Schools should reflect the same organizing principles as the world of work in order to ensure every child can learn and succeed. Some believe high school will become more work-oriented, or graduate students more quickly. Oregon requires schools to provide work experience and upperclassmen to pick a career. Teachers will have to have a better understanding of how their discipline applies in the real world. In Bergen County, small, career-focused magnet schools in science, engineering, and medicine have taken off.
Students spend three to four periods a day in their specialty.
Principals in Bergen County have been rethinking the traditional secondary school. They created a blueprint for high school that calls for pupils to master the skills needed to pass the state's proficiency exam in ninth and 10th grades and concentrate on areas of interest in the later grades. As this system is envisioned, students would have more freedom over course work and greater opportunities for in-depth projects, internships, and mentors. Several educators said once basic skills are mastered, classrooms are a mistake. Some suggest travel, work, and community or international service.