Tammi Florio ED 845 December 2009

“The future work force is here, and it is woefully ill-prepared...” (Are They Really Ready To Work? 2006)

Students are not prepared for college 50% of students nationwide require at least one remedial course (State Policies, 2005) Students are not prepared for work 60% of employers rate graduates as fair or poor (Ready or Not, 2004)

College Prep? Vo-tech?

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)

(Gray & Herr, p25)

K CONTEXTUAL SKILLS ACADEMIC BEHAVIORS KEY CONTENT English, 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

Career awareness and exploration must begin as early as possible. (School to Work Act, 1994)

New York offers college experiences as early as grade 6 through mini- courses. (Preparing Workers of Today, 2009)

Involvement and Planning Make connections between work and school Support interests and learning styles (American Career Resource Network)

9 th and 10 th grades 11 th and 12 th grades CORE ACADEMICS English: communication, comprehension Math: algebra, geometry, data analysis Science and Social Studies Languages and Arts (Conley, 2007) CORE ACADEMICS plus Dual Enrollment Tech Prep Career Academy (Gray & Herr, 2006)

Same destination: post-secondary success

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)

What it is NOT Irrevocable decision Vocationalized curriculum Sorting students into tracks First decision cision.htm cision.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)

Senior Seminar Co-taught by high school and college faculty Keeps students engaged Develops habits of mind for adult life (Conley, April 2007) Dual Enrollment High 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)

2+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 construction Health occupations Manufacturing Service occupations Technical service Informational technology (Gray & Herr, p 130)

More than a high school diploma But not necessarily college for all Restructuring curriculum = re-culturing the school

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)

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

Provide authentic opportunities to develop interactive, analytic, problem-solving skills Worker flexibility is the key to a dynamic labor market (Preparing Workers Today, 2009)

Lifelong earning requires lifelong learning. (Jazzar & Algozzine, p 215) Learn to learn…to retool…and adapt…at every age and stage

We stand at a crossroads in education today. Do we have the will and the skill to change?

Change is not necessary; survival is not mandatory. (Deming)