This chapter covers the 7 principles of college/career readiness that originate from EPIC, which is the Educational Policy Improvement Center. They looked at 38 well-prepared high schools across the nation. These 38 schools are doing many good and "right" things in preparing students for post-secondary life. I will cover the first four in this post.
"Principle 1: Create and maintain a college-going culture in the school" Much of this is established with the positive tone, beliefs, and mentality of the higher powers in charge of these schools. The schools listed tend to focus on ingraining students with the concept that they will be going into college, but faculty and counselors are constantly in check of their students' progress toward this common goal.
"Principle 2: Create a core academic program aligned with and leading to college readiness by the end of twelfth grade" These schools align coursework along all the high school grade levels, sometimes starting in the eighth grade. Common assessments are used, and outside areas of interest or expertise are infused with curriculum. The College Board also plays a key role when these high schools use the CB in their courses to prepare students for such exams as ACT, SAT, and PSAT.
"Principle 3: Teach key self-management skills and academic behaviors and expect students to use them" The over-passed skill of self-management is extremely useful for students to know. Some high schools actively teach this to their students, like in such programs as AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), in which students within the "academic middle" receive continuous support and guidance outside traditional tutoring and teachers' help from their own course work and assignments.
"Principle 4: Make college and careers real by helping students manage the complexity of preparing for and applying to post-secondary education" It is an "alien concept to most high school freshmen and even to the majority of juniors" when thinking of the college transition (118). Quite simply, principle 4 requires students to check off certain things off their to-do list within their four years. In the high schools that were explained, many students must apply to college as part of the curriculum. Such schools involve a lot of parental support. "Tiered activities" help students transition into college quite smoothly by requiring them such things as having them take college admissions exams, visiting colleges, taking pre-requisite courses throughout high school (like in college), and making career links with coursework. A huge benefit from this is that students know early on what's at stake.
Edcouch-Elsa was all about college readiness for the select few. Back in the day, I remember about 20 of our students went off to Ivy League schools which was unheard of in those days.
ReplyDeleteI was groomed to go to a university and visited universities, did a lot of this schtuff and I still failed. UT of Austin was a ridiculously difficult school.
It's like, all of these concepts I have heard of and experienced but I can't help but think, sometimes, students weren't meant to go to college. That's why I ended up at UTPA 2 years after highschool.
The reality was I had 3 college professors teach me in highschool, I spent countless hours prepping for tests (ACT and SAT) and all that jazz. I spent time going to visit many universities including the wretched Texas A and M (cursed racist school) and was spoon fed so much of the stuff Conley is writing about like it was some new amazing frontier. When in reality, it's kind of old and it may still not work for everyone.
Just a thought.
But ending up at UTPA is not a bad thing! I think that some students who "don't belong in college" are simply just not ready to learn. It doesn't mean that they will not ever belong in college. Older and older students are returning to education, and fancy schools do not mean a better education. I feel that what the student does on his or her own initiative from the college lessons/skills learned is what makes all the difference.
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