01-25-1993 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Governor has proposed that the education division of the new department administer statewide benchmark testing. The testing wiU be administered at the tenth grade level and will require a student to master a rigorous set of academic skills. "No child should slide through high school with a fourth grade reading ability," the Governor said.^ "Students need to pass through a gateway of achievement before they proceed to the next level" The new Department of Children and Education Services will deal with that next level. The department will aggressively create and promote a Minnesota system of youth apprenticeships. The youth apprenticeship system will focus on students who may choose not to go coUege. It will offer them hands-on job training during the last two years of high school combined with continued academic education. "We need a new focus on the young people in this state who decide to leave the education ^tem anH end up with low-sldll low-wage jobs with no future, Governor Carlson ^d. He added that there will be a special emphasis on reaching out to children of color, children of poverty children who learn best in a hands-on environment. A Division of Careei Preparation will manage the youth apprenticeship program. The Governor will allocate $5 million for state and local efforts to plan and design this system. The new Department of Children and Education Services will have several functions: • A Children's Services Division will bring together programs serving children from birth to kindergarten. • A division will be responsible for facilities and finance, standards and assessment and research and other services relating to education and q>ecia] edwcation. • • 16 to 20, offering them a wide range of options ranging from coUege preparation to youth apprenticeship to technical training. A Higher Education Division will focus on student choosing to participate in higher education. The Governor called on young people across Minnesota to take advantage of the new* opportunities which will be created by the Department of Children imd Education Servioea said that learning and learning to win requires their active participation. The state of Minnesou leads the nation in the number of young employed in the work force, with 70 percent of teenagers working an average of 24 hours a week. "Teachers tell me these working students come to school tired and unprepared." the Governor said. That is way too high a price to pay for cars, clothes and CDs." He more -