses that are sequential in one or more fields of study listed at http://www.agriculturaleducation.org/Ag-Ed%20Programs/Course-Career%20Pathways and includes:

1)         at least one introductory course and one higher level course for which no less than two credits, as defined in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.440(c) (Additional Criteria for High Schools), are awarded for the successful completion of the course sequence; and

2)         courses with content that aligns with the courses approved by the State Board of Education and listed at http://www.agriculturaleducation.org/Ag-Ed%20Programs/Course-Career%20Pathways;

b)         unless otherwise exempt under the provisions of Section 2-3.80 of the School Code, includes a State and nationally affiliated chapter of the National FFA Organization;

c)         provides for supervised agricultural experiences (also see Section 75.220(d) of this Part); and

d)         employs qualified instructional staff, each of whom either:

1)         holds a current and valid professional educator license endorsed for teaching for grades 6 through 12 and for agricultural education as set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) and has 2,000 hours of work experience in a field related to agriculture, food or natural resources; or 

2)         holds an educator license with stipulations endorsed for career and technical educator or provisional career and technical educator issued pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25 (Educator Licensure) and endorsed for a skill area related to agricultural education.  (See 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.70 or 25.72, respectively.)

(Source:  Amended at 37 Ill. Reg. 15932, effective September 27, 2013)