Integrating Postsecondary College and Career Options in the Middle Level Curriculum

Abstract

Middle level educators must find ways to integrate postsecondary education and career exploration throughout the curriculum.One can never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar.Helen Keller (1954, p. 335)One major aspect of the education policy of the Obama administration involves promoting greater high school graduation rates nationwide and expanding access to postsecondary options (e.g., junior colleges, four-year universities, trade schools, vocational training programs) through college and career readiness programs (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). These also important aims of the Common Core State Standards, which are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2012, Mission Statement section). The administration contends that one factor essential to attaining this formidable goal is middle grades student achievement, particularly in low-performing schools. This focus on the middle grades seems appropriate because high school-based career and college education often may be ineffective for high-risk students who may already be considering dropping out of school as early as ninth grade (Legum & Hoare, 2004).While these policies focus on achievement of content knowledge, the changing world of work also requires attention to certain types of skills taught in the classroom. Johnson (2000) noted that rather than finding stable, long-term employment, workers in the future will encounter more contractual work, temporary assignments, and decentralized work locations. This means that, in addition to having knowledge of their fields, future workers will need to be more flexible, be committed to ongoing learning and development, be able to problem solve, be good communicators, be able to quickly analyze data, and possess collaborative decision-making skills. Content knowledge alone will not be enough to sustain and to make workers effective.Middle grades educators may wonder how they can impact students' progress toward postsecondary success and career readiness. Moreover, they may feel inadequately prepared to foster the knowledge and skill development students need to prepare for postsecondary success in the 21st century, especially for at-risk students (Legum & Hoare, 2004). In addition, educators may be uncertain how to teach the skills needed for future careers while, at the same time, balancing the fundamental, accountability-driven content standards. There a limited number of hours in a school day. How can middle grades teachers possibly fit more into the curriculum? In this article, we argue for a greater emphasis on career-related education and suggest practical strategies for integrating postsecondary education and career with the existing middle level curriculum.Arguments for career-related education in the middle gradesCareer and college readiness encompasses an array of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Yet, in a study of sixth and ninth grade students' career development awareness, only about half could identify a skill needed for career success (Johnson, 2000). Even more disheartening was the finding that approximately 88% of the students participating in the study reflected little or no awareness of how the skills, knowledge, or attitudes learned in the subject coursework might relate to future employment (p. 269). Another finding that raised concern was that sixth graders found school work more useful to their future than did ninth graders. Johnson considered this finding to be evidence of students' growing discontentment with the school experience between their sixth and ninth grade years. This finding illustrates why it is essential to keep students engaged in activities that connect academics to career and college preparation throughout the middle grades. This is especially of concern to educators because, by ninth grade, many students who feel disconnected from school may be considering dropping out. …