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Interesting Ideas in Education

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Deety

Deety

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I recently read an article about a university offering full scholarships to students who had not yet reached high school as a way to encourage them to stay on course as well as to increase the odds that hardworking youngsters would eventually choose to attend this smaller institution. It's an interesting incentive - doing well in school could pay off at any time, not just in some far-distant, not-yet-real land called "senior year." I assume the offer is contingent on continuing to make good grades.

The article reminded me of another interesting program I saw in a very economically depressed school system out in the middle of nowhere. After offering an accelerrated program in the freshman and sophomore years, the school bused participating juniors and seniors 45 minutes to a community college three times a week, and encouraged summer study. The result was that a large number of students graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree. Students who were going straight into the work force could do so with their AA, and the ones that went on to college could, if they chose, save money by attending less than 4 years.

Do you know of other unusual programs along these lines?
 
Deety said:
I recently read an article about a university offering full scholarships to students who had not yet reached high school as a way to encourage them to stay on course as well as to increase the odds that hardworking youngsters would eventually choose to attend this smaller institution. It's an interesting incentive - doing well in school could pay off at any time, not just in some far-distant, not-yet-real land called "senior year." I assume the offer is contingent on continuing to make good grades.

The article reminded me of another interesting program I saw in a very economically depressed school system out in the middle of nowhere. After offering an accelerrated program in the freshman and sophomore years, the school bused participating juniors and seniors 45 minutes to a community college three times a week, and encouraged summer study. The result was that a large number of students graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree. Students who were going straight into the work force could do so with their AA, and the ones that went on to college could, if they chose, save money by attending less than 4 years.

Do you know of other unusual programs along these lines?
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I haven't seen anything like those before. My brother was attending ERAU while also attending Spruce Creek High School. He was taking college courses and working on his pilot license while only a sophomore. He did his first solo flight as a senior.

Of course this is the same ERAU that 9/11's hijackers attended. :(
 
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Florida just signed a bill last month requiring high school student to declare a major...

LINK

Florida high schoolers will have to choose a major

May 5, 2006

BY BILL KACZOR

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Legislature gave final approval to a bill Thursday that requires high school students to declare a major, similar to college students.

The measure now goes to Gov. Jeb Bush, who pushed the requirement as part of a sweeping education overhaul approved by the House 90-24. The Senate passed it earlier in the day 39-1.

''It's important because it'll make the high school experience more relevant for a broader range of students,'' Bush said. ''This will give them a chance to pursue education where their interests lie. . . . There still will be core curricula credits that they'll need to pass.''

The bill also requires that high school students take a fourth year of math and that middle school students receive career-planning instruction.

The measure originally referred to major and minor subjects, but was changed to ''major areas of interest'' before final passage.

''We're saying we're trying to get students to think more in terms of, 'What do I really like to do? What is my talent?' '' said Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Evelyn Lynn, a Republican.

Goal: Fewer dropouts

A major area could include a traditional academic subject such as English, a foreign language or math, or a vocational field such as carpentry or auto repair.

The goal is to encourage students to strive for better grades and prevent them from dropping out. The majors plan was suggested by a task force of educators that examined the state's high schools.

The measure also would set up a ready-to-work program for high school students who don't plan to go to college, professional development programs for principals and special classes for struggling students.
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LoKyBuckeye said:
Florida just signed a bill last month requiring high school student to declare a major...

LINK
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I'm not sure I agree with this program. This sounds a lot like HS athletics are becoming - kids are forced to specialize at such a young age that they don't have any other experience. In my opinion, high school is meant to prepare you with a general education, not focus you on a particular field. How many people here ended up in the same field they would have decided to "major" in in high school?

Leave specialization for vocational schools, and let high schoolers get a well-rounded education.
 
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LoKyBuckeye said:
Florida just signed a bill last month requiring high school student to declare a major...

LINK
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Horrible idea. All the research indicates negative consequences to forcing college freshman to select a major in terms of their psychosocial and cognitive development. Until a student has developed their own autonomous identity, they are not likely to select a major or career which they will find personally satisfying. Instead they are simply following what daddy and mommy say, what all of their friends are doing, or whatever cool show is on television at the time. The consequences are either the student will spend more time in college due to changing majors in their junior year or unhappiness with their career choice when they hit their early 30s.

To extend this trend to the high schools is simply bad education. More people need to start following the Notre Dame model where students are not allowed to select a major until their Sophomore year.
 
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Deety, I'd like to know more about the article. I can believe that if you took some kids from a poor rural school or failing inner city school and put them somewhere ouside the chaos and the anti-intellectual influences of their environment they might blossom. You also create hope by incentivising success in the classroom.

Before I went into education, and after 30 + years in the classroom from K through grad school, I believe that the key is child centered education and that most of what we do is just the opposite. I'd like to know how this program addresses child centered issues.
 
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cincibuck said:
Deety, I'd like to know more about the article.
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Here's the link. I thought it might be better to discuss the idea in general than specific cases (like this one).

cincibuck said:
Deety, I'd like to know more about the article. I can believe that if you took some kids from a poor rural school or failing inner city school and put them somewhere ouside the chaos and the anti-intellectual influences of their environment they might blossom. You also create hope by incentivising success in the classroom.
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Not sure... I've also worked with a school system where all middle school students have to apply for admission to a high school... the ones who don't make the cut at one of their three attempts are "stuck at the neighborhood school." You can guess what happens with teacher/admin turnover in these schools. And most of those programs were funded privately by organizations with a vested interest in developing talent, not by the students.

On the other hand, I am a big fan of programs that allow students with particular talents or interests to excel in those areas. My retention for things learned at various summer programs and apprenticeships far exceeds recall of classroom studies, and I give those programs credit for getting my current career underway.
 
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MolGenBuckeye said:
I'm not sure I agree with this program. This sounds a lot like HS athletics are becoming - kids are forced to specialize at such a young age that they don't have any other experience. In my opinion, high school is meant to prepare you with a general education, not focus you on a particular field. How many people here ended up in the same field they would have decided to "major" in in high school?

Leave specialization for vocational schools, and let high schoolers get a well-rounded education.
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Actually, at my HS where I teach-which does not have a vocational program-kids try to do this all the time. The ones who want to go pre-med take AP Bio, anatomy/physiology,AP Chem,genetics,etc. The ones who are interested in engineering take drafting, AP Calc. The ones who are seriously interested in humanities take AP Euro History, AP Gov,etc. If a class when you are 16 or 17 has some future relevance, and you are interested in it-why not give the kids a chance to specialize more. Of course, a lot of schools-like mine-are somewhat limited by resources/class size in what can be offered, but in general, this is an excellent idea, and one that the vocational kids and very bright kids both can relate to.
 
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Ohio State's had a similar program since 1988. They take 120 kids from Ohio's worst 9 urban school districts each year before they enter high school. Most of these kids have never had family members that went to college and often are from single-parent homes.

They offer counseling throughout the kids' high school careers, summer school academic camps in Columbus. Then if the kid does everything required of him, which includes taking a college prep curriculum and maintaining a certain GPA, they're guaranteed admission into Ohio State and any necessary financial aid.
 
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no, i haven't heard of anything like that. but i have been thinking about a form of legislation that offered tax rebates for parents whose child did well in school and stayed out of trouble with the law. as in, for any grade average higher than a C the parents would get a certain % of their taxes back up to a max of 500 dollars. in addition to that a child who stayed out of trouble with the law, the parents would again receive a % of their taxes back up to a maximum of 500 dollars.

the flip side would be any parent whose child did poorly in school would pay an increased % in taxes up to the formentioned 500 dollars. the same would hold true for children who get in trouble with the law. the idea there is for those of you whose children are causing problems, you probably deserve to give back to the community a little more than the rest of us for the problems your children are causing.

the idea would be to give an incentive for the biggest factor (imo) where students fail. which is a complete and utter lack of parental support. give the parents a reason to care and they might. the flip side would be the possibility of over aggresive and competitive parents. 500 dollars max would hopefully be a low enough number to keep that from being a significant threat. but high enough for parents to be interested in whether or not little jonny did his homework, is minding his teachers, and not egging their neighbors house.
 
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martinss01 said:
no, i haven't heard of anything like that. but i have been thinking about a form of legislation that offered tax rebates for parents whose child did well in school and stayed out of trouble with the law. as in, for any grade average higher than a C the parents would get a certain % of their taxes back up to a max of 500 dollars. in addition to that a child who stayed out of trouble with the law, the parents would again receive a % of their taxes back up to a maximum of 500 dollars.

the flip side would be any parent whose child did poorly in school would pay an increased % in taxes up to the formentioned 500 dollars. the same would hold true for children who get in trouble with the law. the idea there is for those of you whose children are causing problems, you probably deserve to give back to the community a little more than the rest of us for the problems your children are causing.

the idea would be to give an incentive for the biggest factor (imo) where students fail. which is a complete and utter lack of parental support. give the parents a reason to care and they might. the flip side would be the possibility of over aggresive and competitive parents. 500 dollars max would hopefully be a low enough number to keep that from being a significant threat. but high enough for parents to be interested in whether or not little jonny did his homework, is minding his teachers, and not egging their neighbors house.
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I like it!
 
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martinss01 said:
no, i haven't heard of anything like that. but i have been thinking about a form of legislation that offered tax rebates for parents whose child did well in school and stayed out of trouble with the law. as in, for any grade average higher than a C the parents would get a certain % of their taxes back up to a max of 500 dollars. in addition to that a child who stayed out of trouble with the law, the parents would again receive a % of their taxes back up to a maximum of 500 dollars.

the flip side would be any parent whose child did poorly in school would pay an increased % in taxes up to the formentioned 500 dollars. the same would hold true for children who get in trouble with the law. the idea there is for those of you whose children are causing problems, you probably deserve to give back to the community a little more than the rest of us for the problems your children are causing.

the idea would be to give an incentive for the biggest factor (imo) where students fail. which is a complete and utter lack of parental support. give the parents a reason to care and they might. the flip side would be the possibility of over aggresive and competitive parents. 500 dollars max would hopefully be a low enough number to keep that from being a significant threat. but high enough for parents to be interested in whether or not little jonny did his homework, is minding his teachers, and not egging their neighbors house.
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I like the general idea, but the biggest problem I see with this is a "C" means something very different in each school district and to each individual teacher.
 
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buckeyegrad said:
I like the general idea, but the biggest problem I see with this is a "C" means something very different in each school district and to each individual teacher.
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agreed, by "c" i ment the number associated to that letter grade. i didn't want to put the actual ranges because some schools use the old 4 point where others differ. "C" was the simplest and most convenient way for me to get that particular part of the idea across.
 
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