Motivation Matters

This article in The Houston Chronicle talks about how schools in the Houston district are trying to create a "college-bound culture" for their students in order to increase the number of students who go to college after high school. The story doesn't go into much detail about what the district is doing in order to do that besides establishing more college centers to help students apply and find financial aid, but it does say that the district had successfully beefed up its number of college counselors in its high schools.

Still, the article mentions that even with the new effort to boost college-going rates, Houston lags behind other districts in the area.

I'm sure having college counselors on hand to help students with the application process impacts the number of students who apply, but I wonder if that's enough to get kids motivated to go to college. It seems like that kind of change in mindset would require a shift in all aspects of education, starting way before high school even begins.

What do you think? What can school districts do to help increase college-going rates? How early should those efforts start, and how effective are they?

Posted by Katie Ash at 12:30 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I was glad to see in the July 31 Baltimore Sun that even in a time when school districts and local governments are strapped for cash, some programs are still deemed important enough to warrant continued funding. Baltimore's YouthWorks program, which employs thousands of students during the summer, received about $300,000 from the state government in funding this year, which contributed to the program finding work for about 6,500 students--up from 5,400 last year, says the article.

This program not only boosts the workforce in Baltimore, but also exposes teens to a myriad of careers and allows them to see their education at work first hand. That experience is instrumental in helping students draw connections between what they learn in school and the "real world." Sounds like a pretty constructive way to spend a summer, in my opinion.

Posted by Katie Ash at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Debbie Viadero has a new story up on edweek.org about a book that explores the number of "rudderless youths" who go through high school and sometimes college without a clear sense of what they want to do with their lives afterwards.

The book, The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children Find Their Calling in Life, calls on both parents and educators to help students focus their interests and explore possible career paths at a younger age. A narrowed curriculum, says the author William Damon, along with feelings of alienation from society, may be contributing to an increase in the number of students who are "disengaged" with their future. Only about one-fifth of students surveyed for the study felt that they had a strong sense of purpose, whether that meant building a career, starting a family, or participating in a religion, according to the article.

This phenomenon is one that I am perhaps a bit too familiar with. As an English major with philosophy and French minors, when I graduated college, I was bombarded with questions of what I was going to do next. "Are you going to teach?," was the most common one. I told them no, probably not, but the truth was, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, nor did most of my peers. It was definitely one of the most unsettling, times of my life.

Fortunately (and sort of miraculously), I found a job that I enjoy, working in subject areas that I am interested in. But a lot of my friends who graduated at the same time as me are either waiting tables, working retail, interning, volunteering, or trying out other odd jobs to see what they might want to pursue as a career. It's not that these people aren't passionate or dedicated to certain subject areas, it's just that I don't think anyone ever told us how to translate those interests into a career.

And, as the article points out, I think this has major implications for education. If students aren't engaged with their future, they are much less likely to find their classes relevant and be motivated to do well in them. Damon contends that schools play a pivotal role in helping students figure out what they want to do with their lives, and more emphasis should be put on exposing them to different career paths and encouraging interests that could help fuel a sense of purpose.

However, while I initially agree with the idea, I'm not totally sure that such a plan would help. Job markets are constantly evolving, and a lot of jobs that students may want to have in the future haven't even been invented yet. Plus, I think it's sometimes hard to tell what you want to do until you try it out. I mean, I completely resisted the idea of being a reporter until I became one, and now I love it.

What do you think? Is it the educator's job to help students figure out future plans? Or is that the job of the individual student? Or perhaps their parents? Would such an emphasis on the future even make a difference?

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:25 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I was searching YouTube today for motivation-related material and I found this college commencement speech by Steve Jobs of Apple Computer. Sure, it's a little dated (2005), but it's an excellent speech about bouncing back from setbacks, the power of curiosity and creativity, and the importance of following a dream. It might offer some food for thought as the second half of the 2007-08 school year approaches. Check it out.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 1:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I'm not one to hold grudges, but my college application process was one of the most stressful and disappointing experiences in my recent memory. Despite four years of extracurricular activities, volunteer work, college-level classes, and loads of homework, I was still rejected from my first-choice school. Afterwards, I felt that if I had chosen to take a less-rigorous curriculum during high school, I would have had higher grades, and consequently, a higher class rank, which may have resulted in an acceptance letter.

Of course, that's all speculative, and some would just call me bitter, but I don't think I'm alone in my frustration. This past fall, I watched my younger sister struggle with the same problem I had when I was applying to college: how to get admissions officers to see you as more than a class rank. So it made me happy to see this article in the Dallas Morning News, which says that the University of Texas at Austin's admissions officers are putting less emphasis on rank, and more focus on essays, what classes the student took, and other factors.

When admissions officers look at each kid as a whole package, I think it makes students more likely to pursue activities, courses, and curricula that interest and inspire them most, rather than choosing whatever will keep them in the top 10 percent of their class. For some students, those paths are synonymous; others are not so lucky. I do not regret choosing the curriculum that I did in high school, as it shaped the way I think and instilled in me a life-long love of learning and education, but I do wish that it had not come at such a high price.

Enthusiasm, motivation, and determination are qualities that are strong predictors of success, but they can't always be defined by a number. And I think it's great that more college admissions officers are warming up to that idea.

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Motivation Matters reader Bill Betzen of Dallas has requested some feedback about a middle school initiative to improve student motivation and academic achievement. The initiative is called The Middle School Archive Project: Student Motivation and Dropout Prevention and it aims to get kids to think more about what they would like to achieve in the future and how to get there.

In a recent comment on this blog, Bill asked for feedback on what you like or don't like about the initiative and how it might be improved.

So, let's give Bill some help. Check out the initiative and then let's start a discussion here about what is good, or not so good, about the project.

I am sure Bill would appreciate your feedback.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Back in May, I had promised to keep readers up to speed on any developments in the Wisconsin Covenant program, which plans to offer guaranteed college placement and financial aid to high school students in the state who maintain B averages.

Well, here's the latest: Almost 10,000 ninth graders in the state have signed a pledge that promises them a route to a college in Wisconsin if they meet certain goals, according to a recent Associated Press story.

That number seems like a first step toward determining how effective such external motivators can be. But it's also worth noting there are 75,000 ninth graders in the state, meaning only a fraction signed the pledge. That raises the question: Why would they choose not to sign up?

There are also issues that still need to be resolved, as the Associated Press story points out. For starters, the covenant remains a proposal by Gov. Jim Doyle that has yet to get legislative approval. And it's still not clear how the governor plans to pay for the program, especially if its popularity grows.

Stay tuned for future updates.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 12:24 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A growing number of schools across the country are asking or requiring students to pick an academic major or specialty before they enter high school. Seems a bit premature for most kids, who probably do not have a clue what career they want to pursue. My oldest son, for one, picked engineering as his concentration.

Still, if picking a major gets students more interested in coming to school and paying attention, then it's an idea worth considering. The Seattle Public Schools blog addressed this issue in a recent post.

What do you think? Should high schools have incoming freshmen pick their academic majors? What problems might occur with such efforts?

For a little more context on the issue, read the Associated Press story on the extended part of this entry. It comes from a new AP wire service Education Week is using.

Continue reading "Picking a Major: Good or Bad Idea?" »

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

With diplomas in hand, most new high school graduates would rather spend the summer soaking up their last moments of leisure before they have to tackle college work and make career plans. But a group of Miami students were motivated instead to tackle complicated, real-world lessons in Washington this summer, as the Miami Herald reports.

The students, who graduated this year from Killian Senior High School, started a grass-roots lobbying campaign on behalf of a friend, Juan Gomez, and his family, who faced deportation to their native Columbia. After weeks of flooding lawmakers' offices with letters, e-mails, and faxes—and using the social-networking site Facebook to rally others to do so, too—10 students went to Washington to meet with key members of Congress. For a week and a half, the newspaper reports, the students spent long days walking the halls and waiting for their chance to plea the family's case. They also pushed for support of pending immigration bills that would help the family.

In the end, the Gomez family was released from detention and given a 45-day reprieve.

It’s pretty striking how this cause sparked such passion and determination in these young men and women. I’m sure they learned more compelling lessons about how the government works this summer than perhaps throughout their academic careers so far.

We've all all heard stories of children taking action to help others or push particular policies or causes. Often their experiences teach concrete lessons they have trouble absorbing from a textbook or lecture, whether they be science concepts, math skills, or civic principles.

How can educators motivate students through real-world lessons, and what are the challenges of incorporating them into the curriculum?

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Twenty years ago, George Weiss and his then-wife, Diane, offered an entire class of 6th graders an opportunity that would make many students green with envy. Finish high school, the Weisses said, and we'll pay for your college education.

Some kids took full advantage of the offer. For example, Jarmaine Ollivierre, a former special ed student, has earned a slew of degrees and now works as an engineer for NASA.

Despite the standouts, though, only 20 out of the 112 students ended up getting a bachelor's degree. That's less than 18 percent.

Just goes to show you that not even a free ride can keep some kids in school.

Posted by Jess Tonn at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Texas high school students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class would no longer be guaranteed a spot at a flagship state university under legislation the Texas House tentatively approved capping those admissions, according to the Associated Press.

As it is, Texas students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class are guaranteed admission to the state university of their choice.

If this measure eventually goes into effect, it will be interesting to see what impact it has on the state's high achievers. Will they push themselves even harder because there is no guarantee of admission? Or will they slack off a bit, feeling that hard work offers no guarantee?

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 1:01 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A program in Wisconsin that begins this week is worth watching to see if it has its intended impact on student motivation.

The program, The Wisconsin Covenant, promises high school students a spot in college or technical schools as well as financial aid if they maintain a B average, take college preparatory classes, stay out of trouble, and do community service work, according to an Associated Press article.

The cost of the program will depend on how many of the state's 75,000 8th graders sign up and meet the requirements, according to AP.

If the program succeeds, we'll have to give a nod to the powers of external motivation. If it fails, we'll be left wondering, yet again, what it takes to motivate today's high schoolers.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

A story published the day after Christmas in the Chicago Tribune titled "Schoolwork Beats the Working World" recently caught my eye.

According to researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, teenagers and their parents appear to be getting the message that a college education provides a bigger payoff, in the long run, than the quick cash of low-end jobs many teenagers take at the expense of their schoolwork, the article says.

The article points out that more and more parents are discouraging their children from taking such jobs when they are in high school. Rather, they want them to be rested for school and motivated to do well.

The Federal Reserve Bank researchers point out in the article that the wage payoff linked to a college education is nearly double what it was in the late 1970s. This is the kind of data that should be shared with every middle and high school student in the country, especially those who think that just 'getting by' in school will not come back to haunt them later in life when they wonder why they are not making more money.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:13 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)