Background
The School-to-Work (STW) Opportunities Act was signed into law in May 1994. Its goal was to give all students the opportunity to sign up for a program that provides a clear pathway to a career. The hope is that STW projects will bring about lasting change in schools by encouraging integration of academic and vocational coursework, teaching all aspects of an industry, integrating work-based and school-based learning, and promoting the formation of partnerships among elementary, middle, secondary and post-secondary schools. In the ideal STW system, students are expected to meet high academic and occupational standards.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through its transition mandate of graduating from school and going into the world of work, requires that all special-needs students have a structured career education program starting at age fourteen.
Both the STW Opportunities Act and IDEA’s transition mandate form the foundation of each student’s middle and high school experience at SunRise Academy, beginning as early as thirteen years old.
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