Cooperative Education
Cooperative Education provides on-the-job training for students through a cooperative agreement among the school, the employer, the parents/guardian, and the student. A cooperative education coordinator is responsible for providing classroom instruction related to the occupation in which the student is placed and for contact with the student and the appropriate supervisor at the training site. Written training agreements and written training plans between the school and the employers are cooperatively developed and available. Such agreements include:
- Provisions for the employment of student workers in conformity with federal, state, and local laws and regulations and in a manner not resulting in exploitation of such student workers for private gain.
- Related occupational instruction in school.
- Payment of the prevailing wage for employment to student workers and awarding school credit for on-the-job training.
In the classroom, students should receive instruction related to their on-the-job training experiences. A training plan jointly developed by the teacher-coordinator and employer outlines the sequential classroom instruction and on-the-job training a student receives. The training plan is the base for evaluating the student's progress on the job and in the classroom. Each cooperative student is coordinated and supervised by a teacher coordinator.
The cooperative education method is an essential component to five Career and Technical Education program areas: Agricultural Education, Business and Information Technology Education, Family and Consumer Science Education, Marketing Education, and Trade and Industrial Education.
The cooperative education method is appropriate for any student desiring coordinated on-the-job training that connects school-based learning to the workplace. Students are eligible for credit provided that they successfully complete the experience within the guidelines set forth by the Cooperative Education Policies and Procedures Manual adopted by the North Carolina State Board of Education in June 2000.
Cooperative Education Policies and Procedures Manual
Table of Contents
Opening Pages
Cover and Expanded Table of Contents
Management Guide for Administrators with Appendix
Management Guide for Teacher Coordinators
Helpful Forms
Current Labor Laws
Associate Level Training Portfolio
Management Level Training Portfolio
Wake County Public School System programs are staffed and offered without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, political affiliation, or disability.