Exploring the Meaning African American Students Ascribe to Their Participation in High School Career Academies and the Challenges They Experience

Abstract

Despite the historical mission of career academies to expand opportunities and engagement of minority students, particularly African American students, more recent curricular changes in the career academy model have increased the rigor of these types of programs. These new initiatives have undoubtedly resulted in a demographic shift with more White and Asian students participating in career academies while African American and Hispanic student enrollment is drastically decreasing. To that end, the purpose of this study was to explore the meaning African American students ascribed to their participation (or lack thereof) in career academies and the challenges they encountered. As such, the experiences of 15 African American high school students were explored using a phenomenological approach. The following themes were revealed: (a) Preparation for the Next Level ; (b) Less Time for School Activities ; (c) Not Just Going Through the Motions ; and (d) An Unrealized Connection with Core Academic Subjects. Implications for administrators, guidance counselors, parents, and teachers are articulated.

Critical Success Factors in a High School Healthcare Education Program

“…Understanding these distinctions may provide insight into the factors that contribute to successful, vs. unsuccessful, program outcomes. First, as displayed in our initial conceptual framework (see Table 1), the literature identified strong relationships and a sense of community as a key social factor of program success, with small class sizes contributing to this sense of community (Dixon et al, 2011;Farr et al, 2009;Fletcher & Cox, 2012;REL, 2012). At the HEP, students described the unique learning environment and community that they shared, in contrast to some explanations from students and parents that the students disliked school until they attended the HEP.…”

“…Similarly, career academy successes included strong relationships between students and teachers and among peers (Dixon, Cotner, Wilson, & Borman, 2011;REL, 2012). Participants in Fletcher and Cox's (2012) study indicated the sense of community was a positive aspect of a career academy program. Further, career academies demonstrated improved student engagement and achievement through a caring school culture, including one-on-one teacher-student mentoring, praise and rewards for student and teacher accomplishments, and emphasis on collaboration and personal responsibility in school philosophies (Castellano, Sundell, Overman, & Aliaga, 2012).…”

“…In the 1990s, among calls for increased accountability, vocational education "promoted more rigorous integration of academic and technical education and preparation for further education or work," and eventually, the name of the field shifted from vocational education to career and technical education (CTE) (Fletcher & Cox, 2012, p. 6). The shift to CTE signaled the program's emphasis on preparation for both careers and further education (Fletcher & Cox, 2012).…”

“…Career academies may also improve student engagement by providing hands-on learning that connects them to potential fields of study (Dixon et al, 2011;Fletcher & Cox, 2012). Small schools have positive impacts on student engagement and achievement (Ancess & Allen, 2006) through the selected theme.…”

“…Common critical success factors include strong teacher-student relationships and a sense of community for their students, in addition to high expectations accompanied by academic rigor, all of which result in high attendance and graduation rates for students in these programs (Barnett & Bragg, 2006;Bloom & Unterman, 2013;Brand, 2008;Castellano et al, 2007;Castellano et al, 2012;Dixon et al, 2011;Farr et al, 2009;Fletcher & Cox, 2012;Hoachlander, 2008;Kemple, 2004;Kosine & Lewis, 2008;Mekinda, 2012;REL, 2012;Rivera-McCutchen, 2012;Stringfield et al, 2013). These common critical success factors formed the conceptual framework for our study.…”