The Perkins Act of 1990 and the School to Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) of 1994 both contain explicit provisions regarding career guidance and counseling provisions for special populations. The Perkins Act sets the direction for state and local agencies as they develop vocational and applied education programs to equip youth and adults with the academic and technical skills needed in the present and future labor markets. The STWOA, which is broader in scope and more encompassing than the Perkins Act, is designed to establish school-to-work systems that bring together partnerships of educators, employers, and businesses to build high quality school-to-work programs for all students rather than just for those in vocational-technical education programs. The following components constitute the core of the STWOA: school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. Activities listed under the school-based learning component include career awareness and career exploration and counseling beginning at the earliest possible age but not later than grade 7 and selection of a career major no later than grade 11. (Included is a 3-page table detailing Perkins Act and STWOA definitions and provisions concerning the following: target populations, services and activities, programs, and professional development.) (MN)