Career and Technical Education Work-Based Learning Opportunities

Overview

ESSA allows the use of Title I, Part A funds to provide career and technical education programs to prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce. This need must be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment and articulated in the campus plan.

Statute from ESEA as amended through P.L. 114-95, enacted December 10, 2015 (ESSA)

To ensure that all children receive a high-quality education, and to close the achievement gap between children meeting the challenging State academic standards and those children who are not meeting such standards, each local educational agency plan shall describe:

• if determined appropriate by the local educational agency, how such agency will support programs that support and integrate:
  • academic and career and technical education content through coordinated instructional strategies, that may incorporate experiential learning opportunities and promote skills attainment important to in-demand occupations of industries in the State; and 1112(b)(12)(A)
  • work-based learning opportunities that provide students in-depth interaction with industry professionals and, if appropriate, academic credit. 1112(b)(12)(B)

An eligible school operating a schoolwide program shall develop a comprehensive plan (or amend a plan for such a program that was in existence on the day before the date of the enactment of ESSA that:

• includes a description of:
  • the strategies that the school will be implementing to address school needs, including a description of how such strategies will:
    • address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of those at risk of not meeting the challenging State academic standards, through activities which may include:
    • preparation for and awareness of opportunities for postsecondary education and the workforce, which may include career and technical education programs and broadening secondary school students' access to coursework to earn postsecondary credit while still in high school. 1114(b)(7)(iii)(II)

To assist targeted assistance schools and local educational agencies to meet their responsibility to provide for all their students served under this part the opportunity to meet the challenging State academic standards, each targeted assistance program under this section shall:

• serve participating students identified as eligible children under subsection (c), including by:
  • if appropriate and applicable, coordinating and integrating Federal, State, and local services and programs, such as programs supported under this Act....career and technical education programs... 1115(b)(2)(F)

Resources

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Spotlight on Vocational Training