What do students think of the new career-oriented programs? What effect do social stigmas around voc ed, school climate, and the influence of parents and peers have on them? What career development efforts have minority students found to be successful? New NCRVE reports describe students' perspectives on programs that use careers not to "track" kids, but to provide relevance and depth to the entire curriculum. The many quotations from interviews with students convey, as nothing else could, the hope and promise invigorating these programs. The following excerpts join with the Work in Progress report from RAND and the article on the National Leadership Forum in emphasizing the perspective of students on career-related education.
Damaris Moore, a member of the Dissemination Program, handles NCRVE's public information initiatives.
Based on students' perspectives of school experiences, school climate emerged as a critical indicator of high-quality, career-oriented programs. Given the current focus on effective schools, school climate is one feature of emerging career-oriented programs that holds important implications for serving all students effectively. Understanding key elements of quality student-level schooling experiences can inform the implementation of school-to-work programs throughout the nation and assist in building authentic learning environments for all students...
In our study, both the supportive environment and the expanded educational and occupational opportunities embedded in the school climate came up consistently within and across programs. This is an indication that once students enroll in these new formulations of career-oriented programs, a supportive environment helps them adjust to a rigorous and new curriculum orientation. Some schools have some unique ways of providing support to students (e.g., impact groups, buddy programs), but in most instances it is the positive attitude and accessibility of teachers, counselors, and administrators which make a difference in the students' lives. Further, the role and attitude of teachers and counselors appear to add greatly to a positive supportive environment. In addition, peer participation to provide personal and academic support may help create a sense of ownership, belonging, and community...These career-oriented programs appear to function in a school climate full of promises, expectations, and dilemmas. The promises are in the form of educational and occupational opportunities delivered in a nurturing and supportive environment. The expectations come in the form of rigorous curricula and high standards for both the work of teachers and students. The dilemmas lie in trying to keep a balance between a demanding, yet supportive environment, between a career and a college orientation, and between applied and traditional ways of learning.
Over the past decade the demand for reform in America's schools and workplace has raised high expectations for everyone: students, educators, parents, and business leaders. As we approach the 21st century, two critical issues are driving these reforms: first, how to provide the nation's youth with educational experiences to prepare them for a lifetime of learning, rather than just acquiring knowledge through initial schooling and college, and second, and closely related, how to assure that America's future work force has the expertise and skills required to produce world-class products and services as businesses are affected by rapid change, new technologies, and global competition? Since the mid-1980s, many reports and considerable research have emphasized the need to seek better, more systematic connections between what occurs in schools, colleges, and work places. There is a growing demand for learning that takes place in schools and colleges to be made more relevant and pertinent to the work, community, and family life of today's world. Expanded learning capacity is a critical element in making American businesses more successful. As small and large firms use computers and other technologies, they require all of their employees to learn continuously as they solve problems, work in teams, and grapple with new information.
In starting all of these rapidly developing reforms and innovations, considerable attention has been given to establishing new partnerships, planning, building curricula, and the professional development of teachers. Thus, the literature reflects an emphasis on research and evaluation at the program level while the voices and views of students are overlooked in most education and work reforms. Since students are the primary focus of these changes, it is vitally important that we understand how they view these new programs and how they shape their perspectives in the future. Further, students' experiences and insights are valuable resources for improving and refining the reforms.
Career development theories derived from the research on predominantly White middle-class individuals (hereafter referred to as majority or dominant) have often been used to describe the career patterns of minorities (racial/ethnic groups) in the United States. It has often been assumed that the factors which predict the career development and selection of majority students, are applicable predicators for minority students as well. This tendency to generalize from the dominant group has created a limited and misguided view of the constructs that shape the career profiles of minority students. The increasing number of diverse groups entering the workforce makes it crucial to acquire a clear understanding of how minorities develop their career identity, which includes work values, knowledge of occupations, perception of career options and career decision-making strategies. For this to occur, more investigations must be directed toward examining the unique influences that one's culture and ethnicity can have on the career development process.
This study investigated the subjective influences on career development and choice for a select group of African-American and Latino undergraduates who had chosen careers and were making considerable progress towardachieving them. It was designed to give the students an opportunity to reflect on the significant personal, social, and institutional factors which facilitated or hindered their career selection. These students were on successful career paths and offered a rich source of information concerning how others can overcome career development obstacles. The major contextual domains explored were self, home, school, and community. These have long been identified as important social/environmental domains in career decision-making.