. . . in programs linking education and work

Quality Indicators of Programs Linking Education and Work

• How Do Students View Current Education Reforms?
• Academic and Vocational Education Connections
• Secondary and Postsecondary Education Connections
• Education and Work Connections
• Are Education Reforms Working for Students?
• Voices of Diversity: Project Design Overview
• About Voices of Diversity Briefs
• Staff
• Research Advisory Group
• Acknowledgments

How Do Students View Current Education Reforms?

In establishing these reforms and innovations, considerable attention has been given to creating new partnerships, planning integrated curricula, and providing quality professional development for teachers. Thus, most research and evaluation studies available to date reflect a program-level focus, overlooking the voices and views of students.

Since a major premise of these reforms is to serve all students as opposed to select groups, it is crucial that we understand how students view these new programs. Students' experiences and perspectives are valuable resources for improving and refining the implementation of current reforms.

In this issue, the perspectives of high school students on key elements undergirding programs linking education and work are described (Phelps, Hernández-Gantes, Jones, Sanchez, & Nieri, 1995).

The perspectives and experiences of 82 students participation in five high school programs linking education and work addressed the core components of current education reforms:

• Academic and Vocational Education Connections

• Secondary and Postsecondary Education Connections

• Education and Work Connections

Academic and Vocational Education Connections

Secondary and Postsecondary Education Connections

Education and Work Connections

Academic and Vocational Education Connections

• Connecting theory and authentic learning

• Connecting learning experiences across the curricula

• Connecting teaching and learning to students' personal interests

Connecting Theory and Authentic Learning

During their senior year, students nay elect to work with community-based mentors (i.e., individuals in various professions) to complete their senior science research graduation requirement. Many of these companies and research firms provide summer and ear-round employment for students. Students completing this research requirement for graduation appreciated the hands-on experience because it provided then with opportunities to become actively engaged in the learning process, see the relevance of academic knowledge in occupational context, and study the subject in-depth.

Indeed, students appeared well aware of the practical focus of the curriculum, the potential impact on their learning, and the relation with career opportunities. For instance, Matt, a student at the Rindge School of Technical Arts program in Cambridge, had an internship with City Hall. He explained, "I learned how the city council operates, how they make decisions, and in general how the city works. It's really fun because I am able to understand the role our city council plays within the city."

Connecting Authentic Learning Across the Curriculum

The curricular connections of the Manufacturing program are reflected in teaching practices as students switch back and forth between the academy and their school program, take supporting classes (e.g., algebra, geometry, and technical design), and work on applied academic projects (e.g., computer designs). Students use math and geometry to solve practical problems and understand the applications of angles and complex measurements in manufacturing and production situations.

Use of computers is also emphasized for drawing and designing parts and working on blueprints. This approach is used to make curricular connections in both the school-based and work-based components of the manufacturing program. The opportunity to make these connections is exciting for students:

Connecting Teaching and Learning to Students' Interests

Also, a majority of interviewed students were able to identify the value of learning from each other, especially when diversity (e.g., different ethnic backgrounds and gender) was present in the classroom and at work sites. This enrichment allowed students to apply their experience in real-world situations. These interactions were an integral part of the instructional process and provided students with a classroom environment conducive to learning.

Secondary and Postsecondary Education Connections

• Career guidance and exploration grounded in authentic learning experiences

• Facilitating the transition to further education

Career Guidance and Exploration

In this context, the majority of participants talked about their aspirations leading to a promising future once they graduate from their program. Joe, a student in the Biotechnology Lab at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology commented,

Career guidance and exploration in the participating schools are embedded in the entire program rather than relying on counseling activities as students approach graduation. As students connected with academic and technical instructors, peers with similar interests, worksite mentors, professionals in the community, and through opportunities to experience college environments through advanced coursework, they seemed to build a more informed career decision making process.

The combination of multiple sources of formal and informal counseling (i.e., councilors, teachers, work site mentors) and the opportunities to explore broad career fields appear to explore broad career fields appear to be powerful incentives for pursuing further education.

Facilitating the Transition to Further Education

Access to information, financial limitations, and application processes represent concerns students have as they approach graduation from high school. In these instances, there is an indication of the important role teachers and counselors play in assisting and preparing students during this process. Timely information and active assistance from school personnel, as well as working conditions with local colleges, appear to be of critical importance.

A common activity teachers integrate in their classes is having students think about further education and identify issues the need to address as they approach graduation. In English, for instance, students write essays for college applications and résumés, and discuss potential limitations for accomplishing future educational goals. Technical instructors assist students in identifying appropriate academic coursework aligned with career interests and necessary for college preparation. Counselors help students take advantage of advanced coursework and other programs providing early college experiences (e.g., summer college programs).

The Computer Aided Technology program at Rock Valley College features state-of-the-art equipment to demonstrate and provide students with opportunities to explore the application of computer technology in manufacturing processes. Both the college and the high school programs collaborate with a consortium of high schools to provide instruction and information on opportunities in manufacturing careers and to support career paths for students interested in manufacturing. High school students in the program take advantage of apprenticeships in local industry, advanced placement courses, scholarships funded by sponsoring companies, focused career counseling provided in coordination with the high school faculty, job placement, and articulation opportunities for enrollment in related career programs upon graduation from high school.

Education and Work Connections

• Improved career development through integration of education and work.

• Learning new and transferable skills.

Bridging Education and Work

In this context, students are able to apply knowledge and identify potential participation in high-skill jobs. They begin to relate job security and economic stability to various career paths. Interviewed students highlighted the value of formal connections between school and work such as internships, worksite mentorships, and learning from peers and tutors in work or community environments.

Reflecting on the work-based component of his Manufacturing program, Tim, a senior, commented on the prospects of landing a job in the company he had been working with as an intern. "Well, as it happened at the beginning of this year, the company where I am working at as an intern is preparing to offer me a position in engineering. This is an area which I would like to pursue. As I've said, I have been discussing my situation with representative of the company and the company has agreed to have me in their engineering department. So as you can tell, the company has invested time into my future."

These opportunities established in partnership with local companies, government agencies, and professionals in the community have helped students develop a more informed picture of how academics are applied in the work world. These formal connections also enhance the level of comprehension by students and deepen their understanding of academic concepts presented in the classroom.

The interactions with worksite mentors and professionals in the community assisting students in projects, internships, and mentorship experiences are also stimulating and productive vehicles for learning.

Bob, a student in the Science and Technology program, takes full advantage of a mentorship experience by working at a medical center. This is a research institute in which he spends two periods working on a project under the supervision of a medical doctor and lab assistants. Thus, Bob is connected to a real work environment where he is able to link academic work with real-world problem situations and interact with professionals in his field of interest:

Students participating in this manufacturing program say learning through work helps them form good work habits and develop effective communication and problem-solving skills through interactions with their mentors and other adults, and through a program focused on project work. Further, students gain and appreciation for the advantages of teamwork and networking as an analytical tool as described by Melina, a senior student enrolled in the manufacturing program:

Acquiring New and Transferable Skills

Students also commented that exposure to all aspects of an industry provides them with an understanding of the skills needed in the workplace. For example, a high school program in agricultural sciences located in the Midwest exemplifies how students are provided with opportunities to learn new and transferable skills in horticulture, food sciences, agribusiness, and leadership. Students learn not only the technical aspects, but are also exposed to the business side of agricultural production, including marketing and retailing. Further, the program has a global marketplace focus which allows students to compare the marketability of products in three different countries. Embedded in these authentic learning activities, students apply critical thinking, research, and problem-solving skills that can be transferred to a variety of work situations:

Are Education Reforms Working for Students?

Students' indicators of quality teaching and learning practices described herein provide qualitative evidence of the potential success of current education reforms. They also point out the challenging task of advancing schoolwide efforts to develop democratic communities for learning. In this context, and derived from this study, a few observations are made.

Democratic communities of learning are characterized by the equitable participation of the full spectrum of students, as well as several features of the teaching and learning environment which value and deepen student engagement.

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act cites the critical role that school-to-work systems must play in serving all students, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and other economic and social factors.

While the programs selected for the Voices of Diversity Project have included and appear to be effectively serving a substantial segment of minority, low-income, and at-risk students, students with disabilities and limited English proficiency are noticeably absent from the population being served. Failure to include school-to-work transitions for all, including those who are most challenged, will continue to extend the welfare and social costs borne by the public.

Equally important, students need to encounter and interact with students from the full range of individual, learning, economic, and cultural differences if they are to be successful in working and living in our increasingly diverse society.

New designs for teaching and learning can also reflect students' voices more extensively than they have in conventional teaching. In some of the Voices of Diversity sites, teachers use journal keeping as a means for building students' writing and reflective skills, monitoring students' attainment of key insights from project and/or work-based learning experiences, communication with worksite mentors and other teachers regarding students' progress, and gathering students' views of the quality and value of various learning experiences.

Having students' voices expressed in journals provides a number of direct benefits for students, as well as for teachers interested in understanding the impact of their teaching and program design on student learning.

Students can also profit from career exploration and planning experiences in which they shadow former students from the program in which they are enrolled. As graduates of programs linking education and work move into the work world and postsecondary education, their transitional experiences become invaluable sources of insight for students, educators, and local program advocates.

Finally, this study suggests that students should be given more prominent roles in curriculum building and program design. Including students and former students in local school-to-work partnership committees, governing boards, and advisory panels ensures that the consumer's perspective is fully represented. Their involvement and the perspective it provides will be critical to ensuring that the large number of pilot and demonstration programs currently operating become core components of restructured American educational systems.

References

Voices of Diversity: Project Design Overview

An in-depth examination of the personal experiences encountered in education and work is crucial in understanding how students make decisions to enter education for work programs. Further, how students from different genders and ethnic backgrounds differentially experience vocational education is also central to understanding the impact of policies and practices on overcoming barriers to full participation in the economy.

Based on these premises, the study was grounded in four major research questions.

• What are the reasons students enroll in programs linking education and work?

• What kinds of learning experiences are students exposed to?

• What are the students' perspectives on these learning experiences?

• What are the students' expectations and experiences upon graduation?

At the secondary level, five programs were included representing the following curriculum orientations: business, technical arts, manufacturing, science and technology, and agricultural sciences. At the postsecondary level, four programs participated in this study representing the fields of biomedical technology, environmental sciences, international trade, and computer-aided design technology.

Overall, 65% of the participating students are male and 35% female. Participation by ethnicity is as follows: African-American, 26%; Asian, 8%; Hispanic, 18%; Native American, 2%; and Caucasian, 46%.

About Voices of Diversity Briefs

Brief No. 1: Learning From Students' Perspectives on Programs Linking Education and Work

This report provides background information on the study design, characteristics of research participants, research procedures, and analytical techniques. Brief descriptions of the programs studied are also provided.

Brief No. 2: Quality Indicators of Programs Linking Education and Work

This report provides high school students' perspectives on the three core components undergirding current reforms in vocational education: (1) integration of vocational and academic education, (2) integration of secondary education, and (3) linkages between school and work.

Brief No. 3: Building a School Climate Conducive To Learning: Students' Perspectives

This report provides a description of three critical elements of school climate as identified by high school students enrolled in five programs linking education and work. These three elements are (1) authentic program context, (2) teaching and learning context, and (3) a supportive environment conducive to learning.

Brief No. 4: Grounding Career Development in Authentic Learning Activities

Important considerations for enhancing students' career development are highlighted in this report. A benchmarking approach for program improvement is suggested.

Brief No. 5: Connecting Education and Work Through Authentic Instruction

Problem-solving, research projects, and critical thinking activities that are integrated into authentic teaching and learning are addressed in this report.

Brief No. 6: Gender Perspectives on Programs Linking Education and Work

This report addresses the question of equity and access to programs liking education and work based on gender perspectives. High school students, both male and female, talk about their experiences in five career-oriented programs.

Other Voices of Diversity Briefs will be forthcoming. These reports will address high school students' perspectives on their schooling and transitional experiences. Briefs describing two-year college students' perspectives on similar issues will also be produced.

Detailed descriptions of project findings can be found in both published journal articles and in papers presented at national conferences. The following are available:

Producing knowledge in career-oriented programs: Students' perspectives on schooling experiences (1996, December). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Vocational Association (AVA), Cincinnati, Ohio.

Developing career and academic aspirations in school-to-work programs: A qualitative study of gender perspectives (1996, April). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New York.

Developing career and academic aspirations: Creating new and different doors for students in school-to-work programs (1995, July). Paper presented at the National Leadership Forum on School-to-Work Transition, Boston, Massachusetts.

Voices of diversity in emerging vocationalism: Students' perspectives on school climate (1995, April). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Francisco, California.