What AHS parents and teens should know

Time was, a basic high school education could land a teen with even the most modest goals a respectable and relatively good paying job post-graduation. Yet over the past two decades, technology has changed workplaces so much that workers can no longer rely on their skills of the past to ensure a decent job.
 

From nursing to multi-media animation, all of today's fastest growing professions require technical skills, if not a two- or four-year college education, according to U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor statistics. (Log on http://stats.bls.gov/oco for details on today's jobs and careers.) A rapidly changing economy also requires that all workers be able to apply what they know in new and creative ways, to work well with others, and to use resources and tools to learn more and remain professionally current.

21st century skills-key to future job success

"Today's graduates need to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and effective communicators who are proficient in both core subjects and new, 21st century content and skills... Twenty-first century skills are in demand for all students, no matter what their future plans-and they will have an enormous impact on students' prospects." From Results that Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform, a report by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning.

The effort teens put into mastering their lessons and building skills during the high school years will give them a competitive edge down the road. With more and more young adults from around the world competing for college acceptance and plum jobs (vocational as well as professional), those who demonstrate a wide-range of marketable skills are likely to experience the most post-graduation career success.

Despite our changing world, educators and today's employers all say that teens still need a solid foundation in the "basics" such as English language arts (reading, writing, editing, listening and speaking), mathematics, science, foreign languages, social studies (history, civics, government, geography), physical education and the arts (visual, performing and musical.)
 

To this end, all New York State high schoolers (with some exceptions for special-needs students) are required to take and pass core courses in these subject areas in order to graduate.
 

Students who tackle more rigorous coursework, especially advanced courses in English, mathematics and science, are likely to be even better prepared for postsecondary education and future careers.
 

• However, academics are just one aspect of 21st century learning. Here is a look at the other elements that today's high school student will need in order to succeed: * 21st century content, such as global awareness, economics and business education, civics, and health and wellness awareness. High schoolers are introduced to these topics both through dedicated coursework in such classes as Business Law or Food and Nutrition and through courses in core subject areas. For example, an English language arts research project on global warming can move students toward a 21st century understanding of the issue (e.g., how international business practices have influenced an environmental issue, how industry and special interest groups are working to help fix it, how it is affecting human health, etc.)
   

• "Soft" skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving. Book smarts are important. However, knowing how to make creative use of this knowledge is what businesses want most from those they hire. The "soft" skills that matter most, in life and in today's economy, include: critical thinking and problem solving, communication skills, creativity and innovation skills, collaboration, contextual learning, information and media literacy skills. The hands-on, project-based learning that is becoming more the way teens learn in today's high schools allows them to practice the "soft" skills of collaboration (working well with others), problem solving, thinking creatively, managing time and organization.
   

• Information and communications technology (ICT) literacy. Students need to be able to use technology to learn content, research issues, solve problems, present solutions, communicate, innovate, and collaborate. Increasingly, high schoolers are being asked to use technology throughout their school days and in most subject areas-from computers for word processing and the Internet for research to Wikis that allow teens to collaborate on projects with their peers in other schools locally and around the world.
   

• Life skills. Leadership, ethics, accountability, adaptability, personal productivity, personal responsibility, people skills, self-direction, and social responsibility are all skills that help make good citizens as well as good workers. In-class group projects, sports and other extracurricular opportunities can all help nurture these important skills.