Section 256.113  Local Uses of Funds

a)         Allowable expenditures for State CTE funds are commensurate with the Perkins local uses of funds under section 135(b) of Perkins V (20 USC 2355(b)).

b)         Minimum and maximum thresholds for local uses of funds, if applicable, shall be compliant with State and federal laws and regulations and may be designated by the State Board in support of the Perkins State Plan.

c)         In addition to being justified for use by the local needs assessment and the CLNA, funds must be used to support CTE programs that are of sufficient size, scope and quality to be effective. The use of funds must:

1)         provide career exploration and career development activities through an organized, systemic framework designed to aid students, including those students in the middle grades, before enrolling and while participating in a CTE program, in making informed plans and decisions about future education and career opportunities and programs of study.

2)         provide professional learning for teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, or paraprofessionals.

3)         provide opportunities and experiences to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue careers in high-skill, high-wage, and/or in-demand industry sectors or occupations.

4)         support integration of academic skills into CTE programs and programs of study to support CTE participants at the secondary school level in meeting the challenging academic standards adopted by the State under ESEA.

5)         plan and carry out elements that support the implementation of CTE programs and programs of study that result in increasing student achievement on performance indicators and meet quality criteria defined in the Perkins State Plan and Section 256.160.

6)         assess the quality and outcomes of the activities carried out with funds for local use, including information necessary to complete the local needs assessment and the local report.

d)         In addition, local recipients may pool resources with other local recipients to support the implementation of programs of study through the professional learning activities described in subsection (c).

e)         Funds may be used by eligible applicants to provide CTE programming for students in grades K-12.

f)         The provisions of the State Board's State and Federal Grant Administration Policy, Fiscal Requirements, and Procedures, available at www.isbe.net, apply to this Section.

g)         The requirements of 23 Ill. Adm. Code 100 (Requirements for Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, and Auditing) regarding the local use of funds apply to this Section.