3/25/08

Columbus Dispatch Blog

Encarnacion Pyle

Educational success has been too narrowly defined as graduation from a four-year college — often overlooking students going to a community college, technical school or apprenticeship program, a new study finds.

The Southern Regional Education Board says high schools and colleges need to do a better job working together to provide students with job shadowing, internships and training that will help students get better-paying jobs.

To succeed, the report says, states must make sure more high-school graduates have strong math, reading and writing skills; that students have the opportunity to take college classes while still in high school; at-risk youths receive additional help to graduate or obtain their high-school equivalency diploma and that all new college students have goals for what they what to get out of their higher education.