Views, Beliefs, & Opinions of Business Education by State Employment Service Managers in the Pacific Northwest, Secondary Principals in the Pacific Northwest, Chief State School Officers throughout the United States, State Directors of Employment & Training throughout the U.S.

State employment service managers in the Pacific Northwest, secondary principals in the Pacific Northwest, chief state school officers throughout the United States, and state directors of employment and training throughout the United States were asked to rate students on a list of 15 attributes seen as key to performance on the job. Their responses indicated that, althongh students and their parents are satisfied with present-day education, employers are not. Sixty executives responding tu a survey felt that the following should be an integral part of high school education: at least one businis course; a course in handling personal finances; and training in cr . ical thinking and problem-solving skills, computer applications, and keyboarding. Only 347. of the principals expressed support for a oneor two-semester course for and about business for all secondary students, whereas 86.7 percent of the state directors of employment and training supported such a course. The state directors of employment also rated the importance of business communications, business math, small business management, management functions, marketing and dis"ribution significantly higher than the educators did. All four grc ,. )s surveyed were fairly neutral regarding the importance of economics and consumer economics to secondary curricula. (MN) ********************************************************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** VIEWS, BELIEFS, & OPIMONS OF BUSINESS EDUCATION BY STATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE MANAGERS TN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SECONDARY PRINCIPALS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES STA1E DIRECTORS OF EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE US U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Ottine ot Educational Research and InVrovement EDUCATIONAL RE SOURCES INFORMATION CENTE R tERICi nis document has Deen reprpdv. ed as receiveri Porn the person or organiratoe orgnat.ny it Minor ehadges have peer, made le improve CePrOduitrod Cp.aidy Points ot view dr Opinions staled Pr this do( Lr men? do nO1 nen essaniy represent ollwia OFR! PosilOd or Odbf, by Martha C. Yopp, Ed.D., Associate Professor Business Teacher Education & Office Administration University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-3083 208-885-7364 (phone), 208-885-6869 (fax) Business Education Research Conference AVA Convention Friday, December 3, 1993 Nashville, Tennessee The time is now for one comprehensive business course to become a requirement for high school graduation in all 50 stat. Business Educators, particularly busineSs teacher cducators, must actively and enthusiastically join forces with AVA, NBEA, Delta Pi Epsilon, Future Business Leaders of America, Business Professio1.21° of America, DECA, and others such as Economics America (the National Council on Economic Education) -to influence law makers and policy makers to make at least one oneor two-semester course for and about business a requirement for high school graduation throughout the country. My research and others indicates strongly that business education is viewed positively by state employment service managers, secondary principals, chief state school officers and state directors of employment and training as well as business leaders and executives throughout the nation. The time for business and economic education to become a "required" rather than an "elective" component of public education is overdue. Let's look at the evidence: On Wednesday, April 15, 1992, at the Opening General Session of the NBEA Convention in Boston, Jeff White, Chairman of the Board of Equifax, Inc., stated that "Business should be part of the curriculum of every high school student. " This concern is echoed by American businesses who are having difficulty finding employees equipped with basic L'siness skills and competencies. Likewise, a review of recent literature indicates that what employers in the workplace want and the curriculum students are required to take in high school are out of sync. A study sponsored by the Committee for Economic Development asked four different groups "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUC T *NAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). " to rate students on a list of 15 attributes seen as key to performance on the job. The results show that students and their parents are satisfied with education as it is now. Employers are not. A study of business executives in New Jersey in 1991 reveals much the same attitude as the erloyment service managers in the Pacific Northwe,t. Sixty executives responding to a survey agree or strongly agree that tik: following should be an integral part of a high school education: 1. All high school graduates should have some competency in computer applications. 2. All students should be required to complete at least one business course before graduating high school. 3. All students should be capable of using critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the areas of communications, computer applications, and general business studies. 4. All students should be required to complete a course in handling personal finances. 5. All students should possess keyboarding skills before graduating high school. The business executives also indicated considerable support for: 6. The study of business education should be a vital part of a high school's comprehensive curriculum.