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Would you support a district that has multiple curriculum plans?

Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:13 am
Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139837 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:13 am
As we know most districts have a basic plan that must be adhered to no matter what the student is doing after High School.

Would you support if your district went to a batch type curriculum..

Such as all the college desiring students have 1 plan, students with not wanting to go to college go to another, and some with farming or whatever specialty go to another? The kids can choose whatever classes they want to meet the credit guidelines also.


This way it can possibly better prep the kids after graduation. The kids, as long as the parents sign off on it, can decide to move to a higher or lower level to better prep them for the world.


It is a damn shame that no class has ever been taught called life skills. How to read a utility bill, check your oil, teach kids the use of credit scores etc.
This post was edited on 2/8/17 at 11:14 am
Posted by Homesick Tiger
Greenbrier, AR
Member since Nov 2006
54202 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:19 am to
quote:

It is a damn shame that no class has ever been taught called life skills


I've always said all students somewhere in their last two years of school should be required to take a business class to learn if nothing else the basic language in the business world and what it means. It's amazing that schools offer foreign languages. If business terminology isn't a foreign language to kids at that age, I don't know what is.
Posted by oklahogjr
Gold Membership
Member since Jan 2010
36748 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:20 am to
My school did this. It's not recolutionary. I have ano honors college prep high-school diploma.
Posted by Haughton99
Haughton
Member since Feb 2009
6124 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:22 am to
quote:

It is a damn shame that no class has ever been taught called life skills.


A good personal finance class would be beneficial also.
Posted by wfallstiger
Wichita Falls, Texas
Member since Jun 2006
11348 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:23 am to
Was placed in a business math class in HS...was dumb as a bag of bolts with algebra, geometry....best class I ever had, next to speech

Our son finished HS at an alternative school, thank goodness
This post was edited on 2/8/17 at 11:25 am
Posted by Haughton99
Haughton
Member since Feb 2009
6124 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:24 am to
quote:

Was placed in a business math class in HS


Same here. Great class.

Fun Fact. My teacher was 100% blind.
Posted by The Spleen
Member since Dec 2010
38865 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:27 am to
quote:

My school did this.



Mine did as well, to an extent, and I graduated in the early 90's. The core requirements were the same for everyone, but the electives were geared towards what you planned to do after high school. There was even a vocational track you could take.

Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139837 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:28 am to
No not exactly what I mean.

Lets say Bill is going to be a Auto Mechanic

He would need 4 units of Language Art, 8 units of a math, No foreign language, no PE, Some industrial technologies etc


Now Bob will be on college bound

He is going to need 8 LA, 8 math, FL for 4, PE, History/SS

Dan is not going to go to college but not going to be a mechanic either

He will need 6 LA, 6 Math, 2 FL, PE, 4 History

Rob just is not sure what he wants so he can start the traditional and move to whatever when he makes his mind up.

My idea is ala carte the curriculum to each student


I know I have done a god awful job presenting my argument, but I hope the idea is coming through.
This post was edited on 2/8/17 at 11:29 am
Posted by deltaland
Member since Mar 2011
90498 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:30 am to
I support letting teachers learn what their kids needs are and adjusting their curriculum accordingly.

We also need to update curriculum in high school to offer more skill based learning in technology. With computers and mechanization, these skills will help high school graduates be at least competent in today's modern work force without needing a college degree.
Posted by beebefootballfan
Member since Mar 2011
19008 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:30 am to
My old High School allows students to attend the JUCO across the street while they are in school. A lot of kids are leaving High School with their AA already in hand.

I have said why not allow them to also have the option to go to the VoTech school 15 miles away.

It is a simple way to give kids not going to college the option of having a job in place when you graduate where you can make a living wage.
Posted by anc
Member since Nov 2012
18004 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:32 am to
I have advocated for 8th graders to be given three paths based on academic performance:

College Readiness Path
Career Readiness Path
Go Home and Stop Disturbing the Learning Environment Path

The College Readiness Path will focus on the 16 Carnegie Units Needed for College Admission, and allow for 8 Academic Electives. 24 Units over 4 Years

The Career Readiness Path will focus on 11 of the 16 Carnegie Units Needed for College, 9 Career Preparedness Units, and 4 Co-op Units over 4 Years.

The shared 11 Carnegie Units Would Be:

English I - IV (of which Composition is 70% of each class)
U.S. History
Government and Economics
Algebra I
Geometry
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science

I believe these are the 11 units that everyone needs.

The additional five Carnegie Units for College Preparedness would be
2 Additional Maths
1 Additional Science
World History
1 Foreign Language (can be Computer Programming)

The 10 Units of Career Preparedness would be distributed as follows:

2 Units each year of a Program
1 Unit of another Program
1 Unit of Personal Finance and Business Skills



Posted by LSU Patrick
Member since Jan 2009
73466 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:33 am to
What would be awesome is if parents started parenting again.
Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139837 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:38 am to
quote:

? by LSU PatrickWhat would be awesome is if parents started parenting again


Would be awesome if you did not lump all parents into a category. I have a lot of students whose parents make the situation even worse. But I also have parents that are amazing and do amazing jobs with limited resources and limited access to items.


Posted by LSU Patrick
Member since Jan 2009
73466 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:42 am to
quote:

Would be awesome if you did not lump all parents into a category


Oh sorry. What would be awesome is if parents started parenting again, except for the ones that are.
Posted by MFn GIMP
Member since Feb 2011
19281 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:45 am to
I've always supported a two track system: one for college and one for vocational schooling. The issue comes with where you separate the tracks. If you do it too early you are forcing a child to make a decision that will affect them their entire lives at a time when the vast majority aren't mentally ready to make that type of decision. But if split the tracks too late then it is essentially a waste.

I think the best idea would be to require both tracks to have required courses that meet the minimum admission standards for the community college in the area and then the rest of the courses are where you differentiate between the two tracks. That way if someone chooses the vocational track they can still change their mind and attend a community college before transferring to a 4 year university.
Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139837 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:49 am to
quote:

I think the best idea would be to require both tracks to have required courses that meet the minimum admission standards for the community college in the area and then the rest of the courses are where you differentiate between the two tracks. That way if someone chooses the vocational track they can still change their mind and attend a community college before transferring to a 4 year university


I understand what you are saying and agree somewhat. But here is something I feel is needed to be said to our students right now. Most of my SPED students will be lucky if they are able to find a job after High School, realistically. College is not the only way to success and college is not for everyone. I feel that the value of a degree has cheapened in past 15 years due to the overloading of persons in college.
This post was edited on 2/8/17 at 11:51 am
Posted by Zach
Gizmonic Institute
Member since May 2005
112410 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 12:05 pm to
quote:

Such as all the college desiring students have 1 plan, students with not wanting to go to college go to another,


It's not that simple. In a typical public comprehensive HS of 2,000 students (let's take New Iberia HS). There are 300 students that know they are not going to HS and they knew this in 9th grade. There are 300 students who know they are going to college and they knew this in 9th grade. There are 1,400 students who weren't sure in 9th. That number decreases as reality sets in during 10th and 11th grade. However, there are still 100 students who enter their 12th grade year not knowing about college or straight to work.

Voc ed curriculum should be for the kids who KNOW which way they are going. The ones who are undecided should stay in a general curriculum that still gives them options.
Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
26654 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 12:08 pm to
I support, and even promote it, as long as all paths have enough credits to go to college later if they change their minds.

Which, I guess you can go to community college with just a GED so it's no big deal.
Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139837 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 12:09 pm to
It actually is that simple. You just have to have a competent staff in the registrars and district offices.

But if you are a lazy underfunded district no it would be a nightmare. This suggestion will never happen because of the incompetence of most district offices and pure laziness of school boards in bigger municipalities.
This post was edited on 2/8/17 at 12:10 pm
Posted by Zach
Gizmonic Institute
Member since May 2005
112410 posts
Posted on 2/8/17 at 12:12 pm to
quote:

It actually is that simple. You just have to have a competent staff in the registrars and district offices.


Read my post again.
Let's say 500 students entering 9th grade have the following profile:

IQ... 100
GPA .. 2.0
Interview: "Do you want to go to college?"
Answer: "I don't know."

OK, what track curriculum are you gonna put these 500 students?
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