SHARON ACUFF SPECIALIST, MARKETING AND RELATED CLUSTERS VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Regulations and Guidelines for Cooperative Education in Virginia

PDF Version of the Cooperative Education Handbook *2007 revised Source:

CTE Cooperative Education Cooperative education is a method of instruction that combines career and technical classroom instruction with paid employment directly related to the classroom instruction. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 5 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 5

Teacher Qualifications Must be endorsed in the course in which the cooperative method is used Must be professionally competent Must demonstrate technical ability and actual business/industry occupational experience within the discipline for which they provide instruction. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 5 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 5

Policy Statement Each school division must have a written policy statement for cooperative education that includes the following: Teacher-coordinator qualifications and responsibilities Requirements for recruitment/selection of students and training stations Content of the training plan and training agreement Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6

Policy Statement (Continued) Required length of training Information about Course content Student wages Records Reports Administration Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6

Class Size and Facilities When cooperative education is required: Class size shall be limited to an average of 20 students per instructor per class period (with no class being more than 24) When cooperative education is optional: Class size shall not exceed the number of workstations or an average of 20 students per instructor per class period (with no class being more than 24) if all students participate in cooperative education Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6

Coordination and Travel A class period shall be assigned for on-the-job coordination for each 20 students participating in on-the-job training, and specify provision for instructor travel to the job site. The coordination period is based on a traditional, single-based class period. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6

Coordination and Travel (continued) Schools operating on a block schedule: A minimum of 45 minutes for each 20 students; Alternate-day block schedules may allow for daily 45-minutes coordination periods or alternate-day 90-minute class periods. When more than one coordination period is needed due to the number students, the periods should be consecutively scheduled. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6

Why is coordination time needed? So instructors can: Obtain training stations Supervise the employment experience Plan, organize and complete all cooperative education activities (more on this later) Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 6

Extended Contracts A period of time provided to instructors for employment beyond the regular contractual period A minimum of 20 days in addition to the regular contract is recommended Ensures effective cooperative education coordination Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7

Source: Handouts: Training Agreement *Meets requirements of the Work-Training Student Learner Agreement, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry **Updated in 2007 to specify compliance with non- discrimination laws

Training Agreements Shall be developed and followed for each student receiving training though cooperative education. Parties shall include: the student parent or guardian instructor employer school administration. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7

Training Agreements (Continued) Identifies the responsibilities of the Parent Student Employer Coordinator (school) All parties should retain a copy of the agreement. Must include the asterisk items on the sample plan a vailable on the CTE Web site at

Training Plan Sample Procedures for Employers

Training Plan Sample Position Specific

Training Plan Shall be developed and followed for each student receiving training through cooperative education. Will be jointly prepared by the teacher-coordinator, training sponsor, and the student. The format and content is determined by the individual program or school division Will provide documentation for evaluation to include development of both the technical skills required by the occupation and employability skills. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7

Supervision of Students Where the cooperative education method is required: Teacher-coordinators MUST teach the students they supervise. (All EFE courses are included here) Where the cooperative education method is optional: Teacher-coordinators may supervise students from other classes with the same program area where the number of students does not justify an additional coordinator. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 7-8 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

Supervising Other Students Students must be enrolled in an approved course using the cooperative method. Teachers may work only with students in their certified program area and currently teaching classes. Assignments should be made to classes within programs where the greatest number of students who will be coordinated are enrolled. Teachers must meet with the students CTE classroom teacher before each training visit, and if necessary, afterwards as well. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 8 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 8

Supervising Other Students (Continued) Meetings between teachers-coordinators and the students CTE classroom teacher must be documented on the training plan. CTE classroom teachers involvement in the development of the training agreement and training plan must be certified by signature on each document. Training agreement and training plan forms must be modified to account for the meetings with involvement of other program classroom teachers. (if applicable) Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 8 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 8

Block Schedules The co-op experience must be continuous throughout the school year even if the classroom instruction is in the second semester. Students must be placed in jobs related to the career area and must be supervised and visited throughout the school year. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9

Training Stations Selected so that students are placed in locations that provide quality learning experiences that are compatible with career goals. Cooperating businesses should appoint a training sponsor to assist in student training, supervision, and evaluation with the teacher coordinator. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9

Coordination Visits Strive for a minimum of one visit to the training station per month and no fewer than one visit per grading period. Visits should include conferences involving the student, teacher-coordinator, and training sponsor to discuss training plans and to evaluate student performance and progress. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9

Supervised Work Experience Hours Completion of course and continuous employment throughout the school year (from the date hired until the school year ends) Average between 11 and 15 hours a week, with a minimum of 396 hours Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9

Summer Employment Summer hours may be counted towards the required number of hours if the work experience is supervised by a teacher-coordinator. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 9

Federal and State Labor Regulations Students must be at least 16 years old to seek employment unless a special work permit is secured. Programs using the co-op method are subject to applicable federal and state labor regulations. If a procedure is questioned, a coordinator should never attempt to interpret the law or to confront an employer. Contact the state or federal office for clarification. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 10 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

Advisory Council Programs using the co-op method should have an active advisory council of business/industry representatives, labor representatives, school personnel, parents and students. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 11 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

Wage Reports Previously, due each June, the AWHR, a comprehensive report, included: numbers of students, job classifications, and wage and hour information No longer a required report Highly suggest an annual summative report be completed and turned in to your CTE Administrator Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 11 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

REPORTING ON SEDF Item 20: Cooperative Education Enrollment Enter the number of students who participate in cooperative education on-the-job training. These students should be reported as co-op by only one teacher for each reporting period. Teachers who are not the coordinator for the students should not report the students as co-op. Where co-op is optional and the teacher is coordinating students out of another class within the same program area, the coordinator counts all of the co-op students on his/her SEDF course report, even if the number of co-op students exceeds the class total.

SEDF Example A coordinator has 20 students enrolled in a Computer Information Systems course (co-op is optional) and reports 13 black students, 1 Hispanic student, and 6 white students. The coordinator has 12 students using the co-op method of instruction in that class and also coordinates 10 additional students from two other Business classes. Code Item 20: 22 co-op students ( = 22)

School Records Each participating co-op program must maintain the following records for each student: Training agreement Training plan Course competency Annual wage and hour report for each student Documentation of all out-of-school coordination activities, including dates of training station visits. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 11 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

Retention of Student Records Work experience forms Employment counseling and placement Employment evaluations Retain 5 years after student graduates, then destroy. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 11 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

Instruction Cooperative education provides for employment experience that is directly related to the classroom instruction and student-organization activities. CTE is organized in career clusters that provide course sequences with career areas and roles. All CTE programs have task-competency lists and instructional frameworks that have been correlated to the academic SOLs and program national standards. Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page 12 Source: CTE Cooperative Education Handbook, Revised 2007, page

Cooperative Education Brochure Personalize the back panel with your own school information Source:

VDOE Web Site Resources Cooperative Education page on VDOE web site

CTE Resource Center Services Related Website for Cooperative Education Information