The Primacy of Career Development
A district’s World of Work initiative carries a departure from traditional metrics in preparing students for success beyond high school
David Miyashiro - Superintendent, Cajon Valley Union School District
When students fail to see the relevance of what they are being taught, they gradually disengage from the learning process and begin to rethink the value of higher education.
Research from the latest Gallup Student Poll, which surveys six million students across 1,400 school districts, indicated student engagement is linked to achievement, grades, absenteeism and postgraduation plans. A spring 2022 survey by Edge Research for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation showed 70 percent of high school graduates ages 18–30 who did not attend college viewed on-the-job training as the best path to career advancement.
The traditional school system has remained largely stagnant over the decades, failing to adapt to the evolving needs of students in today’s rapidly changing world. While the current K-12 education framework is designed to meet standardized learning objectives, it overlooks the importance of nurturing students’ individual strengths, interests and values. The emphasis on rote learning and standardized assessments restricts students’ ability to explore who they are as individuals and what they might pursue in the world of work.
