Massachusetts' School-to-Work Opportunities Act will force school districts to reevaluate their priorities and regard every community member as a student. Guidance counselors should become more career-focused and actively advise both college- and noncollege-bound students on coursework necessary to achieve academic and personal goals. (MLH)

California has numerous niche programs stressing both academic rigor and career connections. These occur most successfully where business and elected officials support K-12 partnerships and provide job-shadowing opportunities, internships, and classroom instruction offered by business partners. A sidebar outlines school-to-work principles. (MLH)

The school-to-work movement enlists employers as partners in the education process. The paper describes the 1994 School to Work Opportunities Act and discusses the importance of parent involvement. Includes a sidebar on the Lockport (New York) education summit. (SM)

When the School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) was initiated in 1994, it was envisioned as a systematic effort to prepare young people for high-skill, high-wage careers and provide them with the academic instruction and foundation skills needed to pursue postsecondary education and lifelong learning. STWOA called for development of three main…