Student surveys show students’ lack of interest in traditional high schools and enrollment in four-year colleges, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including rising chronic absenteeism rates and declining college enrollment. A growing body of evidence points to fundamental doubts about the pathway. As standard.
This has always been a clear reality for David Coleman, chief executive of the College Board, the nonprofit organization that runs the Advanced Placement program and the SAT assessment, two of the world’s leading institutions in college admissions. Both programs have historically targeted prospective high school students. College.
While most students say they need postsecondary education, and while enrollment in AP courses and the number of SAT exam takers continues to rise, Coleman said a large portion of students are leaving high school. I recognize that I am not actively planning for post-secondary. At the same time, students say they want more opportunities to learn about career options and prepare for them firsthand.
That’s why the College Board recently made a decisive pivot in the area of career exploration and preparation. AP programs have long been dominated by traditional core academic subjects, but this year we are introducing two courses that will allow students to earn both college credit and industry certifications. We are also expanding into technical education classes. And now, after taking the SAT, students are learning about potential career options that may match them when they receive their score report.
“For many students, high school life is like middle school,” Coleman said Oct. 21 during the opening session of the College Board’s annual forum here in Austin. ” he said. “If we are to be relevant and work together toward new levels of relevance, university boards must fundamentally change.”
New program offers high school and college credits and industry certifications
Although the percentage of high school students enrolling in college has generally declined in recent years, the number of students enrolled in undergraduate certificate programs that train students in industry-specific skills has increased.
As a result, more high schools are investing in career exploration support for their students.
One such career exploration tool is career and technical education (CTE).
In a June EdWeek Research Center survey, 66% of school and district leaders said districts should offer students access to CTE pathways leading to industry-recognized credentials as a way to introduce students to career options. I found out that the answer is yes.
Additionally, 62 percent of educators said their district offers more career and technical education courses than it did 10 years ago.
In keeping with this national trend, the College Board’s AP Program is piloting a Career Kickstart program that extends the AP model to CTE.
The goal is to offer courses that meet high school credit requirements while allowing students to earn college credits and industry-recognized certifications, said Claire, College Board’s executive director of career strategy.・Mr. Bertrand says.
CTE courses closely follow the format of traditional AP courses. The University Board sets the framework, teachers receive specialized training, and students may earn university credit if they perform well on end-of-course exams.
The College Board is piloting two CTE courses this school year. AP Networking Fundamentals and AP Cybersecurity Fundamentals are year-round courses being piloted by some schools across the country. It covers field fundamentals and features hands-on problem-solving activities that prepare students to tackle the current and rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.
Students enrolled in the pilot this year will receive high school credit and, based on their AP exam scores, will be eligible to earn vouchers that cover the cost of exam preparation and the cost of exams for relevant industry-recognized CompTIA certifications. There is.
“Does the student need to get a job right away?” No, not at all. They may choose an internship, they may choose an apprenticeship, or they may use that qualification to actually get a well-paying part-time job while they move on to a post-secondary program,” Bertrand said. he said. “We have a lot of flexibility in terms of how we use that credential.”
Bertrand said the College Board is working primarily through partnerships with community colleges to ensure courses are eligible for college credit.
Although a CTE program by design, College Board encourages schools to offer Career Kickstart courses alongside existing AP courses, such as AP Computer Science Principles.
“We must eliminate the counterproductive divide between career and general education in high schools and colleges,” Coleman said.
The SAT is a career conversation starter
Students who took the College Board SAT last year may have noticed another way the College Board is encouraging students to explore potential careers.
As the College Board prepares to digitize the SAT, leaders are wondering how the SAT’s assessment of students’ math and reading skills will apply to their careers and how they plan to take the test in the future. We heard from educators who were fielding questions from the community about whether students should take the exam. Priscilla Rodriguez, senior vice president of college readiness assessment at the College Board, said the two-year or four-year college pathway.
In response, College Board has introduced a new tool aimed at highlighting career potential for students.
The organization partnered with human resources research organization HumRRO to match the skills tested on the SAT with the skills needed in 1,000 careers in the U.S. Department of Labor’s database.
For the first time last year, students had access to career insight tools on their SAT score reports. This tool charts six different career interest areas based on students’ SAT scores. This includes information about career paths, the post-secondary education required for those careers, and how in-demand these careers are in the student’s home state.
Provided courtesy of the University Committee
Rodriguez said the College Board doesn’t want students to think that these are the only six careers recommended by the SAT. Instead, this new tool is intended to serve as a conversation starter for students to help them explore different careers.
“The reality is that all of our students go on to other places after high school,” Bertrand said. “So how do we make sure they have all the information about all these different paths? But again, college is a path to a career. is part of the career options.”
