Educational activities and vocational educational training.

(1) A social services official shall make available vocational educational training and educational activities in accordance with an assessment conducted and the employability plan prepared pursuant to the requirements of sections 385.6 and 385.7 of this Part. Such activities may include, but need not be limited to:

(i) vocational educational training, which may include but not be limited to organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of individuals for current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Such programs may include competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual's academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and the occupational- specific skills necessary for economic independence. Such term may also include applied technology education;

(a) when a social services district contracts with a proprietary vocational school to provide vocational educational training to individuals assigned in accordance with the provisions of this section, not more than 25 percent of the duration of such program can be devoted to preparation for a high school equivalency or to English as a second language;

(b) instructors employed by proprietary schools to prepare individuals for a high school equivalency certificate shall meet experience requirements established in regulation by the Commissioner of Education;

(c) individuals in need of basic literacy programs shall be referred to basic and remedial education rather than to vocational proprietary schools;

(ii) high school education or education designed to prepare a participant for a high school equivalency certificate;

(iii) basic and remedial education;

(iv) education in English proficiency;

(v) no more than a total of two years of post secondary education (or the part-time equivalent, if full-time study would constitute an undue hardship);

(a) such post-secondary education must be necessary to the attainment of the participant's employment goal, as set forth in the employability plan required pursuant to sections 385.6 and 385.7 of this Part. Such goal must relate directly to obtaining useful employment in a recognized occupation;

(b) enrollment may be in the following types of educational institutions:

(1) community colleges and two-year colleges;

(2) four-year colleges; provided, however, that the course of instruction for which an individual is enrolled is limited to a two-year degree granting program;

(3) licensed trade schools; or

(4) registered business schools.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision and as resources permit and pursuant to a local plan prepared in accordance with the requirements of section 385.10 of this Part, a social services official must assign to educational activities an individual who has not attained 20 years of age and who has not obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(3) Notwithstanding the requirements of this subdivision, an individual between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age may be excused from school attendance requirements if:

(i) the decision not to require school attendance is based upon an individual assessment which indicates that further attendance is unlikely to result in attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent based upon consideration of the individual's aptitude and other factors such as grade completion; and

(ii) he/she participates in either another educational activity other than one which would lead to the attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent or in job skills training appropriate to and designed for youths.

(4) Notwithstanding the requirements of this subdivision, the social services official shall assign individuals 18 and 19 years of age to activities other than those described in this subdivision if such official makes a determination, based upon an assessment and employability plan that educational and vocational educational activities are not appropriate or if such individual has failed to make satisfactory progress in educational activities.

(5) An individual who is assigned to educational activities consistent with the employment goals identified in the employability plan developed pursuant to section 385.6 or 385.7 of this Part shall not be assigned to any other activity that might interfere with attendance at class; provided, however, that a social services official may periodically reevaluate an individual's employment plan and having given due consideration to the individual's progress in the current, and if applicable, prior program make assignments to other activities in order to meet participation rates established in accordance with the provisions of section 385.8 of this Part.

(6) For individuals assigned by the district to participate in educational activities pursuant to this section and consistent with the individual's assessment and employability plan, the district may report supervised homework time and up to one hour of unsupervised homework time for each hour of class time, provided that the total homework time reported for participation does not exceed the hours required or advised by the respective educational program.

(7) An adult member of a two-parent family may be required by a social services official to participate in education activities consistent with the employment goals contained in his/her employability plan.

(8) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to supersede the eligibility requirements of teen parents as set forth in this Title.