Programs of Study are 2-4 course sequences taken in high school in a particular career field (Industrial Technology, Business, Health Science, Agriculture, Human Services and Education, etc).
The National Research Center for Career and Technical Education just released results of a study to identify the key components of Programs of Study that support students' transition to college and careers, including whether and how participation affects students. The researchers looked at community colleges and their feeder schools that had well-established Programs of Study.
Some Findings:
- The number of Program of Study courses taken in high school was significantly related to staying in the same career field in college and to earning a college credential.
- Although the majority of study students did not continue with the same high school Program of Study in college or work, participation did have a positive effect on a variety of high school and college outcomes.
- High school transcript analyses showed a positive relationship between Programs of Study credits, academic credits, and grades, and the majority of students reported that being in a Program of Study made them more motivated to stay in school and better prepared to make choices about college and career.
What this means.
The fact that students in Programs of Study reported being more motivated in school and ready to make college/career decisions demonstrates the value of promoting Programs of Study to high school students. Although most students did not end up following the same exact same program in college, many chose careers within the same Career field. For example, many of our students that complete the Health Science program at Bancroft-Rosalie and are certified Nurses Assistants do not choose to complete a nursing program, but may pursue Dentistry or Pharmacy instead.
And there is value in finding out early what it is you want to do, and also what you do not want to do after high school.
