The Board of Ed has already begun to phase in the new Regents standards, which will require all students in the class of 2005 to pass exams in U.S. History and Government, English, Math, Global Studies, and Science in order to graduate, with no exceptions. These students are in classes for at least seven periods a day, not counting lunch. The movement started in the late 1980s out of concerns about the competitiveness of the U.S. workforce and a growing perception that all students need an education that combines academics with work preparation. The workplace of the 21st century demands a different set of skills. We're in the information age.
Students have to be prepared to be lifelong learners.
They need interpersonal skills, critical thinking. Some of that money has gone to the vocational schools-establishing Feldman's office in 1997, for instance, put one department in charge of voc ed and has helped centralize reform efforts. In New York, the group is tackling teacher training and new curricula, as well as making sure kids get more counseling. Not surprisingly, students often end up in vocational schools with little idea of what they actually want to do later in life. And some schools have found their own ways to stay current.