Educating Beyond the SAT: The Future of Secondary Schooling
The future of education exists far outside of today’s model of rote college preparation. By 2020, over 1/3 of jobs won’t require a college diploma. This means that high schools must provide comprehensive instruction that prepares students for a world even more influenced by technology than it is today. Additionally, numerous economists have called for an emphasis on “soft skills” in education, including motivation, perseverance, and self-esteem.
Across the globe, schools are finding innovative ways to educate their students beyond college preparation. Some programs have found ways to provide accreditation for valuable technical skills at the secondary school level. Others have innovated accreditation for interpersonal skills. Still others have found ways to create community partnerships that provide students with valuable internships. Ultimately, the future in education lies beyond the SAT and in the kinds of experiences that will prepare students to interact with the real world.
The New Career and Technical Ed
To support the 36% of students that will ultimately pursue jobs that won’t require a college degree, future education initiatives will need to provide better career and technical education. In the U.S., Louisiana is one state that has realized this, forming the Jump Start program to revamp its career and technical education initiatives. Through Jump Start, Louisiana schools work with companies to provide students with industry credentials they can earn before they graduate high school. Jump Start classes are rarely taught in traditional classrooms. Rather, courses meet at hospitals, businesses, or outdoor settings — locations chosen with an emphasis on getting students into places where they can gain real-world experience. Similarly, at the Venango Technical Center in Pennsylvania, students receiving technical training participate in activities that provide them with relevant career experience. Construction students, for example, build houses as part of their instruction, and students training to be mechanics work on cars.
Instillation of Cultural Appreciation
Another way in which education can extend beyond simple college preparation involves long-term exposure to the arts. Through the Cultural Paths program, schools in Kuopio, Finland, provide students with a different cultural experience every year between first and ninth grade. Second graders, for example, focus on art museums, and seventh graders attend workshops focused on conservatory music. And in American schools still hell-bent on improving test scores, the infusion of arts education into other subjects packs a powerful punch. At Middle School 223 in the Bronx, New York City, for example, implementing a four year arts integration program resulted in better class attendance in addition to improved test scores in English and mathematics.
Accrediting Soft Skills
Future education needs to emphasize more than just technical training. Providing credit for soft skills is one way schools have innovated their curriculum. Through the LRNG program, an online platform implemented in 16 U.S. cities, students can earn badges for mastering new skills. This accreditation extends to the mastery of soft skills such as conflict resolution or professionalism. Aside from providing students with a more comprehensive education than traditional schooling, LRNG’s badge credentialing can even be recognized at the university level — as of 2016, one in five universities accepted badge credentialing as an alternative form of accreditation.
Internships During Secondary School
Internships are another way schools can provide students with a more comprehensive education. At the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center in Rhode Island, students participate in interest-led internships two days a week. Through strong community partnerships, ‘The Met’ helps students foster internships where they can gain real-world experience, whether that be at city hall or a local skateboard shop. Students participating in these community internships not only receive valuable mentorship, but also benefit from work experience.
Future education must prepare for a workforce that will need more than just college degrees. Renewed focus in career and technical education will provide students with work experience in high school and help students prepare for a skills-focused workforce. Instruction in the arts, as well as a focus on soft skills, will provide students with an education that keeps them engaged with the changing world. Clearly, the future of education will lie beyond preparation for a four-year degree and will instead focus on preparing students to conquer the real world.
