Career Development Program. A Report of the Pre-Program Development Study Concerning the Milwaukee Career-Development Program

Abstract

Operating under the presupposition that there exists in the Milwaukee Public School System a population of high school youth whose educational needs are not being met through present programs, this study was directed toward ascertaining the dimensions of the problem, including defining the population and its educational needs, determining to what extent these needs are being fulfilled, and proposing alternatives if warranted. Activities carried out during the study included: (1) selection of four secondary schools for intensive study, (2) administration of a questionnaire to assess student perceptions and value orientations, (3) development of school-community profiles for each of the 15 schools in the district, and (4) a national canvass of all school systems with a student population of over 50,000. Results of the study revealed that there is an identifiable need for a career development program and, within the context of career development, a need for expanded vocational education opportunities. The greatest need appears to be in the inner-city schools. However, the study indicates that a majority of the students who are disenchanted by the school system are not exclusively in inner-city schools; hence, the phenomenon of student dissonance should be recognized as a city-wide concern. On the basis of the results of this study, it is recommended that the concepts of career education and community-based education be combined into a program of career development. (Several pages may be light.) (SB)