Workforce preparedness begins in early education
Ten-year old Zoey is excited and anxious at the same time. She is one of 12 fifth-graders in her school who are included in a drawing for a brand new bike after getting straight A’s on her report card this past year. Before this year, Zoey had been a good student — getting mostly B’s. But since her school began rewarding kids with cash and other prizes for getting A’s and attending extra study sessions, Zoey has really been applying herself.
Mr. Wright, the assistant principal, is congratulating all of the students in the drawing because they had to work hard throughout the school year. Finally, he reaches into the shoebox to pull a single name. Zoey can hardly stand it as he unfolds the paper. He silently reads the name, the corners of his eyes crease into a smile as he looks into Zoey’s wide, brown eyes. “This is going to be the best summer,” Zoey thinks to herself.
It seems there are plenty of initiatives schools are employing to encourage students to study, raise their test scores and grades — some even resorting to cash and awards like the fictional example above. With the results of the most recent Nation’s Report Card, some would say these types of measures are needed. In 2009, 25% of eighth-graders were below basic reading skills for their age. And, 27% of eighth-graders tested below basic math skill levels. This means that at least a quarter of children who are about to enter high school are not ready for the advanced coursework.
But, the problem doesn’t magically appear at the onset of the eighth grade. Often, students who have problems in middle school and high school begin to show problems in fifth and sixth grade, when the coursework becomes more complex (Stone & Powlowski, 2008). And, according to Stone and colleagues, for some students it could be as early as when they experience problems. That’s when the coursework changes from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” In subsequent grades, if students can’t comprehend what they’re reading, they’re not learning.
As students fall further behind with each year, it becomes a harder task for them to catch up, and for teachers to engage them in class. In other words, students who are behind tend to remain behind as is demonstrated by the Nation’s Report Card reading results for 12th-graders — 26% test below basic reading levels.
What do poorly prepared students mean for business?
Approximately 26% of 12th-graders who left high school in 2009 were unprepared for post-secondary education and skilled employment. This spells disaster for U.S. businesses that need skilled workers. A survey of workforce needs distributed by Bayer to executives of Fortune 1000 companies indicates that 95% of the executives surveyed are either somewhat or very concerned about the U.S. losing its edge in science and technology due to a shortage of qualified workers (Stone & Pawlowski, 2008).
And, the need for skilled workers will increase as technology becomes an even bigger part of business and daily life. A 2010 study by the University of Phoenix Research Institute confirms that the need for skilled workers will increase, and by 2020, 63% of the jobs in the U.S. will require a post-secondary education (Heitner & Miller, 2010).
Ensuring students become skilled, rewarded workers
There are many different avenues to tackle this issue, including motivating students to do better, identifying problems before they become evident and being focused on helping children to keep up, or catch up.
Educators have mixed opinions about the effectiveness of a “cash for grades” reward system in keeping students engaged in learning. Yet, several school districts have implemented a reward system that pays students cash and/or prizes in an attempt to encourage them to get better test scores, maintain a particular grade-point-average or participate in tutoring.
According to Sam Scavella, principal of a health science magnet school in Macon, Ga., the school’s reward program is working. “We have to reward the behavior we expect. I don’t see it as a way of paying students to do well — it’s a reward. If you do well in school, then life will pay you well. If you do well in school, you can afford a lifestyle that will pay you well” (Toppo, 2008).
Scavella’s school rewards students for earning straight A’s, and for attending Saturday night study sessions. Student’s names are placed in a drawing, and if chosen, they could earn an iPod, movie tickets or other prizes. Other schools have chosen to pay students to attend tutoring sessions and for improving upon past test scores.
According to a 2008 USA Today article, Cornell economist C. Kirabo Jackson found that when he examined a Texas reward program, schools who offered students a reward saw a 30% increase in the number of students with high SAT and ACT scores and an 8% increase in college-bound students (Toppo, 2008).
Teachers and coursework matter
Student incentives are only part of the solution. A motivated student makes a difference — but teacher-leaders and curriculum are integral to ensuring students are performing at a level appropriate for their age, grade level and ability.
One strategy to prevent students from falling behind is to solve for learning problems before they occur. Since third grade has been identified as a turning point for students, kindergarten and preschool teachers must make reading a central part of the coursework. This strategy would guarantee that that there will be more third-graders who can read at a basic level.
One example occurred in Kennewick School District in Washington state. Dr. J.E. Stone reports in "Reaching Workforce Preparedness Aims Requires Effective Teaching — Beginning in Preschool!" that Kennewick faced problems with high dropout and low graduation rates. And, its high school graduates were unprepared for college.
Educators and the school board determined that poor reading performance was the primary issue. Administrative leaders and the school board established a goal of having all third-graders read at a third-grade level. Soon afterward, 90% of Kennewick’s third-grade students were reading at Washington state’s proficiency level for third-graders.
According to Lynn Fielding, Kennewick School Board Member and author of "The 90% Reading Goal," the key was to guarantee annual educational growth in kindergarten as well as first and second grades. By ensuring students read at the appropriate level in early grades, their ability to read improved at each successive grade level because they didn’t have to catch up to understand the curriculum.
Catching up
Kennewick school district demonstrates that the focus on younger students pays off, but what of older students who were poor readers in elementary school, now past sixth grade and who are behind their peers’ reading level?
One teaching strategy, “Remediation through Acceleration,” empowers teachers to help students learn at their own pace without having to skip parts of the curriculum. If a teacher takes a remediation approach, he or she may have to slow down and go over concepts repeatedly to keep all students up with the class. Using this approach means that the teacher may have to skip over lessons, leaving a gap of information at the end of the year.
John Seelke, a high school mathematics instructor and 2007 Presidential Awardee in Math and Science Teaching, is a proponent of the “Remediation through Acceleration” strategy. In a guest blog for the Department of Education, Seelke writes that the core of the strategy is introducing his classes to higher-level thinking and higher-level problems, rather than focusing on remediation. When Seelke, who teaches at-risk youth, recognizes that a student is struggling, he targets the issue and helps the student keep up with the class in knowledge. This allows students who are faster at grasping concepts to learn their curriculum, while helping others keep up and eliminating the information gap.
A multi-pronged solution
The cause of our current state of educational fitness and job skills gap is not due to a single issue. It isn’t just unmotivated or slow students, or coursework that isn’t relevant to the majority of learners — it’s a combination of problems. Because multiple issues are involved, each situation may require its own solution. And, parental participation must be part of any learning solution for primary- and secondary-school children.
Some of the ways to eliminate the learning gap and help primary- and secondary-school students be more prepared for advanced coursework and ultimately the workforce are:
- Eliminating problems with third-grade reading comprehension with more focus on reading in preschool, first and second grade.
- Motivating children with rewards and recognition for seeking out tutoring and for improving test scores.
- Involving all stakeholders — teachers, parents, school board officials — in creating an environment where children can, and want to, learn.
- Bringing students who fall behind up to speed without penalizing students who are on-track with learning.
With approaches that target specific issues, U.S. students have a better chance at keeping up with coursework, being better prepared for advanced ideas and training, and becoming the skilled workers American businesses are looking for.
And, more students can feel the pride of achievement as our friend Zoey did — with or without the shiny new bike.
References
Fielding, L. (2006, April). Kindergarten learning gap. American School Board Journal, 32 - 34.
Seelke, J. (2011, Feb). How to play catch up in math (while moving students forward). Ed.gov.
National Center for Educational Statistics. The nation’s report card.
Toppo, G. (2008, Aug). Good grades pay off literally. USA Today.
