§ 16-80-5. Local partnerships.
(a) Local partnerships will be developed to provide a framework within which local districts
or consortia can develop school-to-work strategies which will:
(1) Be integrated with education reform and school improvement efforts;
(2) Offer opportunities for all students to participate in education and training programs
that will prepare students for high skill, high wage careers and result in certification
of knowledge and skills through a process such as a certificate of initial mastery
and a certificate of advanced mastery recognized by both the education and business
communities;
(3) Increase opportunities for continuing education, two (2) year or four (4) year colleges
and other technical education experiences;
(4) Engage families in multiple roles to support and enhance opportunities for children
to transition from school to work and to develop in-depth partnerships with businesses,
colleges, families and community organizations to offer technical and substantive
student workplace experiences for schools;
(5) Be part of the state's comprehensive education reform;
(6) Be integrated with the state's school-to-work plan;
(7) Be integrated with the state's workforce development plan and economic reform initiative;
(8) Offer opportunities for all students to participate in performance-based education
and training programs that will:
(i) Enable 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 four
(4) year college or university.
(9) Utilize workplace as active learning environments in the educational process by making
employers and labor organizations joint partners with educators in providing opportunities
for all students to participate in high quality, work-based learning experiences;
(10) Build on and advance existing promising practices;
(11) Be integrated with the local partnerships established through the local educational
collaboratives and their transition centers.
(b) In developing the school-to-work system, the emphasis shall be on a structure that
is flexible to meet local school needs and is available to students as needed and
appropriate. Students and parents shall be involved in the students' choices of career
paths. The human resource investment council's school-to-work subcommittee, for the
purpose of successfully establishing and implementing the school-to-work system, shall
endeavor to obtain the cooperation of employers, employees, unions, the commission
on higher education, post-secondary institutions and school districts.
(c) Programs and opportunities developed under this chapter shall not impair existing
collective bargaining relationships, displace current employees, prevent rehiring
laid-off employees, or impair promotion or job training opportunities for current
employees.