I. WORK BASED LEARNING PROGRAM
The purpose of the Work Based Learning (WBL) Program is to expand and enhance the student’s learning through career experiences which are aligned with the student’s course of study and are designed to facilitate the student’s transition from school to career. The program is available to qualified students in each of the trade/technologies who have demonstrated readiness to benefit from placement in the program.

The objectives of the Work Based Learning Program are to:

Student Qualifications
Student participation in the WBL program is available to students who are at least 16 years old and who are in their junior or senior year. The student must:

Hours of Employment
Juniors – student release time is limited to 14 hours per week, or 25 hours per 9 day cycle.

Seniors – student release time is limited to 21 hours per week, or 38 hours per 9 day cycle.  At the midpoint of the second trimester there is no restriction on senior hours as long as shop theory, trade related electives, and graduation requirements are met.  The ability to participate in WBL continues while the student is in the academic cycle.  As such the student can legally work during early release, after school, and weekends/holidays with all the WBL benefits and protection.

Employer Responsibilities
Employers are required to compensate the students at a rate no less than the Connecticut minimum wage, and provide workers’ compensation and liability insurance.

II. LANGUAGE ARTS LITERACY LAB AND MATHEMATICS LITERACY LAB
The Language Arts and Mathematics Literacy Labs are designed to provide all ninth and tenth grade students with additional instructional time in these key content areas when they are in their trade/technology cycle.  Utilizing the content areas, students are taught strategies to be able to become independent and self-motivated learners with a greater responsibility for their learning process.  These learning skills and strategies are then able to be transferred into all classrooms, both academic and technology related.  Students receive ½ credit for each lab, thus a total of 1 credit a year.  Labs are graded and computed into the student’s grade point average.  Multiple types of learning styles are addressed in the labs utilizing a wide variety of materials in order to best address the needs of all students.  Language transition support services are provided to English Language Learners in the labs by continued monitoring of their language needs and modified as the student’s proficiency in the second language grows.  The Labs represent a coordinated school-wide approach to improving content literacy following a research based model from the University of Kansas’ Strategic Instruction Model.

III. SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Connecticut Technical High Schools philosophy is to include all students within the general education settings.  The Planning and Placement Team (PPT) process determines the required services for identified students.  The Special Education Department works to provide needed accommodations and services within the general education settings and technology areas through the use of collaborative and co-teaching models in line with educating students in the least restrictive environment.

IV. CAREER DEVELOPMENT (Required course for all 11th graders)
Career Development is a required course designed to provide students with the specific skills and competencies needed to be successful employees, advanced students and entrepreneurs, and leaders.  Students are introduced to experiences that are designed to further develop their professional and social skills, and include topics such as, interviewing and business meeting skills, social etiquette skills, customer service skills, portfolio development, and team development skill.  Through the use of self-awareness activities, students are better able to make wise educational and occupational decisions as they plan for their careers and post-secondary education.