Mississippi Learn to Earn Act

Mississippi Learn to Earn Act. 1. The State Board of Education authorizes local school boards, in their discretion, to develop an Extended Learning Opportunity policy that provides alternative learning opportunities to students in grades 9 through12 for elective course credit. These alternative learning opportunities may include pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, internships, or other experiences approved by the Office of Career and Technical Education. 2. The Mississippi Department of Education and The Office of Career and Technical Education shall provide oversight to the alternative learning opportunities through the secondary Work- Based Learning program that is available to all districts and is maintained through partnership with The Mississippi Community College Board, The State Workforce Investment Board, and The Mississippi Department of Employment Security. These entities shall collaborate to establish procedures for apprenticeships and internships that may be exempt from federal state and labor laws. 3. If the local school board approves an application, it shall submit the application to The Office of Career and Technical Education prior to implementation for review and final approval by February 1. The Office of Career and Technical Education shall have 90 days to review and respond to all applications submitted. Once a local district receives final approval, the alternative learning opportunities may be implemented the following school year through the Work-Based Learning program. High-school-to-work programs aligned to The Mississippi Learn to Act and the Work-Based Learning curriculum will be evaluated through the consolidated monitoring audit performed by the Office of Career and Technical Education.