Georgia is considering the adoption of a one track diploma in the next few years. This will eliminate the College Prep and Career/Technical Prep seals.
What are your thoughts?
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10 comments:
I could leave comments on this but as I am in middle school right now I have not got enough information to respond. Right off the hat I would say no. We here in the United States still continue to think that we have one level of student that all need Shakespeare and Trigonometry.I think we need two certificates; college honors and work/technical related. We want teachers to provide diversification in the classroom but we are not allowed to provide any for the WIDE disparity in the highschool.
I agree with Deena. I think students would be better suited if they were in an education program that was geared to their needs, abilities, and futures. It's obvious that students have different needs, abilities, and futures...why not educate them according to these.
I REALLY disagree with this. I am already seeing evidence of this idea "dumbing down" the information. We want so badly to say that all children take and pass algebra I that we have make it a shadow of what it used to be. And therefore that is why a lot of research is stating that students are entering college not prepared with the information they need. Why do we feel ALL students must attend college? There are many jobs out there that are well paying, and in demand that do NOT require a college degree. Have you tried to find a plumber lately?
Also, is hope doing more harm than good? How many students go to college even though they really shouldn't because hope pays for it? A real indicator for this would be how many lose hope but stay on anyway to finish a degree? I bet many drop out after they lose hope therefore in theory wasting a lot of money.
I disagree with this. It still amazes me after working with college students for so many years, how many seem very ill prepared for the course work. Let a technical college award the work related certificates and colleges and universities provide degrees.
Like Tammie, I really disagree with this. Not all students are the same. As an academic advisor at a university, I see this all the time. There are many students only attending college because mommy and daddy insist. Many students would be much better suited at a technical school where they could obtain good training in a specific occupation. I think Georgia would be making a big mistake by going to a one track diploma.
I believe it is imperative that we raise expectations for all of our students. One diploma will give our students more post-secondary options.
After seven years at a high school I repeatedly saw students who were signed up in 9th grade for the college prep track because it was what their parents wanted. A lot of them failed classes, felt inferior, but had to continue taking college prep because there was little or no room to change tracks without staying in high school for more than four years. Maybe having only one diploma will allow for more breathing room while these students figure out where they will continue their education.
I seem to be the "odd man out" on this one. However, ALL students are expected to work whether they come out of college or go directly into the workforce after graduation. College is simply a step in some careers. These critical career-related decisions are made in the middle and high schools usually based on little or no career-related information. Georgia does not have a comprehensive advisement system beginning in the 6th grade to help parents and students learn about the world of work not to mention the different career-related programs offered at the high school. Not only have we failed to assist our students with these critical decision,we have not prepared the "college" bound students to be successful at the higher levels of education either. Many students never complete the degree or take 6 years to complete. The work place today requires higher levels of education---technology has changed the way we work and hopefully the way we teach. I have often wondered why so many educators believe that a technical diploma is a less than education. Try reading a technical manual at Delta Airlines. Most occupations require postsecondary education but not necessarily that 4-year degree. Only about 21% of the occupations in Georgia require the bachelor's degree. It's time we begin to provide students and their parents with the type of education that will make them successful in higher levels of education as well as in the globally competitive workforce. Provide rigor, relevance and relationship; then, achievement will go up and the drop-out rate will go down. I think we should educate students where the outcome is economic prosperity. That can happen with good classroom instruction (rigor),good career-related information (relevance) and good advisement (relationship)!
I understand some of the rationale for a one track diploma, but I believe it will take us in the wrong direction. In Georgia we are currently celebrating a 70% graduation rate. It's sad but true since that represents a substantial increase in recent years. I fear that a one track diploma will reverse that progress. We all have multiple intelligences and the more we appreciate that diversity and help students develop those skills and strengths, the more successful we will be. I received a Bachelor of Science degree and my son is completing a Bachelor of Arts degree. It has been interesting to observe the differences in our undergraduate programs. Those differences have accommodated our individual abilities and interests and prepared us for different careers. If we want young people to complete high school, we have to offer them the same accommodations.
When I first heard of this notion, I thought, well, I was only offered one type of diploma, so what is the problem. The more I talked to other educators that knew more about high school subjects and issues I realized the problem with this.
My question now is- Is this how we plan to close the gap in our county and raise the graduation rate? Are we going to make it very easy for our higher students and allow the lower learners to slip on through?
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