20 U.S.C. § 6102 : US Code - Section 6102: Purposes and Congressional intent

Search 20 U.S.C. § 6102 : US Code - Section 6102: Purposes and Congressional intent

(a) Purposes
The purposes of this chapter are -
(1) to establish a national framework within which all States
can create statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems that -
(A) are a part of comprehensive education reform;
(B) are integrated with the systems developed under the Goals
2000: Educate America Act [20 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.] and the
National Skill Standards Act of 1994; (!1) and
(C) offer opportunities for all students to participate in a
performance-based education and training program that will -
(i) enable the students to earn portable credentials;
(ii) prepare the students for first jobs in high-skill,
high-wage careers; and
(iii) increase their opportunities for further education,
including education in a 4-year college or university;
(2) to facilitate the creation of a universal, high-quality
school-to-work transition system that enables youths in the
United States to identify and navigate paths to productive and
progressively more rewarding roles in the workplace;
(3) to utilize workplaces as active learning environments in
the educational process by making employers joint partners with
educators in providing opportunities for all students to
participate in high-quality, work-based learning experiences;
(4) to use Federal funds under this chapter as venture capital,
to underwrite the initial costs of planning and establishing
statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems that will be
maintained with other Federal, State, and local resources;
(5) to promote the formation of local partnerships that are
dedicated to linking the worlds of school and work among
secondary schools and postsecondary educational institutions,
private and public employers, labor organizations, government,
community-based organizations, parents, students, State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, and training
and human service agencies;
(6) to promote the formation of local partnerships between
elementary schools and secondary schools (including middle
schools) and local businesses as an investment in future
workplace productivity and competitiveness;
(7) to help all students attain high academic and occupational
standards;
(8) to build on and advance a range of promising school-to-work
activities, such as tech-prep education, career academies, school-
to-apprenticeship programs, cooperative education, youth
apprenticeship, school-sponsored enterprises, business-education
compacts, and promising strategies that assist school dropouts,
that can be developed into programs funded under this chapter;
(9) to improve the knowledge and skills of youths by
integrating academic and occupational learning, integrating
school-based and work-based learning, and building effective
linkages between secondary and postsecondary education;
(10) to encourage the development and implementation of
programs that will require paid high-quality, work-based learning
experiences;
(11) to motivate all youths, including low-achieving youths,
school dropouts, and youths with disabilities, to stay in or
return to school or a classroom setting and strive to succeed, by
providing enriched learning experiences and assistance in
obtaining good jobs and continuing their education in
postsecondary educational institutions;
(12) to expose students to a broad array of career
opportunities, and facilitate the selection of career majors,
based on individual interests, goals, strengths, and abilities;
(13) to increase opportunities for minorities, women, and
individuals with disabilities, by enabling individuals to prepare
for careers that are not traditional for their race, gender, or
disability; and
(14) to further the National Education Goals set forth in title
I of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act [20 U.S.C. 5811 et
seq.].
(b) Congressional intent
It is the intent of Congress that the Secretary of Labor and the
Secretary of Education jointly administer this chapter in a
flexible manner that -
(1) promotes State and local discretion in establishing and
implementing statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems and
School-to-Work Opportunities programs; and
(2) contributes to reinventing government by -
(A) building on State and local capacity;
(B) eliminating duplication in education and training
programs for youths by integrating such programs into 1
comprehensive system;
(C) maximizing the effective use of resources;
(D) supporting locally established initiatives;
(E) requiring measurable goals for performance; and
(F) offering flexibility in meeting such goals.