Indiana graduation requirements spur jump in high school career training скачать в хорошем качестве

Indiana graduation requirements spur jump in high school career training

Shop class at Shoals High School was once seen as a joke — just an elective to fill time. But these days, “Shoals shop,” as everyone calls the class, is the heart of school for many students. “It's just a great class,” said Brayden, a junior who got permission to skip study hall on a Tuesday in October and join a construction class he wasn’t even officially enrolled in. “It's kind of just whatever we end up doing,” he said, “whether it's working with metal, working on vehicles or the tractor — or building picnic tables, shooting benches, the barn, pouring concrete.” The transformation of “Shoals shop” began six years ago, when the rural school hired a new teacher who launched career training programs in construction and agriculture. The initiative was part of a commitment to career education in the district, which now expects every high schooler to choose a career pathway. And Shoals is not alone. Participation in high-school career education surged across Indiana over the past several years. In the class of 2023, more than 80% of students took at least one course in a career training pathway, according to data provided to WFYI by the state. That’s about 69,000 students, an increase of nearly 16,000 compared to five years before. About 40% of students concentrated in career fields — that means they took at least three classes in a focus area. The new interest in career and technical education, or CTE, coincides with a growing skepticism among American families about the value of traditional four-year college degrees. Nationally, career and technical education has rare bipartisan support. Both Biden and Trump have pushed for greater investment. REPORTING: Dylan Peers McCoy For the full story, go to the link in our bio. #WFYINews #Indiana #GraduationRequirements #Education