tammi florio ed 845 december 2009. “the future work force is here, and it is woefully...
TRANSCRIPT
“The future work force is here, and it is woefully ill-prepared...”
(Are They Really Ready To Work? 2006)
Students are not prepared for college50% of students nationwide
require at least one remedial course (State Policies, 2005)
Students are not prepared for work60% of employers rate graduates
as fair or poor (Ready or Not, 2004)
The Preparation Gap
Current High School Curriculum
65% proficient in reading; 55% proficient in math (PDE, 2009)
Less than one half of the school districts in Pennsylvania require four years of math
Less than one quarter require four years of science(American Diploma Network, 2007)
High school students today need the same knowledge and skills, especially in English and Math, whether they are entering college or the workforce after graduation.
(What Is College and Career Ready? 2009 and College and Work Ready 2007)
K
CONTEXTUAL SKILLS
ACADEMIC BEHAVIORS
KEY CONTENTEnglish, Math, Science, Social
Studies, Language, Arts, Writing,
Research
Metacognition, Study Skills, Time Management
Culture of Workplace or Campus: Collaboration, Teamwork
KEY COGNITIVE STRATEGIES
Curiosity, Analysis, Problem Solving
(Redefining College Readiness, p 12
Conley 2007 and 2008)
Vision: provide unique learning experiences
Mission: occupationally skilled citizenry
Curriculum: flexible and comprehensive
Assessment: vocational and academic
Reform Commission District
Parents
Involvement and Planning
•Make connections between work and school
•Support interests and learning styles
(American Career Resource Network)
It’s Elementary
Career awareness and exploration must begin as early as possible. (School to Work Act, 1994)
And in the middle
New York offers college experiences as early as grade 6 through mini-courses.
(Preparing Workers of Today, 2009)
NEW High School Curriculum9th and 10th grades
CORE ACADEMICS •English: communication, comprehension
•Math: algebra, geometry, data analysis
•Science and Social Studies
•Languages and Arts
(Conley, 2007)
(Gray & Herr, 2006)
Not four years of unrelated and unconnected content
But consecutive and systematic course work that is anchored in the real world
Culminating in an activity that requires students to demonstrate mastery of challenging content and cross-disciplinary skills such as writing, reasoning, and inquiry
(Conley, 2003 and 2005; Gewertz, 2009)
Core Academics
NEW High School Curriculum9th and 10th grades 11th and 12th grades
CORE ACADEMICS •English: communication, comprehension
•Math: algebra, geometry, data analysis
•Science and Social Studies
•Languages and Arts
(Conley, 2007)
CORE ACADEMICS
plus
Dual Enrollme
nt
Tech Prep
Career Academy
(Gray & Herr, 2006)
What it is NOT
Irrevocable decision
Vocationalized curriculum
Sorting students into tracks
First decision http://cte.ed.gov/acrn/decision.htm
Opportunity to combine marketable job skills and professional work ethic
Personalized education that cultivates individual strengths (Zhao, 2009)
What it IS
Integrating academic and vocational learning
(School to Work Act, 1994)
High School-College ConnectionsSenior Seminar
Co-taught by high school and college faculty
Keeps students engaged
Develops habits of mind for adult life
(Conley, April 2007)
Dual EnrollmentHigh school students
earn college credit
Associate’s degree or two years toward a baccalaureate
Reduced or waived tuition
(American Diploma Project, 2007)
(Preparing High School Students, 2008)
High School-Career Connections2+2 Tech Prep Program
Links to community college or technical school
Greatest number of projected openings do not require a four-year degree
Two tech-level jobs for every university level job
(Rice, 2006; Gray & Herr, 2006)
Career Academies
Small Learning Communities
Students choose a career cluster
Participate in experiences that match career interests
(Striking the Balance, 2008)(Preparing High School Students, 2008)
…that do not require a bachelor’s degree
Craft and constructionHealth occupationsManufacturingService occupationsTechnical serviceInformational technology
(Gray & Herr, p 130)
High Skill/High Wage Occupations
More than a high school diploma
But not necessarily college for all
Restructuring curriculum = re-culturing the school
Other Ways to Win
Aligning curriculum with post-secondary expectations means nurturing a culture that promotes intellectual development and self-directed learning (Conley, 2007)
“The ability to engage in self-directed learning is the single most important competence people possess.” (Knowles in Critical Issues, p. 217)
Reorganizing Instruction
End the assembly line
Begin to customize
Focus teams of educational professionals on the needs of individual students. Develop personalized plans. (Riddile, 2009 and Zhao, 2009)
Business sector and educators must communicate and collaborate (Governance Divide, 2005)
Establish mentoring programs, partnerships, job shadowing, internships (Most Young People, 2006)
Model the importance of applied skills such as team work and critical thinking
To prepare the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow
Provide authentic opportunities to develop interactive, analytic, problem-solving skills
Worker flexibility is the key to a dynamic labor market (Preparing Workers Today, 2009)
To prepare the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow
Lifelong earning requires lifelong learning. (Jazzar & Algozzine, p 215)
Learn to learn…to retool…and adapt…at every age and stage