Washington View

Abstract

Current policy and practice diverge from what the American public wants (as measured by the 2017 PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools) and a good bit of education research. This year’s PDK poll reveals a sharp rise in public support for integrating academic and career preparation, a view that closely aligns with research by the author’s organization, the Center for Education Policy. CEP recently analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network, which surveys employers on the kinds of skills and knowledge required for more than 900 jobs and occupations, and learned that the best way to prepare students for the fastest-growing jobs is by helping them cultivate a mix of social, personal, and academic strengths, including the ability to communicate effectively, to analyze and solve complex problems, to work well in teams, and to be persistent in the face of challenges.