QUOTE
The S.C. Education & Economic Development Act (H3714; S462) is an attempt to reorganize the curriculum and offer career counseling to South Carolina students. This proposed curricular change is quietly making its way through the South Carolina House and Senate and could become law in 2005.
Originally introduced as the "Steps to Prosperity" bill in 2001, this legislation is devised to develop a strong work force. It would allow for structuring the high school curriculum to include 16 career clusters from which students would designate a course of study preparing them one of the designated fields. While this may appear sound on the surface, students would make a career decision at the end of the eighth-grade year.
To ask a 12-year old to choose a career and then restrict their study to that field seems misguided. Although provisions are made for the students to change their minds at the end of the sophomore year, this also seems an inopportune time to determine a career path. The sole purpose of an education should be to develop creative, inquisitive, assiduous and thoughtful people. This in turn may have a positive effect on the work force, but to structure an entire educational experience on the premise of career choice stands to have a detrimental effect on our schools.
Of major concern is the lack of attention given to the arts in this business-related legislation. In pilot studies for this legislation, some schools reported a 50 percent loss of students in their arts programs, while others were unaffected. There is some provision for the arts in each cluster, but the number of electives will decrease significantly from current offerings.
The studies also indicated guidance counselors were urging students to not take arts courses, as they were not related elective subjects in their cluster. This abstruse thinking could lead to the demise of the arts programs in our state.
The effect of the arts on critical thinking, creativity, self-discipline and academic improvement are well documented, but those factors alone are not the most salient reasons for the inclusion of the arts in the core curriculum. Thinking artistically is an act of reason, intellect, rationality and creativity. These traits will enhance, not hinder, the work force.
The purpose of arts programs in the schools is not to develop potential arts-related majors for our college system but rather to educate and expose each child to the power of the arts and the potential influence on their lives.
The honorable Richard Riley, former United States secretary of education, passed in 1994 the National Standards for Music Education. These standards became part of the Goals 2000 Act that stated, "The arts constitute one of the five fundamental components of basic education, along with language arts, mathematics, physical sciences, and social sciences. These fields of study should be at the core of every child's education."
Dropping arts courses from the core curriculum could affect college admission status. It puts our students at a disadvantage when applying to top universities who are looking for a well-rounded student application featuring broad-based electives. There will also be no appeal to students outside our state to attend our schools, and the state will not reap the benefit of higher out-of-state tuitions.
It is important to note that this proposed legislation is not initially mandatory for schools to participate. The participating school will only be expected to offer three clusters, thus creating an environment in which students may be at a disadvantage when compared to their peers. Wealthy districts may be able to offer 16 clusters, while poorer districts may be limited to the three clusters it deems most appropriate.
This bill will also require teachers to study applied learning techniques and be recertified in a number of areas. To add additional requirements to an already overwhelming amount of teacher retraining required by the No Child Left Behind Act, seems unwise. We are experiencing teacher shortages in a number of disciplines and this added certification requirement could lead to many competent teachers leaving the profession early.
In summary, the arts are an integral component of a well-rounded education. They are vital to the success of our public education and the work force. Making a career decision should not be thrust upon an eighth grader. Surely there is no gain for us from that decision. I urge you to contact your legislator before this bill passes. The intellectual health and vibrancy of our students is dependent on your action.
Originally introduced as the "Steps to Prosperity" bill in 2001, this legislation is devised to develop a strong work force. It would allow for structuring the high school curriculum to include 16 career clusters from which students would designate a course of study preparing them one of the designated fields. While this may appear sound on the surface, students would make a career decision at the end of the eighth-grade year.
To ask a 12-year old to choose a career and then restrict their study to that field seems misguided. Although provisions are made for the students to change their minds at the end of the sophomore year, this also seems an inopportune time to determine a career path. The sole purpose of an education should be to develop creative, inquisitive, assiduous and thoughtful people. This in turn may have a positive effect on the work force, but to structure an entire educational experience on the premise of career choice stands to have a detrimental effect on our schools.
Of major concern is the lack of attention given to the arts in this business-related legislation. In pilot studies for this legislation, some schools reported a 50 percent loss of students in their arts programs, while others were unaffected. There is some provision for the arts in each cluster, but the number of electives will decrease significantly from current offerings.
The studies also indicated guidance counselors were urging students to not take arts courses, as they were not related elective subjects in their cluster. This abstruse thinking could lead to the demise of the arts programs in our state.
The effect of the arts on critical thinking, creativity, self-discipline and academic improvement are well documented, but those factors alone are not the most salient reasons for the inclusion of the arts in the core curriculum. Thinking artistically is an act of reason, intellect, rationality and creativity. These traits will enhance, not hinder, the work force.
The purpose of arts programs in the schools is not to develop potential arts-related majors for our college system but rather to educate and expose each child to the power of the arts and the potential influence on their lives.
The honorable Richard Riley, former United States secretary of education, passed in 1994 the National Standards for Music Education. These standards became part of the Goals 2000 Act that stated, "The arts constitute one of the five fundamental components of basic education, along with language arts, mathematics, physical sciences, and social sciences. These fields of study should be at the core of every child's education."
Dropping arts courses from the core curriculum could affect college admission status. It puts our students at a disadvantage when applying to top universities who are looking for a well-rounded student application featuring broad-based electives. There will also be no appeal to students outside our state to attend our schools, and the state will not reap the benefit of higher out-of-state tuitions.
It is important to note that this proposed legislation is not initially mandatory for schools to participate. The participating school will only be expected to offer three clusters, thus creating an environment in which students may be at a disadvantage when compared to their peers. Wealthy districts may be able to offer 16 clusters, while poorer districts may be limited to the three clusters it deems most appropriate.
This bill will also require teachers to study applied learning techniques and be recertified in a number of areas. To add additional requirements to an already overwhelming amount of teacher retraining required by the No Child Left Behind Act, seems unwise. We are experiencing teacher shortages in a number of disciplines and this added certification requirement could lead to many competent teachers leaving the profession early.
In summary, the arts are an integral component of a well-rounded education. They are vital to the success of our public education and the work force. Making a career decision should not be thrust upon an eighth grader. Surely there is no gain for us from that decision. I urge you to contact your legislator before this bill passes. The intellectual health and vibrancy of our students is dependent on your action.
(found off of Bands of America forums-just to give credit)
(I think I might make this into an experiment).
What do you guys think?
The eighth grade is way too early to make a career choice and students shouldn't be forced into a decision. The bill is anti-arts as is society in the U. S. atleast to me it is because I'm involved in the performing arts. I didn't notice this at first, but look at who is proposing the bill because I see more politicians than educators if that tells you anything..
. I know the article is focused from the arts perspective, but comments on the bill and the article would be helpful for this experiment to work.