Editing School-to-work transition (section)

{{citations missing|date=February 2008}}
{{Education in the U.S.}}

'''School-to-work transition'''<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2007-08-01|title=The school-to-work transition: A role identity perspective|journal=Journal of Vocational Behavior|language=en|volume=71|issue=1|pages=114–134|doi=10.1016/j.jvb.2007.04.004|issn=0001-8791|last1=Ng|first1=Thomas W.H.|last2=Feldman|first2=Daniel C.}}</ref> is a phrase referring to [[on-the-job training]], [[apprenticeship]]s, [[cooperative education]] agreements or other programs designed to prepare students to enter the job market. This education system is primarily employed in the United States, partially as a response to work training as it is done in Asia.

School to Work is a system to introduce the philosophy of school-based, work-based, and connecting activities as early as kindergarten to expose students to potential future careers. School to Work emphasizes [[lifelong learning]].

School to Work is funded and sponsored at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Education.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/SER/SchoolWork/study3.html|title=Study of School-To-Work Initiatives|website=www2.ed.gov|access-date=2018-05-19}}</ref> At the state level in states like Arizona, the grant is administered by the Arizona Department of Commerce, School to Work Division. This grant was funded for a maximum of five years with decreasing funds years three through five.

An example of county level involvement is the [[Cochise County, Arizona|Cochise County]] School to Work Consortia in [[Arizona]].  It is composed of more than fifty Cochise County public and private schools, kindergarten through four-year university level, local and community-based organizations, and more than one hundred supporting business partners.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.willcoxrangenews.com/news/article_fa545286-09f2-5ae0-8679-465bb4458cb9.html|title=WUSD, Cochise County ahead on the learning curve|last=News|first=Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range|work=Arizona Range News|access-date=2018-05-19|language=en}}</ref>

STW is part of a comprehensive education reform movement which includes formulating new standards which emphasize higher order thinking skills, new standards based assessments, and graduation exams, such as the [[Certificate of Initial Mastery]] which insure that students are ready for job training or college prep by age 16.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may95/vol52/num08/The-Certificate-of-Initial-Mastery.aspx|title=The Certificate of Initial Mastery - Educational Leadership|last=ASCD|website=www.ascd.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-19}}</ref> Reformers believe that it is important and egalitarian that all students graduate ready for jobs and ready for college, rather than tracking students one way or the other.