Rationale
Student achievement is the Baltimore County Public Schools' primary goal. Research has proven that experiential learning promotes intellectual maturity, personal growth, career awareness, as well as civic and social responsibility. Experiential learning through a work experience program provides a dynamic, structured partnership offering a wide range of opportunities to promote student achievement.

Work-based experiences provide students with a means to develop the skills and knowledge base necessary to make appropriate and informed decisions in the career development process and prepare them for lifelong learning. A work-based experience offers students an opportunity to fuse academics with the real world and optimize educational achievement.

Baltimore County Public Schools offer many different types of cooperative education programs including Career Oriented Programs for ninth and tenth graders, Diversified Occupations for eleventh and twelfth graders, apprenticeship programs, career and technology education completer programs, job shadowing programs, and tech prep programs.