Rethinking the Senior Year

Abstract

The final year of high school education as it is currently designed presents numerous challenges to students, teachers, and administrators. This article describes strategies to help school administrators rethink the senior year so that high school seniors can make the transition from school to work and/or college more smoothly and successfully. A national report on the senior year is summarized and its recommendations reviewed.The call for high school reform has become a constant drumbeat over the past two decades. A series of reports has concluded that the high school structure is poorly suited to the needs of today's learners (senior year has become the latest candidate for greater scrutiny with the appointment of a national commission.Those who work in high schools know the challenges associated with the final year of secondary schooling. Students often suffer from "senioritis." They view the senior year, particularly the second semester, as a reward for participating in 12 years of schooling. Many take less than a full load of classes, and focus more on jobs than on homework. As students turn 18, they are recognized as adults by the law, but they must still abide by school rules that tend to treat them the same as their 15-year-old counterparts.High schools struggle to keep seniors engaged by implementing strategies such as small learning communities, career academies, block scheduling, applied academics, dual enrollment programs, and internships; however, such adaptations are more often the exception than the rule. Moreover, such programs only partially address the more fundamental problem of the senior year-its linkage to the world students will enter

Relevance, Rigor, and Relationships: Student Perceptions Following Participation in an Integrated Experiential Zoo-Based Academic High School Science Program

“…The goal of high school has changed from only preparing a few students for postsecondary education to preparing all students for living successfully in an interdependent world (Conley, 2001;Pittman, 2005). To prepare students with 21st century skills needed to be both college and career ready, high schools are creating educational environments filled with rigor, relevance, and relationships; these conditions are needed to ensure that all students may be economically and personally successful (Achieve, Inc., 2009;Conley, 2001;Hawkins, Oesterle, & Hill, 2004;Johnson & McElroy, 2010;Manning & Saddlemire, 1996;Quint, 2006).…”

“…To prepare students with 21st century skills needed to be both college and career ready, high schools are creating educational environments filled with rigor, relevance, and relationships; these conditions are needed to ensure that all students may be economically and personally successful (Achieve, Inc., 2009;Conley, 2001;Hawkins, Oesterle, & Hill, 2004;Johnson & McElroy, 2010;Manning & Saddlemire, 1996;Quint, 2006). In order to ensure rigor, relevance, and relationships, school goals now clearly focus on components of change capacity such as improved school climate, a strengthened curriculum, hands-on active experiential learning opportunities, and personalized relationships (Breunlin, Mann, Kelly, Cimmarusti, Dunne, & Lieber, 2005;Dryer, 1996;Toch, Jerald, & Dillon, 2007).…”

“…For example, recommendations by the National Academies of Science Committee, as set forth in their blueprint for science education, Rising Above the Gathering Storm (2007), suggests education systems should establish specialty schools to immerse students in science, technology, and mathematical education as a way to test the relevance and rigor of science curriculum (Mourshed et al, 2010;National Academies, 2007;Sawchuk, 2010). The rich combination of specialty schools and rigorous curriculum that is relevant may create a nation of students who are competitive in today's global market (Achieve Inc., 2009;Conley, 2001;Mourshed et al, 2010;National Academies, 2007;Sawchuk, 2010).…”

“…To create positive learning environments, the school and the community must establish a new culture of personalized learning where students feel confident to become effective team players and intellectual decisionmakers (Conley, 2001;Dryer, 1996;Hugh, Taylor, Chin, & Hutchinson, 2006;Mackin, 1996). To effectively establish positive learning environments within schools is to develop a culture for learning.…”

“…America's students are neither mastering nor are they being adequately taught science and mathematics content as demonstrated by their Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) scores, National Assessment of Educational Programs (NAEP) scores, or Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores (Conley, 2001;Gonzales, Williams, Jocelyn, Roey, Kastberg, & Brenwald, 2008;Grigg, Lauko, & Brockway, 2006;Mourshed, Chijioke, & Barber, 2010;Peterson, 2010;Pittman, 2005) which ranks them average compared to students from other participating countries. International and national assessments are designed to test mastery of content, knowledge, reasoning, and understanding of science and mathematics at grades four, eight, and eleven (Gonzales et al, 2008;Grigg et al, 2006;Mourshed et al, 2010;Sawchuk, 2010).…”