1. (1) Purpose. This rule sets forth the procedures, targets, and timelines for reviewing secondary and postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in accordance with Section 1003.491(5), F.S. The rule also describes the CTE program quality targets for metrics that programs are expected to meet and the required actions for programs that do not meet those targets.

2. (2) Definitions.

   1. (a) “CTE Concentrator” or “Concentrator” means a secondary student who earned three (3) or more credits in a single career preparatory or technology education CTE program, or two (2) credits if the maximum number of credits in the program is less than three (3).
   2. (b) “District Postsecondary” means all school district career centers within a single district recognized by the Department pursuant to Section 1001.44, F.S.
   3. (c) “Florida College System (FCS) institutions” or “institution” means the public postsecondary educational institutions as defined in Section 1000.21, F.S.
   4. (d) “Industry Certification” means a certification on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List adopted in Rule 6A-6.0576, F.A.C. and/or industry certifications on the Perkins V Industry Recognized Credentials List, accessible at: https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/research-evaluation/perkins.stml.
   5. (e) “In-Demand” means an occupation or program shows labor market demand based on the criteria outlined in the framework for the Master Credential List (MCL) and/or the criteria outlined in the Labor Market Alignment in the Perkins Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA). The criteria outlined in the framework for the MCL, and the criteria outlined in the Perkins CLNA can be accessed at: https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/perkins/clna.stml.
   6. (f) “Master Credentials List (MCL)” means the list of industry certifications and postsecondary credentials adopted in Rule 6A-6.0576, F.A.C. This list can also be accessed at: https://careersourceflorida.com/master-credentials-list/.
   7. (g) “Postsecondary Completers Continuing Education or Employed Rate” means the percentage of postsecondary CTE full program completers that are found continuing their education or employed in the year following program completion. The continuing education rate is based upon enrollment in any postsecondary institution in the summer, fall and winter/spring terms of the following year. The Employed Rate is based upon the four (4) fiscal quarters following the Reporting Year of completion.
   8. (h) “Reporting Year (RY)” means the scheduled time during the year that secondary and postsecondary CTE data are collected by the Florida Department of Education (Department) in accordance with Section 1008.41, F.S. The “most recent Reporting Year” is the most recent year of available data reviewed within the CTE Audit.
   9. (i) “Retention Rate” means the percentage of students enrolled in a given Reporting Year who returned the next Reporting Year or who completed a program in the original Reporting Year. Students who transfer to another postsecondary institution or to another program, are still included in the numerator as Retained.
   10. (j) “Same school district for all years enrolled in Florida public high school” is a criterion relevant only to the Secondary CTE Audit program quality rates and means students were found enrolled in the same Florida public school district for all years they were found enrolled in Florida public high school. The denominators of each Secondary CTE Audit program quality rate only include these students.
   11. (k) “Success Rate” means the percentage of students leaving postsecondary education (FCS institution or district postsecondary) with any one of the following: degree, certificate, industry certification, or terminal occupational completion point (OCP). A student left postsecondary education if they were enrolled in a given Reporting Year and were not found enrolled in an FCS institution or district postsecondary in the following Reporting Year.
   12. (l) “12th Grader Concentrator Graduate Continuing Education or Employed Rate” means the percentage of 12th grader concentrator graduates found continuing their education or employed in the year following high school graduation. Continuing education is based upon enrollment into any postsecondary institution in the summer, fall or winter/spring terms of the following year. Employed is based upon employment in the four (4) fiscal quarters following the reporting year of graduation. 12th grader concentrator graduates are only included in this rate if found enrolled in the same school district for all years enrolled in Florida public high school.
   13. (m) “12th Grader Concentrator Graduation Rate” means the percentage of 12th grader concentrators who graduated from high school with a standard high school diploma. 12th grader concentrator status may have been achieved in any year during high school. 12th grader concentrators are only included in this rate if found enrolled in the same school district for all years enrolled in Florida public high school.
   14. (n) “12th Grader Concentrator Industry Certification Rate” means the percentage of 12th grader concentrators earning at least one (1) industry certification at any point during high school. The industry certification does not need to be directly related to their program. Concentrator status may have been achieved in any year during high school. Concentrators are included in the denominator of this measure even if they did not test for at least one industry certification. Students are only included in this rate if they were in the same school district for all years enrolled in Florida public high school.

3. (3) CTE Program Quality Rates and In-Demand Criteria.

   1. (a) Secondary CTE Programs, career preparatory and technology education programs, only, will be reviewed using the following rates:

      1. 12th Grader Concentrator Graduation Rate;

      2. 12th Grader Concentrator Industry Certification Rate; and,

      3. 12th Grader Concentrator Graduate Continuing Education or Employed Rate.

   2. (b) At the secondary CTE level, the data will be combined for all schools in each district that offer career preparatory and/or technology education CTE programs. The rates will not be calculated separately for each school.

   3. (c) Postsecondary CTE Programs, associate of applied science (A.A.S.), associate of science (A.S.), advanced technical certificates (ATC), applied technology diploma (ATD), career certificate (CAR), and college credit certificate (CCC) programs, only, will be reviewed using the following rates and in-demand criteria:

      1. Retention Rate;

      2. Success Rate;

      3. Postsecondary Continuing Education or Employed Rate; and,

      4. Program alignment to an in-demand occupation.

   4. (d) Specialized Career Education CAR programs are not subject to the audit. These programs include Specialized Career Education, Basic (S990005), Specialized Career Education, Advanced (S990006), Specialized Career Education, Comprehensive (S990007) and Specialized Career Education, Extended (R300001).
   5. (e) At the postsecondary CTE level, the data will be combined for all school district career centers within a single district recognized by the Department pursuant to Section 1001.44, F.S. The rates will not be calculated separately for each career center.

4. (4) CTE Program Quality Metrics and Targets.

   1. (a) The program quality rates for secondary career preparatory and technology education CTE programs are grouped into two (2) metrics (see chart below).
   2. (b) The program quality rates and in-demand criteria for postsecondary CTE programs are grouped into three (3) metrics (see chart below).
   3. (c) Each metric has a primary target and an alternate target for program quality listed in the chart below. CTE programs must satisfy each metric by meeting the primary or the alternate target. Except for the targets addressing postsecondary program alignment to an in-demand occupation, the primary target is based on the most recent Reporting Year and the alternate target is based on the most recent three-Reporting Year average.

   4. (d) The postsecondary program alignment to an in-demand occupation metric requires the following:

      1. The primary target requires the program to meet the demand criteria and/or local demand criteria as defined in the framework for the most recent MCL.

      2. The alternate target requires the program to demonstrate local demand on the district’s or FCS institution’s most recent Perkins CLNA.

1. (5) Program Quality Data and Notice to Districts and FCS Institutions.

   1. (a) Annually, the Department will calculate program quality rates for each CTE program that is subject to the CTE Audit. These data will be made available at: https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/cte-quality/cte-audit-data-reports.stml. This is the statewide report required by s. 1008.43, F.S.
   2. (b) Based upon these data, the Department will determine whether a CTE program meets the targets for each metric and notify the district or FCS institution accordingly.

   3. (c) The school district Superintendent or FCS college President of the district or FCS institution programs that do not meet a metric target (primary or alternate) will have ninety (90) calendar days to provide to the Division of Career and Adult Education one of the following:

      1. Written notice confirming intent to phase out the program; or

      2. Supplemental evidence documenting circumstances that warrant the program not being phased out that year. If approved, the program will be evaluated again in the next annual CTE Audit.

   4. (d) Supplemental evidence is:

      1. Documentation that an “an act of God” or security incident interrupted the district’s or FCS institution’s ability to operate the program; or,

      2. Evidence that documents the program’s metrics meet minimum targets for the secondary or postsecondary Continuing Education or Employed Rate, the postsecondary Retention Rate or the postsecondary In-demand criteria, only.

   5. (e) The Department will review supplemental evidence to determine if it is sufficient and will notify the district or FCS institution accordingly.

2. (6) Phase Out of Programs.

   1. (a) For programs that do not meet required targets in subsection (4) and without sufficient supplemental evidence as outlined in subsection (5), the program must be phased out.
   2. (b) The Department will notify each district and FCS institution offering programs that must be phased out and will provide a timeframe for the phase out process to be completed. Once notified by the Department of the timeframe for phase out, the district or FCS institution must submit within ninety (90) days to the Department its plan to terminate the program.
   3. (c) Program phase out requires the school district or FCS institution to place the program in teach out status, which ensures that students can complete their education before a program is phased out. After teach out is complete, the program must be removed from program offerings.
   4. (d) A school district Superintendent or FCS college President must submit a teach out plan to the Division of Career and Adult Education within thirty (30) calendar days of phase out confirmation. The teach out plan must include, but is not limited to, the number of students remaining in the program; timeframe to teach out remaining students; internal and external program transfer options available to remaining students; and plans to communicate teach-out options to students.
   5. (e) A school district or FCS institution may not establish a program that is substantially similar to the program identified for phase out until teach out is complete plus two additional reporting years. Substantially similar means programs with the same 4-digit Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code and identical Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes. Teach out is complete once no program enrollments remain.
   6. (f) A school district Superintendent or an FCS college President may submit a CTE Audit Program Reinstatement Application for phased out programs to be reinstated after teach out is complete plus two reporting years. The Department will provide either approval or feedback within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt. The CTE Audit Program Reinstatement Application (HYPERLINK "http://flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-19573"
      http://flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-19573), effective June 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400. The Reinstatement Application is also available at https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/cte-quality/cte-audit-resources.stml.

   7. (g) Programs are exempt from the phase out requirements found in subsections (5) and (6) if any of the scenarios below are true for a CTE program.

      1. The program is new. A new program is a CTE program that is offered for the first time in a district or at an FCS institution within three years. A new program is subject to accountability once three years of data are available to calculate a three-year reporting average for a metric.

      2. The program is in teach out. A program in teach out is a program that is slated for deletion from state frameworks or local program inventory.

      3. The program has less than ten (10) students in the denominator. A program shall not be eligible for phase out if there are fewer than ten (10) students in the denominator for the metric for the most recent reporting year.

3. (7) Schedule for Notification of Phase Out of Programs.

   1. (a) Beginning with the 2026 CTE Audit, using data from Reporting Years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, all programs shall be reviewed to assess whether the program meets targets for metrics found in subsection (4). All programs that fail to meet the targets for a metric will be notified to implement the phase out process as outlined in subsections (5) and (6), unless they provide sufficient evidence demonstrating why they should not be phased out that year.
   2. (b) Beginning with the 2026 CTE Audit, the audit will be carried out annually, as prescribed in subsection (4). Annually, all programs that fail to meet the targets for a metric will be notified for the phase out process outlined in subsections (5) and (6).

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1003.491(5)(d), 1008.43(4) FS. Law Implemented 1003.491, 1008.43 FS. History–New 10-4-93, Amended 2-16-94, 10-25-11, 2-17-15, 10-30-16, 11-28-18, 7-2-24, 8-19-25, 6-17-26.