ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: ED DPA/SE 7-2-0-1

HB 2123: commerce authority; adult workforce education

NOW: adult workforce diploma program

Sponsor: Representative Kaiser, LD 15

House Engrossed

Overview

Creates the Adult Workforce Diploma Program (Program) to assist a person in earning a high school diploma and developing critical employability and career and technical skills. Establishes a Program Fund and appropriates monies to the Program Fund.

History

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) maintains a division of adult education that is under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education (SBE) (A.R.S. § 15-232). The division, Adult Education Services, provides comprehensive services to students who are at least 16 years old and who are not enrolled in a K-12 school. Adult Education Services offers educational programs to assist students in earning a high school equivalency diploma, connecting to employment and job training opportunities, transitioning to postsecondary education and becoming proficient in English (A.R.S. § 15-234).

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteEstablishes the Program within SBE to assist a person who is at least 21 years old in earning a high school diploma and developing critical employability and career and technical skills to prepare the person for employment. (Sec. 1)

2.   Instructs SBE to operate the Program in cooperation with ADE. (Sec. 1)

3.   Allows the Program to be delivered in a campus-based, online or blended modality. (Sec. 1)

4.   Requires SBE, by August 15 annually, to issue a request for qualifications for eligible Program providers. (Sec. 1)

5.   Outlines eligibility requirements for a Program provider. (Sec. 1)

6.   Directs SBE, in consultation with ADE and by October 15 annually, to approve all qualified Program providers and place those providers on an approved Program providers list. (Sec. 1)

7.   States approved Program providers are to begin enrolling students by November 15 annually. (Sec. 1)

8.   Grants approved Program providers approval status unless they are removed from the approved Program providers list. (Sec. 1)

9.   Instructs SBE, in consultation with ADE and by July 1, 2024, to adopt performance expectations to evaluate Program providers and an adult education and workforce performance funding model. (Sec. 1)

10.  Details the measurements the performance expectations must include. (Sec. 1)

11.  Stipulates, for the adult education and workforce performance funding model, that:

a)   At least half of total monies provided to an approved Program provider are to be based on the Provider's average performance in the prior two fiscal years; and

b)   SBE is to consider all adopted performance expectations excluding enrollment. (Sec. 1)

12.  Outlines funding for approved Program providers as follows:

a)   For FYs 2023 and 2024, ADE is to pay:

i.   $250 for each completed half unit of high school credit;

ii. $250 for each earned industry-recognized credential or stackable credential that requires no more than 50 hours of training;

iii.   $500 for each industry-recognized credential or stackable credential that requires between 50-100 hours of training;

iv. $750 for each earned industry-recognized credential or stackable credential that requires more than 100 hours of training;

v. $1,000 for each earned high school diploma; and

b)   For FY 2025 and thereafter, an amount determined by the adult education and workforce performance funding model, subject to legislative appropriation. (Sec. 1)

13.  Requires, for FYs 2023 and 2024, approved Program providers to submit monthly invoices to ADE for milestones met in the previous calendar month. (Sec. 1)

14.  Specifies ADE is to pay approved Program providers in the order in which invoices are submitted until all available monies are exhausted. (Sec. 1)

15.  Directs ADE to provide a written update to approved Program providers by the last calendar day of each month that includes the aggregate total dollars that have been paid to approved Program providers to date and the estimated number of enrollments still available for the Program year. (Sec. 1)

16.  Requires, by July 15th annually, each approved Program provider to report specified information to SBE. (Sec. 1)

17.  Mandates SBE, in cooperation with ADE and beginning with the end of the second fiscal year of the Program, to review data from each approved Program provider to ensure that each approved Program provider is achieving minimum Program performance standards. (Sec. 1)

18.  Authorizes SBE, in cooperation with ADE, to place an approved Program provider that does not meet the minimum Program performance standards on probationary status for the remainder of the fiscal year. (Sec. 1)

19.  Removes an approved Program provider that does not meet the minimum performance standards for two consecutive years from the approved Program providers lists. (Sec. 1)

20.  Establishes the Program Fund that is administered by ADE and that consists of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants and other donations. (Sec 1)

21.  States Program Fund monies are continuously appropriated. (Sec. 1)

22.  Appropriates $6,000,000 from the state General Fund in FYs 2023 and 2024 to the Program Fund. (Sec. 2)

23.  Defines pertinent terms. (Sec. 1)

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27.                    HB 2123

28.  Initials CH Page 0 House Engrossed

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