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The Role for Career Academies in High School Reform

High school reform begins with the willingness to change and an examination of schools' data. Reform is centered in the community and responsive to local needs and the needs of its students. Local communities are prepared to support the restructuring of their traditional high school design to provide greater focus on and support for rigorous academic, career and technical education. The results are new leadership strategies, school-wide learning communities or schools within the larger school, making the school personal, addressing classroom instruction, and most importantly, increasing student achievement for all students. All students must have access to relevant and rigorous programs that provide opportunities to graduate from high school capable of entering and being successful in the workplace, enrolling in additional career and professional education, or attending postsecondary degree programs.

To help meet these needs, communities and school districts should offer a wide range of learning options for adolescents that are located both in the high school and in the wider community. Career academies are one of several models or initiatives that communities and school districts can make available to high school students. By bridging school and the world of work in a way that leads to academic achievement and that draws on the excitement of solving real work and real world problems in a sensible context, career academies have been successful in engaging many students who would otherwise be indifferent to or possibly lost from school.

Career academies have been studied extensively. In the Resources section of this website you will find links to various reports and research documents. Summarized, the research on career academies shows that:

• Academy students earn more course credits than comparison groups.
• Drop-out rates are reduced for academy students.
• Graduation rates improve.
• Academy students’ overall performance is significantly better in the areas of attendance and average grades.
• Academy students exhibit more intrinsic motivation and indicate a greater perception of curricular relevance.

As a high school reform initiative, career academies have proven their value. With ongoing improvement suggested by the National Standards of Practice and widely known best practices, career academies are well positioned to lead and influence high school reform efforts and policy debates. When used as a guide, the National Standards of Practice will help local high school reform efforts that have positive outcomes for students.

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