Get approval to establish, change, inactivate or discontinue a postsecondary career technical education (CTE) program in Idaho. Requests follow one of three review levels based on the type of change and its financial impact.
Before preparing your request, contact us to confirm the appropriate review level. Checking with us first can help you avoid delays or a returned submission.
Why approval matters
State approval determines whether the program is eligible for state CTE funding and federal Perkins V funds, confirms the credential is classified correctly, and brings the program into state and federal performance reporting.
Under Board Policy III.G, program planning and review is a collaborative process involving the Idaho State Board of Education, Board Office staff, the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education (IDCTE), institutions, faculty, external advisory groups and accreditation bodies.
Your institution should complete its own program evaluation, planning and budgeting process before submitting a request to IDCTE. State approval must be completed before you implement a change that requires advance approval.
Determine your level of review
The review level is based primarily on:
- What you’re proposing to change
- The financial impact of the change
Financial impact means the total annual expenditure, from any funding source, that results directly from establishing, modifying or discontinuing a program. This may include personnel, operating costs, capital outlay, construction or major facility renovations, and indirect costs.
Full Proposal
Submit a Full Proposal before implementing the most substantive program changes.
State Board approval is required for:
- Establishing a new career technical program or certificate with a financial impact of $250,000 or more per fiscal year
State Administrator or designee approval is required for:
- Establishing a new career technical program or certificate with a financial impact of less than $250,000 per fiscal year
- Discontinuing a career technical program
- Establishing a new career technical instructional or administrative unit
- Expanding a program outside your institution’s Designated Service Region under Board Policy III.Z
- Consolidating two or more programs into one with a financial impact of $250,000 or more per fiscal year
- Converting a certificate or degree option into a stand-alone program with a financial impact of $250,000 or more per fiscal year
- Adding certificates or degrees to an existing program with a financial impact of $250,000 or more per fiscal year
Include a Program Profile with any Full Proposal for a new or modified program or certificate.
The Council on Academic Affairs and Programs (CAAP) reviews Full Proposals within 30 days of submission to IDCTE. The State Administrator may refer any Full Proposal to the Board and publishes a review timeline so proposals requiring Board action can be placed on a regularly scheduled Board agenda.
Short Proposal
Submit a Short Proposal before implementing any of the following changes:
- Splitting one program into two or more programs
- Consolidating two or more programs into one with a financial impact of less than $250,000 per fiscal year
- Converting a certificate or degree option into a stand-alone program with a financial impact of less than $250,000 per fiscal year
- Adding certificates, specialized certificates or degrees to an existing program with a financial impact of less than $250,000 per fiscal year
- Inactivating a program
- Adding or removing courses that represent a significant departure from existing offerings or the current delivery method
- Modifying an existing instructional or administrative unit
- Converting one degree or certificate level to another
- Moving a program to an exclusively online format
- Adding an online option
- Increasing exclusively online courses from less than 50% of the program to 50% or more
The State Administrator or designee approves Short Proposals.
Include a Program Profile when adding or modifying programs or certificates.
Letter of Notification
Use a Letter of Notification for changes that don’t require advance approval. Submit the letter to the State Administrator or designee within 30 days before implementation and include a Program Profile when applicable.
Use a Letter of Notification for:
- Expanding a program within your institution’s Designated Service Region
- Reactivating a program within three years of inactivation
- Changing from clock hours to credit hours
- Changing the name or title of a program or unit
- Changing a program’s Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code
- Changing the total credits required for a certificate or degree
- Making minor course changes
Check with us before you file. IDCTE may require a Short Proposal or Full Proposal for an action normally listed at a lower review level. Changes such as a CIP code update can affect program classification, Perkins V eligibility and performance reporting.
Submit a microcredential request
Establishing, modifying or discontinuing a microcredential requires approval from the State Administrator.
Submit your request using the IDCTE microcredential template.
Request new state funding
If your program request requires new state appropriations, contact us early in the planning process. Requests for new state appropriations are included in IDCTE’s annual budget request for Board approval and follow the budget calendar rather than the program approval calendar.
What happens after you submit
The State Administrator or designee acts on Full and Short Proposals within 45 days of submission.
If your request is denied:
- You’ll receive the specific reasons in writing.
- Your institution has 30 days to respond to the issues raised.
- IDCTE has 10 working days after receiving your response to reconsider the request.
If the request is denied after reconsideration, your institution may submit the request and supporting documents to the Board for final reconsideration.
What happens after approval
Implement your program within five years
You have five years from the approval date to implement an approved program. If the program isn’t implemented within five years, your institution must submit an updated proposal for approval and notify IDCTE in writing. You may request a change to the five-year implementation timeframe if implementation is delayed.
Monitor program health
A career technical program may be subject to reduction or termination when two or more of the following conditions are present:
- Inadequate job opportunities
- Inadequate student enrollment
- Inadequate positive placement
- Inadequate completion rate
- Inadequate finances
Your institution establishes the standards for each measure through its local program health metrics.
Inactivate a program when appropriate
Inactivation gives you up to three years to reevaluate a program when industry conditions change quickly.
If demand hasn’t resumed within three years, submit a Full Proposal to discontinue the program.
Important
Keep program information current
Approved program changes are reported to the Board twice a year.