ERIC EJ854913: A Common Core Curriculum for the New Century

2004·0.16 MB·English

by  ERIC

The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 17
A Common Core Curriculum For the New Century
By Patte Barth, The Education Trust
What does a high school diploma that all, rather than just some, to high levels of performance.
do for new graduates? of our young people are ad- Which brings us back to the
Offer a chance at jobs that equately prepared for the future? high school diploma. What
support a family? Qualify its While we focus primarily on should it say about the new
holder for entrance into the the economic benefits of educa- graduate and where should it
military? For decades, Ameri- tion that are so important to take him or her? The question
cans have come to expect a di- children and their parents, we is turning out to be fairly easy
ploma to do at least those things. should be clear from the outset to answer: a diploma should pre-
But today, most young people that economics are not the only pare its holder for both postsec-
and their parents also expect it reason all students need a solid ondary education and the de-
to open the door to postsecond- academic preparation. Day-to- mands of the workplace. This
ary education, whether directly day life has also become more report explains why.
after high school or later to ad- complicated and ambiguous. As
Current market returns
vance their careers. individuals and as citizens, we
Our young people under- are required to make deci- for education
stand the relationship between sions that increasingly de-
Young people today with a high
education and earnings better mand high levels of under-
school diploma can expect some-
than anyone. Approximately standing and judgment.
what better odds for full-time
three-quarters of all high school A trip to the doctor, for ex-
employment than those who
graduates are immediately us- ample, often requires an under-
leave school without a diploma.
ing their diplomas to gain ac- standing of statistics and ana-
Graduates can also count on
cess to more schooling. Many lytical ability so we can compare
earning more money.
more will seek additional edu- the relative merits of particu-
But not much. The benefits
cation over the course of their lar treatments. In our neighbor-
of a high school diploma alone
adult lives. hoods and workplaces, we must
turn out to be slight, especially
Regardless of the path they communicate with people from
when compared to the employ-
initially choose, these young different backgrounds who often
ability and earning power that
people are gambling on the speak other languages or have
college brings.
same thing—that their diploma different cultural values. And we
While adults with a high
will prepare them to succeed. are called upon as voters to
school diploma have a clear
But it is not exactly a safe make choices about difficult is-
edge in the job market over
bet. Despite sky-rocketing col- sues regarding the environ-
those without it, they are twice
lege-going rates, all but a few ment, science break-throughs
as likely to be unemployed as
states still consider college-pre- and others where the answers
those with a Bachelor’s degree.
paratory courses to be electives. involve trade offs and few pre-
In the flush market of the late
Neither are the skills and con- cedents to guide us. We need to
1990s, the average unemploy-
tent needed for further educa- know enough to be able to navi-
ment of high school graduates
tion typically reflected in state gate these unfamiliar waters.
was a relatively low 4%. Not bad,
high school assessments. But ultimately, we must pre-
but certainly not as good as the
In the pages ahead, we look pare all young people for success
2.5% for workers with Assoc-
at the implications of this mis- because it is the right thing to
iate’s degrees and 1.9% for those
match for young people. What do. Despite decades of effort, our
with B.A.s (Day & Curry, 1999).
does the labor market hold for country has been unable to con-
The real reward, though, is
young people with varying lev- quer the inequities that divide
not just having a job. Itis what
els of education? What does it us as Americans. The data
that job pays. Young adults with
take to succeed in college com- show that as individuals’ edu-
a high school diploma earn close
pared to the demands of work in cation and skills increase, the
to $2,000 more annually than
a rapidly changing market- income gap closes. Yet educa-
their peers who left high school
place? How do today’s high tional opportunities are not
early. But they earn $6,000 less
school requirements and shared equally among our young
per year than those with an
course-taking patterns stack up people. Nor are the schools and
Associate’s degree, and nearly
against those needs? Finally, colleges they do attend doing an
$20,000 less per year than
we examine the following ques- equal job at preparing youngsters
those with a B.A. (U.S. Census
tion: what can we do to assure
18 Volume 26, Number 1, Fall, 2003/Volume 26, Number 2, Winter, 2004
positions on the bottom rung
can demand more than a stan-
Table 1 dard high school diploma, too.
Labor economists Carnevale
and Desrochers (2002) cite two
Education Pays: Annual Earnings of
phenomena that point to the
25-34-yr-olds by Attainment, 2001 economic need for more skilled
workers. First is the growth of
$70,000
jobs in occupations that have
Income
$60,000 traditionally required some col-
$50,000 lege, notably in the fields of edu-
$40,000 cation and health-care. The sec-
ond phenomenon, and by far the
$30,000
most significant, is what they
$20,000
call the “upskilling” of jobs that
$10,000
did not require college before.
$0
Office workers, for example,
< gr 9 HS, no HS Some Assoc BA/BS
comprise the largest segment of
diploma Diploma coll, no deg
workers today and their ranks
deg
are growing. These workers are
also among the most educated.
But they were not always so.
Thirty years ago, 38% of office
Table 2
workers had some college. Now
more than two-thirds—69%—
A Degree's Worth Over a Lifetime are college-educated (Carnevale
& Desrochers, 2002).
5
4.4 Not just credentials,
4 skills count, too
3.4
There is considerable pay off in
3 2.5 today’s job market for those
2.1 with more years of education.
2 1.5 1.6 But it is not just paper creden-
1.2
1 tials that count. Researchers
1 have shown that individuals
with highly developed skills
0 gain greater advantages in the
No HS HS grad Some Assoc. BA/BS MA/MS PhD Pro- workplace over those with
grad Coll. fessional similar educational creden-
tials but with less developed
skills. Simply, the more you
Bureau, 2002). tirely new, of course. But know, the more you earn.
Over a working lifetime, changes in the workplace over The benefits of a good aca-
these dollars really add up. Ac- the last few decades make the demic preparation accrue
cording to the Census Bureau, link considerably stronger. The across racial and ethnic groups,
full-time workers with a B.A. Information Age set off a rush making education the truly
earned $2.1 million between to find skilled workers in many great equalizer in this new
age 25 and 64, compared to $1.2 occupations and simulta- economy. Chart 3 shows the
million for workers whose edu- neously reduced the proportion average wages for African
cation stopped at high school of unskilled jobs. Long gone are American, Latino and White
graduation. Analysts for the the days when the plucky, but young adults by level of educa-
Bureau expect these differences unschooled youth could work tional attainment. Across the
to increase over the coming his or her way up from the shop board, the years spent in school
years (Armas, 2002). room floor. Not only do jobs on translate into higher wages. Yet
The relationship between the way up the career ladder re- the time itself does little to nar-
education and wages is not en- quire college-level skills, the row earnings gaps between
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 19
dubious distinction of having
the greatest income disparity of
Table 3 any other economically ad-
vanced country in the world
Degrees Pay for Young Adults of All Groups (Carnevale & Desrocher, 2002).
Indeed, the present division
between rich and poor is at its
White widest since the 1920s
60000 Latino (Krugman, 2002). And virtually
all of this vast and widening
Af Am
50000 income gap has roots in a
knowledge and skills gap that
40000 is also the largest in the de-
veloped world.
30000
The future holds grim pros-
pects for young people who lack
20000
sufficient skills, for they are in-
HS & Some Coll Assoc BA &
creasingly shut out of good,
GED better middle-income jobs. The occu-
pations experiencing the larg-
est growth are those that de-
mand well-developed cognitive
Table 4
skills and postsecondary cre-
dentials (Carnevale &
At Highest Literacy Level, Desrochers, 2002). More and
Income Gaps Close more, workers with education
beyond high school have the ad-
vantage in getting and advanc-
White
$40,000 ing in skilled, blue-collar jobs as
$35,000 Latino (Mex) well. If the diploma our gradu-
ates hold does not provide them
$30,000
African
the foundation for continued
$25,000 American
learning, they will also be shut
$20,000
out from reentry into the edu-
$15,000 cation pipeline and their at-
$10,000 tempts to change their circum-
stances will be futile.
$5,000
$0 Enough good jobs to go
level 1 level 2 level 3 level 4
around
(lowest) (highest)
While the benefits to the indi-
vidual are clear, there are some
observers who doubt that the na-
groups. However, analyst An- the most developed skills.
tional economy could absorb an
drew Sum shows that based on Nonetheless, just having some
entire class of well-educated
knowledge and skills—as opposed college or postsecondary train-
graduates. These skeptics ar-
to credentials alone—the earn- ing offers young people a better
gue that high growth rates still
ings gap between people of color shot at good jobs and decent
will not produce enough high-
and Whites narrows. At the wages than a high school di-
paying, high-performance jobs
highest literacy level, income ploma alone.
to go around, citing as evidence
inequities between groups are Despite this, our educa-
the large numbers of low-skilled
virtually nonexistent (Sum, tional system continues to be
jobs that need to be filled. One
1999). stingy when it comes to doling
of the most vocal critics, Gerald
The economic advantage of out knowledge, skills and prepa-
Bracey (1997), has written, “at
education to our children’s fu- ration for continuing education.
the societal level, the call by
ture is obvious. The greatest re- The consequences of our edu-
industry for more highly skilled
turns convey to those with at cational parsimony are pro-
workers is a cynical ploy to drive
least a Bachelor’s degree and found. The U.S. now has the
20 Volume 26, Number 1, Fall, 2003/Volume 26, Number 2, Winter, 2004
down the wages of skilled labor.”
Later in the same piece, he
said, “educating all will take Table 5
care of the equity situation but
will lower wages and leave lots Quantitative
of highly skilled people standing
around on street corners cur- $40,000
rently occupied by the low-
$35,000
skilled” (Bracey, 1997).
$30,000
For the moment we will set
aside this argument’s highly $25,000
undemocratic implication that
$20,000
it is in the country’s interest to
$15,000 White
keep some children unskilled so
Latino (Mex)
they do not deflate wages for the $10,000
allegedly more deserving. In- African American
$5,000
stead we will ask if the eco-
$0
nomic scenario would play out
level 1 level 2 level 3 level 4
as Bracey imagines. The data
(lowest) (highest)
show otherwise. Over the last
twenty years, both the supply of
college educated workers and
their wages have steadily in-
Table 6
creased. The market has not
only easily absorbed more edu- The Proportion of College
cated workers, but it has con-
Educated Workers Has Increased
tinued to reward them as well.
As Have Their Wages
Indeed, it is more likely that
we will have too few—rather
than too many—skilled workers 1980s
80
to meet the demand. The baby 1990s
70
boom generation is fast ap-
60
proaching retirement age, tak-
50
ing their knowledge and skills
40
out of the job market. According 30
to Carnevale and Fry (2001), 20
“Unless we increase the quan- 10
tity and quality of education 0
and training, we are unlikely share of all jobs held by wage premium for
to generate enough skill to re-
workers with college workers with college
place the retiring baby
boomers, especially given an
increasing demand for post- lives. In reality, such occupa- jobs is already high and demand
secondary skill levels on the tions generally experience high for workers is projected to in-
job” (p. 1). turnover. About 30% of all low- crease over the next decade,
skilled jobs are currently held making food service jobs among
What about the low-end
by young people under 25, who the fastest growing in the coun-
jobs? typically move through these try. At present, about two-thirds
positions while preparing for of the nation’s six and a half
It is true that even though the
other careers. In many low-end million servers are between the
relative proportion of low-skilled
occupations, the proportion is ages of 16 and 19. According to
employment is shrinking, these
much higher (Carnevale & the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
jobs will continue to account for
Desrochers, 2002). the need to constantly replace
a significant share of the total
This is certainly the case in these young workers—not the
job market. But it is wrong to
the food service industry where creation of new jobs—is the pri-
assume that individuals in low-
jobs are known for low skills and mary reason for high projected
skilled positions will stay in
low pay. The number of these growth in job openings for this
them throughout their working
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 21
Table 7
Curriculum Counts:
Changes for Bachelor's Degree
by High School Grads
100%
87% 89% 85%
79%
75% 73%
61% African American
Asian
45%
Latino
White
0%
All students entering 4-Yr college Students with highest HS curriculum
industry (Bureau of Labor Sta- cants to provide additional infor- institution to institution, and
tistics, 2003a). mation or demonstrate their from state to state, they tend to
Low-skilled jobs for today’s skills on a test before allowing address skills and knowledge
young people tend to be way sta- them to enroll in certain popu- typically taught in the sequence
tions, not destinations. Reform lar academic programs, such as of “college preparatory” English
critics who point to growth in nursing or physical therapy. and mathematics courses that
this sector as an excuse to keep Most colleges, in fact, admit are offered, but not required in
students in low-level courses freshmen on one basis, but most American high schools.
are not just undemocratic, they refuse them entry into college- Not surprisingly, students who
are dangerously misinformed. level courses until they have successfully complete those
met another, higher set of stan- courses pass the placement
Skills for success in
dards generally hidden from tests at high rates, thereby
postsecondary education public view. These standards avoiding remedial coursework.
are implicit in so-called “place- But those courses are almost
If the high school diploma has
ment tests,” which are ordi- never required for high school
less and less purchasing power
narily taken after students are graduation and often not re-
in the job market, its value in
admitted. New freshmen who quired even for college admis-
gaining access to higher educa-
pass the tests are free to begin sion. Between one-third and
tion is even more tenuous. In
college-level work in courses for one-half of college bound stu-
addition to the high school cre-
credit. But those who fail are dents never take them.1
dential, most four-year institu-
not. Instead, they are placed in Unfortunately, the conse-
tions want to see SAT or ACT
remedial courses—a kind of quences for them are far graver
scores, class rank, grade point
limbo state for the admitted but than a semester or two of non-
average (GPA), a high school
not fully accepted, where stu- credit courses. Research con-
transcript documenting course-
dents see their odds for eventu- ducted by the U.S. Department
taking and other evidence of ap-
ally earning a degree diminish of Education shows unequivo-
plicants’ academic capabilities.
with each additional non-credit cally that the single biggest pre-
Even “open admissions” institu-
hour. dictor of college success is the
tions, including two-year col-
Although the contents of quality and intensity of a
leges, typically require appli-
placement tests can vary from student’s high school courses—
1 According to 2002 data from ACT, for example, only 58% of high school graduates who took the ACT had completed a
college-prep curriculum in high school. ACT defines the col-lege-prep curriculum as at least: 4 years English, 3 years math
(algebra 1, algebra 2 and geometry), 3 years social studies, and 3 years natural science.
22 Volume 26, Number 1, Fall, 2003/Volume 26, Number 2, Winter, 2004
greater than test scores, class lege, but to begin credit-bearing sectors is not always predict-
rank and GPA. Students’ aca- work. According to their recent able. In a few notable cases,
demic resources also mean report, one of the most common course requirements for high
more than socioeconomic sta- student misconceptions about school graduation actually ex-
tus. The relationship of high- college readiness is that meet- ceed those for college entry. But
school course-taking to college ing their high school graduation the effect in most states is that
success is clearest in math- requirements will prepare the curriculum required for
ematics. High school students them for college. Across the six graduation—including some-
who complete math higher than states in their study, less than times even the curriculum la-
Algebra 2 (for example, trigo- 12% of students surveyed knew beled as “advanced”—falls short
nometry or calculus) double the curricular requirements to of what students need in order
their chances for earning a col- their public postsecondary in- to succeed in either two- or four-
lege degree (Adelman, 1999). stitutions (Venezia, Kirst, & year institutions.
The positive impact of high Antonio, 2003). For new graduates this
school course-taking is even Even parents and school means that their high school di-
greater for African American counselors are misled into ploma is no guarantee they
and Latino students. For ex- thinking that courses needed for meet postsecondary education’s
ample, fewer than half of all Af- admissions are necessarily the course requirements. It is also
rican American students enter- same as college readiness. But no guarantee they have the
ing four-year colleges eventually if the college-prep curriculum skills they need to get a good job.
earn a B.A. But among those students take does not get them
Work and college
with a strong high school cur- through the placement test, the
riculum that proportion in- new freshmen will find them- converging
creases to 73 percent. Likewise, selves still taking high school-
If the courses required for suc-
61% of all Latino freshmen earn level courses. Only the campus
cess in college were relevant
B.A.s compared to 79% who will have changed.
only to high school graduates
come to college having taken Higher education has not
who are continuing their edu-
rigorous courses in high school. been as helpful as it should be.
cation, this mismatch might be
Moreover, the gap in B.A. Few states have clear policies
tolerable and our efforts could
completions between Whites for which courses higher edu-
continue to be directed mostly
and students of color is reduced cation wants for admissions.
to making sure that college-
one-half when all arrive on cam- The table on pages 10-12 shows
bound students take the right
pus with a strong high school the courses that states require
courses. But this approach ig-
curriculum behind them. for high school graduation along-
nores the fundamental transfor-
side those required for entry to
A mismatch between mation that has taken place in
state postsecondary institu-
the workplace—a transforma-
preparation and goals tions. Most states define
tion that wipes out age-old ideas
courses needed for a high school
In survey after survey, the vast about minimum skills. The
diploma (eight leave this en-
majority of our teenagers are knowledge and skills that pre-
tirely to local school districts).
saying they want to go to college. pare students for college are
At the same time, only 30
So why do so few complete the looking more attractive in the
states have established consis-
courses they need to be admit- least expected places.
tent minimum statewide
ted and pass the college place- Manufacturing, for example,
course requirements for admis-
ment tests? has for many years been the oc-
sion to their public colleges and
There are many reasons, of cupational haven for youth who
universities. Even in states that
course. But many students do leave high school without a di-
establish requirements for high
not have the information they ploma. In 1973, 51% of factory
school and higher education,
need. Often the adults who jobs were held by drop outs; by
the two systems are usually not
should advise them—their the year 2000, only 19% were.
aligned. In mathematics, just
teachers and counselors—do More startling is the fact that,
ten states have K-12 and higher
not know how important these in adjusted dollars, the annual
education agreement on the
courses are, either. wages for drop outs fell by 19%
number of mathematics
Research conducted by the over the same time period. Fac-
courses students should take in
Bridge Project shows that many tory jobs performed by workers
high school. Only one agrees on
college-bound students simply with a high school diploma in-
both the number and topics.
do not know which courses are creased somewhat, from 37 to
The misalignment between
necessary not just to enter col- 45% in 2000, but their wages fell
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 23
n/s = not specified
English Mathematics
State High School College High School College
Graduation Admissions Graduation Admissions
Alabama 4 n/s 4 n/s
Eng. 9, 10, 11, 12 n/s alg. I, alg. II w/trig., geom. n/s
Alaska 4 n/s 2 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Arizona1 4 4 2 4
include grammar, writing, Eng. I, II, III, IV n/s alg. I, alg. II, geom.,
reading, comp., Amer. advanced math w/alg. II
Lit., and research as prereq.
methods; 1/2 to include
speech/debate
Arkansas2 4 4 3 4
1/2 oral communications emphasis on writing; 1 alg. or equiv.; 1 geom. alg. I, alg. II, geom.,
not to include oral or equiv. advanced math
comm., journalism,
drama or debate
California3 3 4 2 3
n/s n/s n/s alg., imtermediate
alg., geom.
Colorado n/s n/s n/s n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Connecticut 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Delaware 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Florida4 4 4 3 3
comp. and lit. 3 w/substantial writing alg. I or equiv. alg. I and above
Georgia5* 4 4 3 3
grammar/comp.; 1/2 Amer. lit. integrated w/ alg. I alg. I, alg. II, geom.,
Lit./comp grammar, usage, and advanced math
advanced comp.
Hawaii 4 4 3 3
n/s n/s n/s geom., and alg. II
Idaho+ 4 4 2 3
lang. study, comp., and lit. comp. and lit. from applid math, alg. I or applied math I;
business math, alg., geom., or applied math
geom., and above II or III; alg. II
Indiana+ 4 4 2 3
n/s lit., comp., and n/s alg., alg. II, geom. or
speech intergrated math I, II, III
Iowa n/s n/s n/s n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Kansas6 4 4 2 3
n/s excludes journalism, n/s 3 at or above alg. I
speech, drama,
theater, and debate
24 Volume 26, Number 1, Fall, 2003/Volume 26, Number 2, Winter, 2004
n/s = not specified
English Mathematics
State High School College High School College
Graduation Admissions Graduation Admissions
Kentucky 4 4 3 3
Eng. I, II, III, IV Eng. I, II, III, IV alg. I, geom. alg. I, alg. II, geom.
Louisiana7 4 4 3 3
Eng. I, II, III, IV or Eng. I, II, III, IV max. of 2 intro. courses alg. I, alg. II, geom.
Business Eng. alg. I, alg, II, geom.
Maine 4 4 2 3
n/s reading comp., lit., n/s alg. 1, alg. II, geom.
communication skills,
research and
reporting skills
Maryland8 4 4 3 3
n/s n/s 1 alg., 1 geom. alg. I or applied
math and II: formal
logic or geom.;
alg. II
Massachusetts n/s 4 n/s 3
n/s n/s n/s alg. I; alg. II; geom.
or trig. or comparable
coursework
Michigan n/s n/s n/s n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Minnesota n/s 4 n/s 3
n/s comp. and lit. n/s 2 alg. and 1 geom.
Missouri 3 4 2 3
grammar and usage, 2 w/emphasis on n/s alg. and beyond
comp., lit., and comm. comp. and writing; including alg. II
1 may be speech
or debate
Montana 4 4 2 3
n/s w/emphasis on ms alg. I, alg. II, geom.
written and oral
comm. skills and lit.
Nebraska n/s n/s n/s n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Nevada 4 4 3 n/s
reading, comp., writing emphasis on comp., n/s n/s
rhetoric, and Amer.
Eng., and world lit.
New Hampshire 4 n/s 2 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
New Jersey 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
New Mexico 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
New York9 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s math A or math B n
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 25
English Mathematics
State High School College High School College
Graduation Admissions Graduation Admissions
North Carolina10a 4 4 3 4
Eng. I, II, III, IV grammar, lit., and alg. I alg. I, alg. II, geom
and 1 above or lg. I,
alg, II and 2 above or
integrated math I, II,
III and one above
North Dakota n/s 4 n/s 3
n/s written and oral comm. n/s alg. I and above
skills
Ohio11 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Oklahoma 4 4 3 3
grammar, comp., and lit. grammar, comp., alg. I and math above alg. 1 alg. I and above
and lit.
Oregon 3 4 2 3
1 written comp. Eng. lang. lit., n/s alg. I and 2 advanced
speaking, listening, math
writing w/emphasis
on writing expository
prose all 4 years
Pennsylvania n/s n/s n/s n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Rhode Island* 4 n/s 2 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
South Carolina* 4 4 4 3
n/s 2 w/grammar and n/s alg. I, alg. II, and geom.
comp., 1 w/ Eng. Lit.,
1 w/ Amer. Lit.
South Dakota 4 4 2 3
1 1/2 writing, 1 1/2 lit., grammar, lit., and alg. I alg. I and above
1/2 speech comp.
Tennessee* 4 4 3 3
n/s English I, II, III, IV alg. I or math for tech II or n/s
integrated math
Vermont 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s n/s n/s
Virginia 4 n/s 3 n/s
n/s n/s 2 in alg. I or above n/s
Washington 3 4 2 3
n/s 3 lit. comp. n/s alg. I, geom., and
advanced math
West Virginia 4 n/s 3 n/s
English 9, 10, 11, 12 n/s 2 in alg. I and above n/s
Wisconsin 4 4 2 3
written and oral comm., n/s courses which incorporate n/s
grammar, lit. elements of alg., geom.,
stats.
Wyoming 4 4 3 3
n/s 3 w/substantial writing n/s alg. I, alg. II, geom.
26 Volume 26, Number 1, Fall, 2003/Volume 26, Number 2, Winter, 2004
through a four- to five year ap-
prenticeship, although it is
Table 8
typically through on-the-job
training. A high school di-
Education Level of Factory
ploma is required, along with
Workers Increasing technical reading, geometry
and trigonometry and other
60 technical courses.
1973
rs •Avionics technicians learn
e
rk50 2000 their craft in trade schools.
o
w Median annual income in
y 40
r 2000 was also over $40,000.
o
ct The courses they need in-
a30
all f clude math, physics, chemis-
of 20 try, electronics and comput-
nt ers (National Association of
ce10 Manufacturers, n.d.).
r
e
p Unlike manufacturing
0
jobs, which are fairly stagnant,
HS drop outs HS grads Some college or more
installing and maintaining
electrical and telecommunica-
tions lines is a high-growth oc-
Table 9 cupation. Line installers and
repairers are skilled laborers
Low Test-Scorers Gain More From
who earn up to $50,000 a year.
College-Prep Courses They generally go through ap-
prenticeship programs, either
Vocational
on the job or through commu-
30 27.6
College-Prep nity colleges, after completing
high school. According to the
19.9 U.S. Department of Labor, the
e 19
r skills aspiring line installers
o
c 15.5 and repairers need include al-
S
S gebra and trigonometry (Bu-
L reau of Labor Statistics,
E
N 2003b).
College-prep for the
0
workplace
Math Reading
Businesses are encountering
a need for employees with
nearly as much as the drop skilled jobs, and explains why
higher level skills. In unpub-
outs. In contrast, the proportion the standard high school di-
lished research for the Ameri-
of factory jobs held by individu- ploma is not as valued these
can Diploma Project, the Na-
als with at least some college days. For example:
tional Alliance of Business sur-
tripled and their wages held
•Tool and die makers must go veyed officials from 22 occupa-
steady or dropped only slightly
through four or five years of tions, ranging from manufac-
(Carnevale and Desrochers,
apprenticeship or postsec- turing to financial services,
2002).
ondary training, usually in a about the high-school level
The National Association of
community college. On aver- skills they believe are most
Manufacturers offers advice to
age, they earn more than useful for their employees to
young people by describing the
$40,000 per year. The bring to the job.
qualifications and opportunities
courses needed include alge- The employers unanimously
in various industrial occupa-
bra, geometry, trigonometry cited the need for strong read-
tions. Some of these offer clues
and basic statistics. ing ability. They noted that, on
to how high the ante has been
•Sheet metal workers also go a purely practical level, workers
raised in the preparation for
need to be able to read and com-