AN ACT to direct the state board of education to develop career And college endorsements for high school diplomas, increase access to career and technical education teachers in public schools, And to work with the state board of community colleges to increase the number of students enrolling in career and technical education in high need employment areas.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 115C‑12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(40)	To Establish High School Diploma Endorsements. – The State Board of Education shall establish, implement, and determine the impact of adding (i) college, (ii) career, and (iii) college and career endorsements to high school diplomas to encourage students to obtain requisite job skills and to reduce the need for remedial education in institutions of higher education. These endorsements shall reflect courses completed, overall grade point average, and other criteria as developed by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the impact of awarding these endorsements on high school graduation, college acceptance and remediation, and post‑high school employment rates."
SECTION 1.(b)  The State Board of Education shall make high school diploma endorsements, as provided under this section, available to students graduating high school beginning with the 2014‑2015 school year. The State Board of Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the progress toward establishing specific college and career endorsements for high school diplomas and for awarding these endorsements by February 1, 2014. The State Board of Education shall submit the report on the impact of awarding the high school endorsements on high school graduation, college acceptance and remediation, and post‑high school employment rates by September 1, 2016, and annually thereafter.
SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑296.7(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	The State Board of Education shall identify local school administrative units with unmet recruitment needs, especially for career and technical education teachers, and high needs schools and shall coordinate placement of NC Teacher Corps members in those schools."
SECTION 2.(b)  The State Board of Education shall (i) revise post‑secondary education and evaluation requirements for teacher licensure of career and technical education teachers to increase accessibility to the licensure process while maintaining quality of instruction and (ii) develop alternative professional development, mentoring, and curricular models to support career and technical education teachers who may not have an extensive teaching or classroom management background.
SECTION 2.(c)  The State Board of Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by January 15, 2014, on progress made in increasing accessibility to the licensure process and in developing alternative professional development supports for career and technical education teachers who may not have an extensive teaching or classroom management background.
SECTION 3.(a)  The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the State Board of Community Colleges, shall develop strategies to increase the number of high school students engaging in career and technical education, especially in the areas of engineering and industrial technologies, and in other occupations with high numbers of employment opportunities. In developing these strategies, the Boards shall consider sharing of instructors, facilities, equipment, and business internship opportunities between the public schools and community colleges to facilitate these goals.
SECTION 3.(b)  The State Board of Education and the State Board of Community Colleges shall jointly report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by October 1, 2014, on progress made on developing strategies to increase student engagement in career and technical education, especially in engineering and industrial technologies, and in other occupations with high numbers of employment opportunities.
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 14th day of February, 2013.

	s/	 Daniel J. Forest
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Thom Tillis
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Pat McCrory
	 Governor

Approved 10:16 a.m. this 18th day of February, 2013