Majors for high-schoolers aim to focus learning
More states are requiring 'career pathways' to lower dropout rates and engage students better.
from the October 4, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Regardless, Florida and Mississippi are now requiring all students to choose a major or specific career track. Other states have variations on the major requirement.
In the case of Florida, students in every district must choose one of 443 state-approved majors, ranging from forestry to fashion design. Mississippi and South Carolina enacted similar pilot programs this year. Similarly, West Virginia and Louisiana require students to choose an area of concentration, according to Jennifer Dounay, a policy analyst with the Education Commission of the States in Denver.
In fact, 1,200 high schools in 32 states require similar specialization, according to the Southern Regional Education Board.
Ms. Dounay says the trend toward declaring major areas of interest began a few years ago. It's too early, though, to tell if this approach will lower dropout rates and produce engaged learners, she says. However, she does say high school majors do encourage all students to set career goals and focus their academic effort on achieving success in a certain area.
Not everyone is happy with the prospect of teens making a decision that could affect their future opportunities.
"This is a colossally bad idea," says Debra Humphreys with The Association of American Colleges and Universities. "I think the motivation behind the program is to get students more engaged with their work, and that's perfectly legitimate.... But businesses are telling us that the jobs that today's ninth-graders will eventually have don't even exist yet and that the specific training needed for technical professions is changing rapidly."
In a survey of business leaders, the association found that rather than desiring specific technical skills in students, employers in the global marketplace are most interested in good communication skills and analytical thinking.
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