The Non-Academic Essentials for High School Students’ Success
Dear Colleagues,
Introduction
I hope that all of
you had a great summer. . . but for some of you, the summer is over, and the
new school year has just begun (or is about to this or next week).
A few weeks
ago—during my summer vacation—I traveled back to Massachusetts to attend my 45th
High School Reunion (YES—I am THAT old !!!)
While catching up
with old (pun intended) friends, we did what everyone does at a reunion—we
reminisced about what our school, and teachers, and classes were like. . . and
how High School prepared us “for life.”
But in listening to
the stories, and the recollections, and the memories. . . I was struck by the
fact that what we learned about and how high school prepared us “for life,” was
less about our coursework, and more about the “non-academic” lessons,
interactions, and opportunities.
And in contrasting
my High School experience and its “life preparations” with the high schools
that I now visit across the country, I wonder if our national pursuit of (obsession
with???) academic proficiency has robbed our current high school students and
graduates of the opportunities to learn these important non-academic lessons. .
. lessons that will last far longer than how to “Represent data on two
quantitative variables on a scatter plot, and describe how the variables are
related” (Common Core Algebra I Standard S.ID.6).
And yes. . . the
now-fully-in-implementation Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA/ESSA) does
require districts and schools to choose and track a non-academic indicator. . .
that correlates with academic achievement.
But, as you will
see below, and as is already evident in the State ESEA Plans proposed thus far
(the rest are coming next month), the law is requiring a formal, measurable,
and scalable “institutional” non-academic indicator.
And, often it is
the informal, messy, unique, and yet planned non-academic experiences in high
school that have the most impact on our students.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Our Addressed and
Unaddressed Non-Academic High School Experiences
While I may have
been blessed with a large high school graduating class (numbering approximately
430 peers), proximity to a large cultural center (15 miles from Boston), and
many highly experienced teachers . . .
We also “grew up” well
before the days of the Internet (or even computers). There was no Cable TV (we had three channels
and Public Television). And, many of our
parents worked for the same employer for their entire careers.
And so. . . my high
school was not like every high school in America at that time, and thus, my
high school experience (as for today’s students) was impacted by my high
school’s size, location, and instructional staff.
But, all of us . .
. were equally impacted by our place in history (e.g., the war in Vietnam, the Civil
and Women’s Rights movements, landing on the Moon, and our music) . . . and
whether our high school teachers were willing to discuss all the embedded
historical questions and moral/ethical dilemmas to guide us through.
Given all of this,
below are some of the most-important non-academic experiences that were
addressed—and not addressed—in and during high school . . . that need to be specifically
or figuratively considered by high schools now relative to fully preparing
their students today.
High School Experiences
Addressed:
* Our High School
had a required class for all First Year students in public speaking and
debate.
* During our Senior
year, there was an ongoing “lecture series” where experts from our community
came in to discuss their educational and experiential backgrounds, their
current jobs, and how they got to their vocational choices and positions.
* Our teachers were
never hesitant to discuss current national and local politics, events, and
crises occurring in all our lives during class.
For example, we
discussed the assassinations of King and Kennedy, the desegregation of the
Boston Public Schools, the 1968 Democratic Convention demonstrations and riots,
the student killings at Kent State University.
* We were required—in
Junior High School—to learn typing skills (Yes. . . on typewriters).
* Our High School
had phenomenal music, visual arts, and drama courses and programs—with many
after-school extracurricular clubs (including sports) that involved the same,
as well as literary and other artistic pursuits.
[I was amazed at
our reunion as to how virtually everyone had a story regarding the importance
of their after-school extracurricular activities.]
_ _ _ _ _
High School Experiences
Unaddressed:
* Our High School
and graduating class had cultural, racial, religious, disability-related, and
demographic diversity, and yet there were no guiding discussions or structured
opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to learn about or
from each other.
* Our High School
did not do a good job of addressing teasing and bullying, and students
were not taught how to get along with each other (the “behavior management” system
consisted of ultimatums and consequences).
* While receiving
some attention, our High School needed more attention to health, mental
health, disability, and wellness knowledge and skills.
* There was very
little attention to economic and financial literacy/management knowledge and
skills.
* Our High School could
have more explicitly “valued” and reinforced students’ interest and
preparation for a wide range of jobs.
Students in the “vocational track” were not always viewed as equals to
those in the “college track.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Implications: Consciously Embedding Non-Academic Experiences
into our High Schools
While I know that our
nation’s high schools cannot do everything (indeed, their respective
communities and parents need to be involved also), I fear that—once again—the dominant
focus on preparing graduating students for academic proficiency (i.e., “passing
the test”) has overshadowed many of the non-academic experiences that
prepare them to be (future) contributing colleagues in the workplace and citizens
in their communities.
Moreover, I still
see a reticence in today’s high schools to involve the students themselves in
the “non-academic” planning and implementation process.
That is, I truly
believe that—when we were in High School—our needs, wants, opinions, and involvement
were requested and respected. We had a “student
voice” that many of today’s high schools survey, but do not actively involve.
And so, the
Recommendation here is for all high schools—with their students, staff,
parents, and community to look at the non-academic areas below and determine which
areas . . .
* Are currently
well-addressed [Maintain Them]
* Need improvement
[Plan, Resource, and Improve Them]
* Are important,
but unaddressed [Plan, Resource, and Implement Them]
* Are less
important, unimportant, controversial, or unfeasible [Dismiss or Delay Them]
Based on the
discussion above, the recommended areas are:
Cultural, Civic/Political, and Demographic Diversity Knowledge,
Skill, and Appreciation
While this may be
controversial, today’s high school students (not that it should first start in
high school) need to engage in formal and informal experiences that help them
understand the facts, factors, differences, and effects related to cultural,
racial, gender, political, religious, ability and disability, and other
demographic diversities.
The interactions
and discussions here need to represent a wide variety of views with a goal of
both understanding and appreciation—not agreement and acceptance.
Moreover, learning needs to emphasize the inclusive,
democratic values and history that are at the foundation of our country—past and
present.
The ultimate goal
here is not to resolve the differences (and, sometimes, divisiveness) in our present
or future communities. The goal is to arm
students with the information and personal experiences needed to meaningfully
reflect on their beliefs and behavior, attitudes and attributions, and
conclusions and choices.
_ _ _ _ _
Health, Mental Health, Interpersonal, and Wellness
Knowledge, Skill, and Appreciation
Today’s high school
students (not that it should first start in high school) need to engage in formal
and informal experiences that help them learn, practice, and master the
interpersonal, prosocial problem-solving, conflict prevention and resolution,
and emotional control and coping skills needed for school, peer, home, and
community success.
These are the “hard
skills” (some of my colleagues call them the “soft skills”) that make them socially
and academically productive (especially in project-based groups), and that will
make them productive in college, in the workplace, and in their future personal
lives.
Also included in
these experiences should be information on how to develop and practice physically,
emotionally, and behaviorally healthy lifestyles; and how to recognize and
avoid the detrimental impact of the unhealthy choices that are so prevalent in
our communities.
Finally, issues and
preventative peer approaches to teasing, taunting, bullying, harassment,
hazing, and physical aggression should be embedded, along with skill training
in how to resist peer pressure and negative group processes and dynamics.
_ _ _ _ _
Technology and Communication Skills
Today’s high school
students (not that it should first start in high school) need to engage in formal
and informal experiences that help them to effectively communicate across
multiple “platforms”—orally, in writing, and through different technologies.
These experiences
need to be geared to non-academic personal and other situations (e.g., college
or job applications/interviews, writing a complaint letter, responding to bank
or insurance company). And, they need to
be skilled in how to express themselves succinctly, politely, cogently, and sensibly.
High school
students also need to know how to effectively discuss, debate, agree, and disagree;
and how to check for understanding and consensus.
Finally, issues around
and interactions related to cyber- and digital safety, law, ethics, etiquette,
and propriety need to be explicitly addressed.
More specifically, cyber- and digital sexting, bullying, intimidation, and
unlawful persuasion need to be topics of discussion.
_ _ _ _ _
Workforce, Employability, Financial Literacy, and
Vocational Knowledge, Skill, and Appreciation
Today’s high school
students (not that it should first start in high school) need to engage in formal
and informal experiences (and even apprenticeships) that help them understand
the wide range of jobs available (and to-be-available) across our country, what
degrees and expertise they need to attain these jobs, what “21st Century”
skills they need for maximum employability, and how to appreciate others’
vocational choices and status.
In addition, they
need to be financially and economically literate.
That is, they need
to have (a) financial planning and money management skills; to understand (b) how
to save and pay for their future education or training, and about credit, debt,
and insurance; to be knowledgeable about (c) investing, the stock and bond
market, taxes, and health care and retirement; and to evaluate (d) national,
state, and local economic trends, indicators, proposals, and ballot
referendums.
_ _ _ _ _
The Arts
Finally, today’s
high school students (not that it should first start in high school) need to
engage in formal and informal experiences that help them to understand and
appreciate the world of music and drama, the visual and literary arts, and the
world of nature and the outdoors.
While this may involve live or virtual
performances during or after school, field-trips or weekend outings, and/or
clubs or extracurricular activities, the goal here is to expose all students to
“the arts”—increasing their understanding and appreciation in one or more of
their many areas.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Summary
When students are
asked—years after high school graduation—what they remember or cherish most
about these years, they rarely talk about a specific academic course, a grade
they received on a paper or test, or the fact that they were accepted to the “college
of their choice.”
They most often
describe an extraordinary teacher, a pivotal event that changed the course of
their life, or a shared experience that resulted in a lasting relationship.
For some of my High
School peers, it was the one time when they performed in our annual “Talent
Show,” when we went to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, or when we shared “Senior
Skip Day” and talked with someone who we had never met during our four years “together.”
Indeed, most of our
fondest high school memories have nothing to do with our academic classes,
status, or standing. And most of our “life
successes” are due to the non-academic “lessons” that we experienced in high
school or during our high school years.
Today’s high
schools (and the students who are attending them) need to think about the five
areas above, and how we can balance the academic and non-academic experiences
that address the “whole adolescent.”
What do we
maintain? What do we modify or add? What do we “throw away?” How do we prioritize?
We can’t do
everything. But we must do something. Because, it’s not just about the test
score. It is about how our graduates
score in life.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I hope that this
Blog triggered some of your high school memories, and that you found it
helpful and meaningful to your work (even if you don’t teach high school).
As always, I look
forward to your comments. . . whether on-line or via e-mail.
And—with the new
school year now upon us: If I can help
you in any of the school improvement, school discipline and behavioral
intervention, or multi-tiered service and support areas where I specialize,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
I am always happy
to provide a free one-hour consultation conference call to help you clarify
your needs and directions on behalf of your students, staff/colleagues,
school(s), and district.
Welcome back! It’s going to be a GREAT YEAR !!!
Best,
Howie
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