(a) When determining proposed grant recipients, the department, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, shall do both of the following:

(1) Give positive consideration to each of the following characteristics in an applicant:

(A) Serving unduplicated pupils, as defined in Section 42238.02.

(B) Serving pupil subgroups that have higher than average dropout rates as identified by the Superintendent.

(C) Located in an area of the state with a high unemployment rate.

(D) Offer an existing high-quality regional-based career technical education program as a joint powers agency or county office of education.

(2) Give positive consideration to programs to the extent they do any of the following:

(A) Successfully leverage one or both of the following:

(i) Existing structures, requirements, and resources of the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) (Public Law 115-224), California Partnership Academies, or Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Grants.

(ii) Contributions from industry, labor, and philanthropic sources.

(B) Engage in regional collaboration with postsecondary educational institutions, including the Strong Workforce Program consortium operating in their respective geographic areas, or other local educational agencies to align career pathway instruction with postsecondary program requirements. This shall include, but not be limited to, pathway programs provided under an adopted California and Career Access Pathways partnership agreement pursuant to Section 76004.

(C) Make significant investment in career technical education infrastructure, equipment, and facilities.

(D) Operate within rural school districts.

(b) When determining grant recipients, the department, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, shall give greatest weight to the applicant characteristics included in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).

(c) Grant recipients are encouraged to use funds provided for in subdivision (d) of Section 53070 to create high school programs that provide career-themed coursework with articulated pathways to postsecondary education, including programs established through a College and Career Access Pathways partnership agreement pursuant to Section 76004, and to develop pathway programs that lead into careers that are in high demand in the state.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 44, Sec. 84. (AB 130) Effective July 9, 2021.)