Pickerington Local Schools has long encouraged students to choose their own paths to figure out their plans after graduation, but the district’s new online pathway tool offers them more autonomy than ever before.
For the 2017-18 school year, Pickerington created an exploratory, online pathway tool to help each high school student choose a curriculum that best fits his or her interests. The goal of this multidimensional system is to assist students in their preparation for college and career early on.
“This (tool) is not putting pressure on kids to choose a path. I would flip the coin and say the goal is to create excitement about their future,” says Maggie Buckley, curriculum coordinator for the district’s teaching and learning department.
Dean Sabetta, Pickerington’s college and career readiness instructional coach, adds that the pathways encourage students to take chances in their studies without any fear of getting behind.
“It allows kids to take a risk,” Sabetta says. “If a kid decides they don’t want to continue on this path, they’re not behind the eight-ball because the courses they are taking fulfill the necessary school requirements.”
The online “Course and Pathway Selection” tool allows students to take the John Holland RIASEC model survey, which matches a student’s personality type to an appropriate career. For example, if one chooses “Artistic” as one’s personality type, one is brought to a page that defines an “artist,” and then offered three different informal course pathways that concentrate on music, visual design or architecture, with a mapped-out curriculum plan for all four years in all five subjects. Further into the site is a detailed page of each profession, showing the “likes” and “dislikes” and suggested corresponding college majors.
Buckley and Sabetta emphasize that these informal pathways are only suggestions, serving as a guide to promote conversation and a meaningful course selection process.
On the “Program of Studies” tool, students can learn more about Pickerington’s formal pathways. These pathways range from marketing to biomedical engineering, offering a variety of opportunities for students, Buckley says.
Following one of these pathways can allow a student to graduate with an associate’s degree, hours of college credit, an honors diploma or even just a significant experience in a field of his or her choosing.
"It’s about giving kids opportunities to prepare them for college and a career,” says Ball
Though the pathways have a wealth of benefits, Sabetta stresses that they are by no means required.
“It’s about starting the conversation and making them aware of their options,” he says.
Nevertheless, preparing students for the future is crucial for Pickerington’s high schools, Buckley says.
“It’s urgent. It’s a priority,” she says. “It’s something we’re passionate about.”
Pickerington schools encourage discussion about college and careers starting at the middle school level. However, Sabetta points out that they’re “kids, not cattle,” and explains that the district wants to provoke conversations, not force kids into definitive paths.
College- and career-oriented curricula were first pushed by the parents, then taken on by staff with full force. Now, with this new online tool, the students are taking part in the fun.
“Kids who have seen this (tool) have been really excited about it,” Sabetta says. “It’s very interactive and very visual.”
The interactive curriculum pathway tool is only the beginning for Pickerington’s latest initiative to prepare students for their future.
Pressing forward, the district hopes to add computer science as another pathway option. Officials also hope to ramp up community engagement to help provide students with more hands-on field experience.
“Ultimately, it’s about giving kids opportunities to prepare them for college and a career,” says David Ball, district public relations director.
With the online tool, curriculum pathway options and a heavy focus on discussions, Buckley likes to think that Pickerington is on “the cutting edge” of college and career preparation, she says.
Alex Curran-Cardarelli is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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