Career Pathways
Current studies show that “employers are well aware of—and increasingly dissatisfied with—the inabilities of secondary (and even postsecondary) graduates to meet the demands of the workplace”(Hull, 2005). The Jacob School curriculum is created on the following principles as set forth by the nationally-recognized Center for Occupational Research and Development (excerpt from Career Pathways: Education for a Purpose):

• Requiring each student to select an interest area that gives him or her a purpose for remaining in school and answers the question, “Why do I have to learn this?” For some students, the interest area may be athletics, music, or liberal arts. For most, it will be career pursuits.

• Requiring each student to formulate a thoughtful and achievable plan to prepare for the next step after high school graduation. The next step may be college, employment, an apprenticeship, or enlistment in the military service.

• Providing a context within which students learn required, rigorous academics. Usually, the context will be the interest area.

• A restructured curriculum that supports the interest area, the chosen plan, and the context. The curriculum must be designed on the basis of approved state and national academic, skill, and employability (soft skills) standards.

• A secondary-to-postsecondary curriculum framework that provides for and encourages smooth transition from high school to college and allows students in the eleventh and twelfth grades to begin taking (academic and career-oriented) college courses through dual enrollment. This will allow students to graduate from high school with substantial numbers of higher education credits.

• Restructuring large high schools (over 100 students per grade) into small learning communities organized around student interest areas.”

References

Hull, D. (2005). Career pathways: Education for a purpose. Texas: Cord Communications.