Freshman Oscar Gomez of Hollywood High School
By Christine Senteno
Editor
Freshman Oscar Gomez is pretty typical of many students his age. He is not sure what he wants to do after high school. He might go to college, but he has also expressed interest in becoming a forklift operator or finding work in construction.
As Gomez considers his future, researchers at UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education and Access (IDEA) have produced a series of reports that may provide him some help. The 15 reports examine the notion of creating a high school curriculum that prepares all California students for both college and the 21st century workforce.
UCLA brought together a diverse group of California scholars in education, psychology, economics, sociology, labor studies, business, demography, urban planning, and social welfare to study a new proposal for high school reform called Multiple Pathways.
Cesar Caney, a classmate of Gomez’ at Hollywood High School said he wants to be an architect. His three older brothers are all in construction. One of them started bringing home blueprints and Caney, who already loved math, started drawing housing plans.
Multiple Pathways is a blueprint for restructuring high school education so that students like Oscar and Cesar are prepared for college, career, and civic participation.
Each pathway consists of three essential components: 1) a college-preparatory academic core (satisfying the A-G course requirements for entry into California’s public universities); 2) a challenging professional/technical core well grounded in academic and real-world standards; and 3) increasingly more demanding opportunities for field-based learning that deepen students' understanding of academic and technical knowledge through application in authentic situations.
The UCLA research shows multiple pathways could decrease high school dropout rates and increase the number of students who want to attend college. High school students taking a combination of college-prep and career and technical education (CTE) would avoid the course-taking patterns most associated with dropping out of high school.
Moreover, according to the research, a curriculum that shows how academic knowledge and skills are used in the workforce can motivate more students to persevere in the academic courses that prepare them for college.
Multiple Pathways also has the potential to increase students’ academic engagement and learning. Uniting the academic demands of college prep courses with the hands-on experiences of CTE, and engaging students in applying academic subject matter in and out-of-school contexts helps students develop essential intellectual skills—such problem-solving and analytical reasoning—and deepens their understanding and retention of academic concepts.
To address the special needs of English Learners (almost half of whom dropout of high school), Multiple Pathways’ proposes an integrated curriculum that allows immigrant students the opportunity to develop language skills in the course of working on projects in classrooms and worksites.
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In low-income communities of color, providing real-world work experiences can be helpful in linking underserved and disaffected youth to the labor market. Such linkages can help combat the growing education and income inequality across California neighborhoods.
Additionally, each pathway would provide students with support services—supplemental instruction, counseling, transportation, and so on—required for students to participate successfully.
But the studies show there are challenges. From Sacramento State Capitol hearing rooms to high school faculty lounges, the academic and vocational “camps” will have to abandon their battles between college prep vs. career and technical training.
Education stakeholders will have to change a century-old tradition of having some students learn rigorous academics and others (particularly students of color) prepare for work. This long-standing division between the work of the head and hand, continues to make sense to many people.
Sophomore Cesar Caney wants to go to college
“It won’t be easy, but it’s time to move beyond the tired debate. Economic opportunity and democracy in 21st century California require that all students be ready for college, career, and responsible civic participation,” said Professor Jeannie Oakes, Director of UCLA’s IDEA.
The research papers offer policy ideas and recommendations, including the establishment of a joint planning committee of K-12 and higher education to develop a Multiple Pathways implementation plan and the investment in curriculum development and teacher professional development that maximizes the overlap between academic and CTE coursework.
Like many students, they have not figured out their futures yet. Caney said the idea of multiple pathways sounds like a good one because he believes it will give students of color more opportunities. When they do decide what direction they would like to take, they will be prepared.
To view UCLA’s IDEA Multiple Pathways research papers click below:
http://www.idea.gseis.ucla.edu/projects/multiplepathways/index.html
