SECTION 780:15-3-6. Technology center students

(a)   Student eligibility.

(1)   High school students. For students currently enrolled in high school, the technology center is an extension of the student's high school and shall be subject to the regulations thereof. The student's home high school shall transcript the units of instruction earned by high school students attending the technology center. High school students who successfully complete their career plans of study shall be awarded a competency/completion certificate by the technology center. The technology center is a separate entity in that it also serves adult students.

(2)   Enrollment procedures. High school students shall meet the enrollment criteria established by the technology center for the specific program plan of study in which they wish to enroll, regardless of lawful immigration status. All high school students shall be enrolled through a cooperative effort of the sending comprehensive high school and the technology center, except in cases where the student's parent or guardian has provided sufficient evidence that he/she is participating in a home-schooled education plan in accordance with 70 O.S. §10-105, as amended.

(3)   Approval to withdraw and withdrawal procedures. Students from a sending comprehensive school who wish to withdraw from a technology center must have approval of both the technology center and the comprehensive school. Specific procedures for withdrawal are established cooperatively by the technology center and the sending comprehensive school.

(4)   Student discipline. High school students' discipline and control shall be a cooperative effort between the comprehensive school and the technology center. Each institution shall enforce rules and regulations in accordance with their board-approved policies. Both institutions shall recognize the students' rights to "due process."

(A)   Qualified Students with Disabilities under IDEA. Discipline for students with disabilities who have an IEP shall be in accordance with current federal and state legislation and rule of law.

(B)   Qualified Students with Disabilities under Section 504/ADA. Qualified students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended who are disabled by drug addiction or alcoholism may be disciplined to the same extent as other students. However, a student who is disabled by some other condition in addition to drug addiction or alcoholism must be evaluated and afforded due process prior to disciplinary action that would constitute a significant change in placement. Denial of access, and/or a significant change in placement, should not occur when there is a definable relationship between the misconduct and the disability. The student's 504/ADA team should meet and make this determination. There is no requirement in Section 504 or the ADA for the continuation of educational services following the expulsion of a student for behavior unrelated to the student's disability.

(5)   Certified coursework. Units of coursework earned by a student in a technology center in Oklahoma shall be certified by the technology center to the sending school in which the student is regularly enrolled. These units of coursework shall be counted toward meeting local and state requirements for graduation. The technology center is considered to be an extension of the sending school curriculum and shall be subject to the regulations thereof.

(6)   Hours of attendance. High school students may attend a technology center up to one-half day pursuing a high school diploma or high school equivalency and up to one-half day completing a CareerTech program in the technology center. The students are counted as attending a full day at the sending school.

(7)   Secondary Students. Programs in the technology centers may be offered to secondary students. Students who are on an Individualized Education Program may attend a technology center up to four years.

(8)   Postsecondary/adult students. The technology center functions as a separate postsecondary-level educational institution for adult students who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance and/or are not enrolled in high school. Postsecondary/adult students may attend courses at the technology center which may be held any time during the day or night on or off campus. Postsecondary/adult students are subject to the policies and procedures established for adult students by the technology center and shall be afforded all benefits and services for which they qualify, regardless of lawful immigration status. Units of coursework completed at a technology center by a postsecondary/adult student are transcripted by the technology center as postsecondary level credit. Postsecondary/adult students who successfully complete their plan of study shall be awarded a competency/completion certification by the technology center. Units of instruction and/or credits earned by postsecondary/adult students may also be applied toward a college degree, in accordance with the cooperative agreements and cooperative alliance agreements developed by each technology center with a higher education institution.

(9)   Residency. Students that meet the residency requirements of 70 O.S. Section 1-113, as amended, shall have the same opportunity to access technology center courses, regardless of lawful immigration status, as any other in-district student. These students may enroll in an appropriate program following the same admission and enrollment procedures as other students.

(10)   Cooperative Alliances Between Higher Education Institutions and Technology Centers.

(A)   Purpose. The purpose of Cooperative Alliances is to expand student access to Oklahoma's educational opportunities with resource-sharing partnerships between institutions of the State System and CareerTech technology centers for the benefit of Oklahoma citizens, business, industry, and students. Cooperative Alliances are student-centered partnerships organized to encourage and facilitate progress toward college graduation and designed to ensure that students obtain the technical and academic skills that will allow them to succeed in today's dynamic knowledge-based, technology-driven global economy.

(B)   Formation and Operation. Cooperative Alliances may be formed and operated between Oklahoma technology center school district(s), and public colleges or universities that offer the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree.

(b)   Tuition.

(1)   Resident high school students. High school students who are residents of the technology center district attend on a tuition-free basis, regardless of lawful immigration status.

(2)   Tuition charge. Technology centers are authorized to charge tuition to postsecondary students. Amounts charged by a technology center district for tuition are subject to the approval of the State Board.

(3)   Out of District Tuition. Technology center districts shall charge a tuition to any secondary student who does not reside in the technology center district. The fee for tuition shall be not less than twice the amount of the local cost of providing instruction and services for the student. The State Board may waive this requirement in situations where the technology center district has shown evidence that such requirement will be detrimental to the mission of the local technology center district. Reciprocity agreements to benefit in-district students may be made between technology centers and approved by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

(c)   Transportation.

(1)   Responsibility. The technology center is responsible for providing transportation of daytime secondary students to and from in-district, sending schools for those students who are enrolled in a three-period block of instruction. Transportation for students requesting alternative schedules shall be determined by an agreement between the comprehensive school and the technology center.

(2)   Operation under Oklahoma school laws. All technology centers owning or leasing and operating school buses that transport students to and from points being served by the technology center shall operate under the current school laws of Oklahoma.

(3)   Adult transportation. Upon approval of the technology center board of education, postsecondary students enrolled in a technology center may be transported, as space is available, on established bus routes and related auxiliary activities.

(d)   Student accounting. Student Accounting information shall be submitted to the Information Management Division as outlined in OAC 780:10-7-2.

[Source: Amended at 9 Ok Reg 2607, eff 6-25-92; Amended at 10 Ok Reg 2459, eff 6-11-93; Amended at 11 Ok Reg 2885, eff 6-13-94; Amended at 12 Ok Reg 1847, eff 6-12-95; Amended at 14 Ok Reg 2019, eff 5-27-97; Amended at 16 Ok Reg 3209, eff 7-12-99; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 2732, eff 7-1-00; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 3281, eff 7-26-01; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 2895, eff 7-11-04; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 2276, eff 7-1-05; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 2904, eff 7-1-06; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 2426, eff 7-1-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2093, eff 7-1-08; Amended at 27 Ok Reg 1991, eff 7-1-10; Amended at 33 Ok Reg 1920, eff 9-11-16; Amended at 35 Ok Reg 2190, eff 9-14-18]