Required Annual Notification of Nondiscrimination

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Texas help provide students with the skills needed for in-demand, high wage and high-skill careers. The purpose of this letter is to provide to provide local educational agencies (LEAs), including school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, with information regarding the 2024-2025 required Annual Notification of Nondiscrimination regarding CTE Programs and employment practices.

Overview 

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the United States Department of Education (USDE) requires that LEAs provide CTE programs, services and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has regulatory responsibilities for CTE programs in Texas public secondary schools and is required to adopt a civil rights compliance program to identify, remedy and/or prevent discrimination in the CTE programs operated by LEAs.

Requirements for compliance are found in the document, Vocational Education Programs Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex and Handicap (Guidelines). A link to the full text can be found at the US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights Guidelines for Vocational Education Programs.

One important requirement of the Guidelines is that, prior to the start of each school year, every district providing CTE programs must notify students, parents, employees and the public that all career and technical education opportunities will be offered without regard to race, color, national origin, sex or disability. Local newspapers, social media, websites or other forms of media that reach the public may be utilized to disseminate the required notification. Information regarding this requirement can be found in Section IV-O of the Guidelines under Public Notification.

An English and Spanish version of a sample public notification form, which includes all required elements for complying with this requirement, may be downloaded from the TEA Methods of Administration (MOA) Guidance. Please note, the Guidelines state that if the LEA “contains a community of national minority persons with limited English language skills, public notification materials must be disseminated to that community in its language and must state that the district will take steps to assure that the lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in vocational education programs.” Therefore, if your LEA contains communities that speak languages other than English or Spanish, it will also be necessary for the LEA to prepare and disseminate the required notice in those languages.

An LEA must take continuous steps to notify participants, beneficiaries, applicants, parents, employees (including persons with visual or auditory impairments), other interested parties and unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the LEA or campus that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age. A statement of nondiscrimination shall be included in publications and other materials that are distributed to or accessible by students, parents, applicants, beneficiaries, employees, unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the school system and other interested parties. An English and Spanish version of a sample public notification form, which includes all required elements for complying with this requirement, may be downloaded from the TEA Methods of Administration (MOA) Guidance.

Contact Information

TEA staff will provide support to districts in complying with the requirement to eliminate discrimination in CTE programs. If additional information is needed, please contact the Division of Special Populations Monitoring at ReviewandSupport@tea.texas.gov or by phone at 512- 463-8363. Information can also be found on the TEA Review and Support home page.