This paper discusses the opportunity for universities and Professional Development Schools (PDSs) to engage with Future Teachers of America (FTA) clubs and similar groups in secondary schools to ensure the future of the profession. Student leaders and their mentor from an active high school FTA club share their perspectives on the benefits of…

The authors describe Pathways2Teaching, a grow-your-own-teacher program operating in high schools in six Colorado school districts that focuses on getting students of color interested in going into K-12 teaching.

STEM competitions are fairly widespread in middle schools and high schools, but do not commonly occur at the university level. We have developed a repeatable model for a one-day competition in which high school, community college and university students can build confidence in their own critical thinking abilities and develop enthusiasm for…

This article highlights the limitations of our current educational system in terms of vocational learning and highlights the role that vocational learning can play in supporting youth development and improving youth outcomes. It discusses the role that nonschool settings can play in supporting vocational learning and suggests strategies to improve…

One of the most critical labor shortages facing the U.S. involves the number of young adults entering careers in what's now commonly referred to as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Equally troubling is that the participation of blacks and Hispanics in STEM careers continues to lag that of whites and Asians. High school is…

Motivated by the large differences in labor market outcomes across college majors, we survey the literature on the demand for and return to high school and post-secondary education by field of study. We combine elements from several papers to provide a dynamic model of education and occupation choice that stresses the roles of specificity of human…

All too often, the terms "career ready" and "college ready" are used interchangeably, and discussions around career readiness are limited to traditional academic skills that allow students to successfully enroll in postsecondary education. While there is no debate that a rigorous level of academic proficiency, especially in math and literacy, is…

With a firm belief that "no student deserves to be a number," Jill Martin, the 2007 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) MetLife High School Principal of the Year, has built her career on a commitment to giving every student a high quality education and a good start in life. With a degree in English and a craving…

It only takes an hour or two of roaming the halls of Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Tech Charter High School to detect an enduring attitude of accomplishment from both the teachers and the students. This atmosphere is intentional. The school, located in Chicago, was created specifically to hone the skills of individuals choosing…

The lack of U.S. students entering the science, technology, engineering, and math fields is one of teachers' primary educational woes. Surveys show that the small percentage of U.S. college students who choose to major in a math or science field gets even smaller by the end of students' freshman year. While the responsibility of STEM (science,…

Middle and high school math and science teachers provide the foundation for education in the growing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. They are crucial to California's efforts to remain competitive in a global economy. This policy brief looks at the shortage and challenges involved in recruiting and retaining fully prepared…

The article provides vignettes of current career, life style, and religious/political choices of 20 individuals who had attended the seven-week Georgia Governor's Honors program in the summer of 1965. (DB)

To help students with exceptional math and science skills debate career options, the Indianapolis (Indiana) Public Schools have established a mentoring program linking such students with exemplary adult scientists and mathematicians. The program allows students to apply their skills and use specialized instruments in industrial settings. Sample…

This issue of "Lessons Learned" carries the heading "They're Not Little Kids Anymore: The Special Challenge of New Teachers in High Schools and Middle Schools." It goes without saying that almost all parents love their children dearly, but nearly 9 in 10 admit "kids become a lot more challenging when they hit the teen years." So in a way, it…

Scholars have long acknowledged the role schools have in reproducing a sexual division of labor. Despite the reemergence of a feminist movement and anti-sex-discrimination legislation, schools are still places where boys and girls tend to study different curricula and where traditional sex roles are perpetuated. Physics, calculus, and shop classes…