Paving Pathways to Postsecondary Success

ASCD. 1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714. Tel: 800-933-2723; Tel: 703-578-9600; Fax: 703-575-5400; Web site: http://www.ascd.org

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STEM Education; College Readiness; Career Readiness; Low Income Students; Minority Group Students; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Grade 11; Grade 12; School Business Relationship; Partnerships in Education; Active Learning; Student Projects; Interdisciplinary Approach; Dual Enrollment; College School Cooperation

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1943-5878

There are many important questions teachers and administrators need to ask as they grapple with how to ensure high school graduates are college and career ready. What does it mean to prepare students for a world that is rapidly changing--a world in which science and technology are altering how we live, work, play, and interact? If teachers focus on preparing students for specific jobs or careers, what happens to them if technological or economic forces eliminate those jobs or change the skills required to be successful? How can teachers ensure that all students, especially those who have limited economic resources or access to professional networks, are well positioned for success in the future and have multiple options to pursue? At the Dearborn STEM Academy in Boston, some of the answers to those questions have involved thoughtfully designed and implemented STEM college and career pathways. Dearborn is a non-selective, open-enrollment public school serving more than 600 students in grades 6-12 who are mostly low-income students of color. Dearborn's college and career pathways are not vocational programs aimed at preparing students for highly specific jobs. Rather, they seek to expand students' options and prepare them for success in a variety of postsecondary settings. This article describes how this Boston STEM school revamped its curriculum to better prepare students for the future.

ERIC

2022

EJ1352959