Section 254.360  Annual Application Assurances

The annual application of an eligible recipient shall contain the following assurances:

a)         that the application has been made available for review and comment by interested parties, including the private industry council established under the Job Training Partnership Act for the service delivery area served by the applicant;

b)         that the program proposed by the applicant is designed to prepare persons for paid or unpaid employment or for additional preparation for a career requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree;

c)         that the program proposed by the applicant is in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations;

d)         that the qualifications of staff responsible for carrying out the proposed program meet the minimum requirements of the State Board of Education in accordance with Subpart H;

e)         that none of the vocational education funds received under the State Plan will be used by the applicant to acquire equipment, including computer software, in any instance in which such acquisition results in a direct financial benefit to any organization representing the interests of the purchasing entity, or its employees, or any affiliate of such an organization;

f)         that all programs of related instruction offered by the applicant for apprentices who are employed to learn skilled trades are made equally available to all individuals interested in receiving this instruction and that no student will be denied access to such program on the basis of sex, race, national origin, ethnic background, or religious affiliation and, further, that the skilled trades for which the programs of related instruction are offered provide equal access to persons of both sexes;

g)         that all vocational education programs, services, and activities receiving federal assistance will be administered by the recipient in a manner which prevents, identifies, and remedies discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and handicap as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and implementing federal regulations (34 CFR 100, 104, and 106 (1986) and 45 CFR 90 (1986), with no later amendments or editions);

h)         that handicapped and disadvantaged students enrolled in private elementary and secondary schools in the geographic area served by the applicant have been notified of the eligibility of such students to participate in the vocational education opportunities program supported with federal funds made available under the Vocational Education Act; and

i)          that the applicant will use the Basic State Grant funds reserved for vocational education services and activities for handicapped individuals under the Act:

1)         to provide equal access to those individuals:

A)        in recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities; and

B)        to the full range of vocational programs, available to non-handicapped and non-disadvantaged individuals, including occupationally specific courses of study, cooperative education, and apprenticeship programs; and

2)         to provide vocational education programs and activities for handicapped individuals:

A)        in the least restrictive environment in accordance with Section 62(5)(B) of the Education of the Handicapped Act;

B)        which are included as a component of the individualized education plan required under Section 612(4) and Section 614(a)(5) of the Act; and

C)        which are planned through the coordination of appropriate representatives of vocational education and special education.

(Source:  Amended at 12 Ill. Reg. 2282, effective January 15, 1988)