(a) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12. Recommended prerequisite: Principles of Government and Public Administration or Business Management or Business Law. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.
  (2) The Government and Public Administration Career Cluster focuses on planning and performing governmental functions at the local, state, and federal levels, including governance, national security, foreign service, planning, revenue and taxation, and regulations.
  (3) Public Management and Administration reviews actions and activities that governments and nonprofit administrations commonly use and that resemble private-sector management. Students will be introduced to management tools that maximize the effectiveness of different types and styles of administrators and affect the quality of life of citizens in the community.
  (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.
  (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:
    (A) communicate effectively with others using oral and written skills;
    (B) demonstrate collaboration skills through teamwork;
    (C) demonstrate professionalism by conducting oneself in a manner appropriate for the profession and workplace;
    (D) demonstrate a positive, productive work ethic by performing assigned tasks as directed;
    (E) show integrity by choosing the ethical course of action and complying with all applicable rules, laws, and regulations; and
    (F) demonstrate time-management skills by prioritizing tasks, following schedules, and tending to goal-relevant activities in a way that uses time wisely and optimizes efficiency and results.
  (2) The student analyzes management theories. The student is expected to:
    (A) explore the various management theories such as Venn Diagram, Theory X, Theory Y, and Theory Z and how they are used effectively in public administration and management; and
    (B) compare and contrast management of government and nonprofit agencies to management in the private sector.
  (3) The student compares and contrasts department vision, goals, and mission to support those of a public agency. The student is expected to:
    (A) analyze economic, political, and social trends likely to impact an agency or department;
    (B) develop expansive professional networks internally and with other organizations to broaden communication;
    (C) practice and participate in the process of determining how to recruit a diverse workforce in an equitable manner;
    (D) apply interpersonal skills to grasp opportunities and manage conflicts in a positive and constructive manner;
    (E) emphasize the need to infuse understanding of vision, missions, and goals into all departmental activities;
    (F) analyze the concept of risk management; and
    (G) legally publicize all meetings at which budget and allocation decisions are to be discussed.
  (4) The student practices the process of facilitating the flow of ideas and information to keep the agency and its constituency informed of departmental policies and operations. The student is expected to:
    (A) address reluctance of employees to share work product and intellectual property;
    (B) restate complex technical information or issues in language the general public can understand;
    (C) explain, justify, or discuss public issues effectively;
    (D) present techniques effectively to handle difficult interviews and situations effectively; and
    (E) afford the public equal opportunity of access to all open records.
  (5) The student uses agency expertise used by elected officials and others to identify, implement, and achieve common goals and objectives. The student is expected to:
    (A) obtain relevant data relating to public management and non-public management from reliable sources;
    (B) apply pertinent research and analytical methodologies; and
    (C) assess the impact of probable changes on the public.
  (6) The student uses planning and fiscal services used to fund agency priorities. The student is expected to:
    (A) estimate costs according to standards for government accounting;
    (B) propose options over a range of cost requirements;
    (C) analyze government resources to find possibilities for new or increased funding of programs; and
    (D) prepare budgets.
  (7) The student develops and manages plans and systems that would meet agency needs without wasting funds or engaging in unethical behavior. The student is expected to:
    (A) demonstrate an understanding of how to assist departmental staff to fulfill procurement requirements;
    (B) recommend process changes to improve vendor reliability and performance;
    (C) determine means of public announcements to elicit vendor interest and bids from qualified sources;
    (D) identify sources that match approved vendor criteria;
    (E) manage an evaluation process that would ensure each bid, proposal, or offer is evaluated completely in terms of all relevant and ethical criteria; and
    (F) identify ways to safeguard proprietary information of bidders and the rights of procurement and determine the need for outside consults.
  (8) The student applies laws and policies to protect or disclose information as appropriate. The student is expected to:
    (A) maintain thorough familiarity with public information requirements and records maintenance and retention requirements such as the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552) and the records retention requirements of Texas Government Code, Chapter 441, and Texas Local Government Code, Chapters 201-205;
    (B) identify how to explain policy background and rationale to persons denied access to certain public information; and
    (C) compare and contrast the reliable controls to prevent unauthorized access to or release of privileged information.

Source Note: The provisions of this §127.645 adopted to be effective April 7, 2022, 47 TexReg 1677