Beyond One-Size-Fits-All College Dreams: Alternative Pathways to Desirable Careers

Autor/inn/en	Rosenbaum, James E.; Stephan, Jennifer L.; Rosenbaum, Janet E.
Titel	Beyond One-Size-Fits-All College Dreams: Alternative Pathways to Desirable Careers
Quelle	In: American Educator, 34 (2010) 3, S.2-8 (11 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0148-432X
Schlagwörter	High School Students; Student Educational Objectives; Education Work Relationship; Theory Practice Relationship; Educational Attainment; Goal Orientation; Career Awareness; Career Planning; Educational Opportunities; Community Colleges; Associate Degrees; Self Concept; Job Satisfaction; Reverse Transfer Students; Adoption (Ideas); Careers; College Preparation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Theorie-Praxis-Beziehung; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Zielorientierung; Zielvorstellung; Karrierebewusstsein; Karriereplanung; Bildungsangebot; Bildungschance; Community college; Community College; Selbstkonzept; Labor; Labour; Satisfaction; Arbeit; Zufriedenheit; Ideas; Ideenfindung; Career; Karriere
Abstract	The vast majority of high school students plan to attend college--and believe that a bachelor's degree all but guarantees them a high-paying job. What many of them don't know is that those who are not well prepared are not likely to graduate. They also don't realize that plenty of career-focused certificates and associate's degrees lead to satisfying careers that pay just as well as, and sometimes better than, careers that require a bachelor's degree. If detailed information on the broad array of higher education and career options were made available to them, students would have more incentive to work hard in high school and a better chance of achieving their dreams. This paper aims to identify three elements of the BA-for-all movement that are potentially harmful: (1) the idealization of the BA degree, which results in ignoring excellent options like an applied associate's degree in mechanical design technology, graphic communication technologies, dental hygiene, or computer networking; (2) the promise of college access, which results in high school students seeing their slightly older peers go off to college, but not seeing the trouble many have once on campus; and (3) the cultivation of stigma-free remediation, which results in many "college" students not even knowing that they are in remedial, noncredit courses. The authors discuss each of these issues and call for three simple remedies: (1) realizing that many good jobs do not require a BA; (2) fully informing students about their options; and (3) honestly telling them what it will take to succeed. (Contains 60 endnotes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	American Federation of Teachers. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4400; e-mail: amered@aft.org; Web site: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10