Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Fall 2007 Implementing Career Academies in a Large, Comprehensive High School Delmas Lee Watkins Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/etd Recommended Citation Watkins, Delmas Lee, "Implementing Career Academies in a Large, Comprehensive High School" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations.edu/etd/224 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern.
It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@georgiasouthern. IMPLEMENTING CAREER ACADEMIES IN A LARGE, COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL by DELMAS L. (Under the Direction of Charles Reavis) ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of high school individuals in implementing and sustaining Career Academies in a large comprehensive high school.
The Career Academy is a high school reform model that integrates school-to-work elements in a personalized learning environment. The Career Academy structure provides partnerships between high schools and employers to enhance students’ exposure to career development and work-based learning opportunities. The Career Academy model has proven to be a successful reform initiative for keeping students in school and positively impacting their post-secondary outcomes. Success is dependent of the contingent on the full implementation including a strong curriculum and instruction component.
The researcher gathered information by using the qualitative method to examine the experiences of how one large high school implemented and sustained Career Academies. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with individuals from one high school involved in the successful implementation and sustenance of Career Academies. A case study narrative format was used to document the experiences of individuals involved in the implementation and sustenance of Career Academies. 2 Three conclusions can be drawn from the results of the study.
First, high school leaders must have a clear reason for implementing Career Academies. The administrators and teachers in the study are focused on educating all students by providing a challenge integrated curriculum and establishing relationships that prepare them for life beyond high school. Secondly, there must be buy-in to the implementation of Career Academies. The Board of Education and district was supportive to implementing Career Academies.
Professional development needs to be continuous and ongoing as improvements and adjustments are made steady implementation. Lastly, the structure and support of Career Academies must be a priority for effectiveness of the initiative. Career Academies do require additional work and, therefore, entail additional expense. Teachers must meet on a regular basis as a team to develop integrated curriculum, coordinate employer involvement, and organize links to college and other postsecondary options for students.
INDEX WORDS: High School Reform, Career Academy, Career Technology Education, Vocational Education, High School Transitions, Smaller Learning Communities, School-with-in-a-school 3 IMPLEMENTING CAREER ACADEMIES IN A LARGE, COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL by DELMAS L., West Georgia College, 1993 M., University of Georgia, 1998 Ed., Jacksonville State University, 2002 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2007 4 © 2007 Delmas L. All Rights Reserved 5 IMPLEMENTING CAREER ACADEMIES IN A LARGE, COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL by DELMAS L. Major Professor: Charles Reavis Committee: Deloris Liston Walter Polka Mac Brinson Electronic Version Approved: December 2007 6 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my loving and understanding wife, Chantsy, without whose, patience and support my completion of this project would not have been possible. Also, to my daughter, Hannah, and my son, Delmas Jr.
for the sacrifice of our time together on many Saturdays to allow me the time to meet the requirements of this program. 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank God for His grace and mercy for allowing me to accomplish this endeavor. I am grateful for the number of people He has placed in my life to set me on this journey. I have faith in Him and I am even more convinced that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
My steps are ordered by God and no project or accomplishment of this scope is the product of a sole individual. Many people have contributed to me getting to this point of my life. In spite of the many disadvantages that started my life, I now realize that with God I am more than a conquer and that all things work together for my good. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.7 LIST OF TABLES.
Development of Career Academies…………………………… ……13 B. Elements of a Career Academy……………………………… ……. Autobiographical Roots of the Study……………. Statement of the Problem……………………………………………18 E.
Significance of Study……… ………………. Definition of Terms…………………………. REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………………………………… …28 A Historical Overview ……………………………………… ………. The Need for High School Reform………………………………….
Effects of Career Academies on Student Performance ……………. Evolution of Career and Technical Education………………………. National Career Academies Support Organizations…………………. The Career Academy National Standards of Practice Model…….
Rationale for Qualitative Research Design…………………………. Participant Selection and Data Collection……………………………52 D. Role of the Researcher………………………………………………. Open-ended Interviews……………………………………………….
REPORT OF DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS… …………………… ……59 A. Portraiture of Researched School……………………………………. Finding of Participants………………………………………………. Interview Questions Results…………………………………….
Responses to Research Questions…………………… ……………. SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………………… 116 10 A. Analysis of Research Findings………………………………. Discussion of Research Findings…………………………….
Recommendations………………………………………………… 130 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………… 131 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………… 138 A. NATIONAL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE…………………… 156 C. PARTICIPANT INFORMED CONSENT (3 FORMS) ………… 159 D. CAREER ACADEMY PLANNING DAY AGENDA…………… 167 11 LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: Growth of Three Career Academy Networks.32 Table 2: Schedule of Interviews .114 Table 3: National Standards of Practice Applied to Community High School .126 12 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A growing concern has developed regarding the diminishing value of a standard high school diploma and the inability of high schools, particularly those in large cities serving low-income communities, to equip their graduates with the qualifications and job-readiness skills they need to make successful transitions to college and/or the workforce (Mittlesteadt & Reeves, 2003).
According to Elliott, Hanser, and Gilroy (2002), the nation is also experiencing a widening gap between the earnings of young workers, particularly young men, who have only a high school diploma and those who have some post-secondary education. In response to these trends, education policymakers and practitioners are pursuing a variety of strategies for improving American high schools (Almeida & Steinberg, 2001). A recent study by Pucel (2001), indicates that federal and state educational funds have been used effectively in achieving successful transitions to the world of work by assisting large high schools in preparing students to achieve the necessary skills to pursue further education. In America’s large traditional comprehensive high schools, Career Academies have experienced exceptional growth since the first academy was established in 1969 as a dropout prevention program in Philadelphia (Legters, Balfanz, Jordan, & McPartland, 2002).
Since 2000, the Department of Education has provided federal grant funds as start-up resources to assist large high schools that have an enrollment of more than 1000 students to implement Smaller Learning Communities (SLC). The grant funds are used to implement or expand the SLC initiative by applying the following strategies: schools with-in schools, Career Academies, restructuring the school day, instituting personal 13 adult advocates, developing teacher advisory systems and other innovations designed to create personalized high school experiences for students that improve student achievement and performance (http://www.gov/programs/slcp/strategies. National and regional reports have warned that education is failing to meet the needs of many of the nation’s youth (Benson, 1997). This failure has economic and social consequences causing America to fall behind in the international marketplace and incur spiraling costs for welfare programs, social services, and prisons (Kemple, 1997).
America is facing a shortage of well-educated and well-trained workers (Hershey, Hudis, Silverberg, & Haimson, 1997). To address this challenge, a high school curriculum that integrates core academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) will prepare students for new technology and expanding job responsibilities (Kemple & Snipes, 2000). Mittlesteadt and Reeves (2003) suggest that the traditional design format of high school instruction will not prepare students for the kinds of skills needed in the 21st century workplace. Pucel (2001) points out that the structure and rigor in Career Academies provides a focus on learning activities aimed at developing the intellectual skills students will need in today’s labor market.
Development of Career Academies The Career Academy structure evolved from improving Career and Technical Education by integrating core academic subjects. The purpose of Career and Technical Education is to develop students in five areas: (1) personal skills and attitudes, (2) communication and computational skills and technological literacy, (3) employability skills, (4) broad and specific occupational skills and knowledge, and (5) foundations for career planning and lifelong learning. These areas have changed over the years due to 14 new technologies and skills needed in the workplace. This nation has moved from an industrial era to an information age and from a domestic to a global economy (Lynch, 2000).
In the industrial era, employees were expected to do only what their supervisors told them (Pucel, 2001). Today in the information age, employees are expected to participate in teams, learn new skills quickly and accept more responsibility (Underdue, 2000). Career Academies were originally designed as a lifeline for students at risk of dropping out of school (Maxwell & Rubin, 2001). The Career Academy concept evolved more that 30 years ago when the city of Philadelphia, out of concern over high school dropout and unemployment rates among their youth, began pursuing education reform (Kemple, 1997).
Out of the collective efforts of community, business, education, labor, and government leaders came an innovative new approach to education reform, the Career Academy (Shorr & Hon, 1999). Since that reform, Career Academies have proven to be rightly effective. A comprehensive study conducted by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) found that students who participate in Career Academies have improved attendance and grades; higher self-esteem and satisfaction with school; improved sense of connection with teachers, students, school programs, lower dropout rates, fewer discipline problems and incidence of school violence; and reduced student apathy, isolation, and alienation (Almeida & Steinberg, 2001). Most importantly, students are connected with employers through the employer involvement in the curriculum development and delivery in Career Academies (Kemple, 1997).
15 In the first two decades after the 1969 inception, the growth of Career Academies was gradual, but steady (Lynch, 2000). In the early 1980s the Career Academies movement spread to California, the only state to define them by legislation, where it has flourished (Maxwell & Rubin, 2001). Since 1990 growth in the number of academies has accelerated. Most recently, some communities have adopted academies as a school-wide high school reform strategy (Lee & Smith, 2001).
Career Academies now number more than 3,000 nationwide (Kemple & Snipes, 2000). Elements of a Career Academy Career Academies historically held a place in education. Through academies, students experience a combination of school and work-based learning resembling the belief that education through occupations combines within itself more of the factors conducive to learning than any other method (Dewey, 1916). A Career Academy is distinguished by three core elements: organization, curriculum, and partnerships.
First, Career Academies are organized as schools-within- schools or small learning communities in which high school students stay with a core group of teachers over three or four years (Elliott, Hanser, & Gilroy, 2002). Each academy within the large comprehensive high school has 100 to 300 students in grades 9 to 12 or grades 10 to 12. In this environment, students are able to build strong relationships with peers, teachers, and employers. Secondly, Career Academies offer a combination of academic and Career and Technical Education curricula and use a career theme to integrate the two (Maxwell & Rubin, 2001).
The curriculum usually includes math, English, social studies, and/or science combined with occupational-related classes that focus on a career theme such as business and finance, computers and electronics, or 16 travel and tourism.