Other Ways to Win: Creating Alternatives for High School Graduates

This book should be required reading for high school and middle school teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators. (And it wouldn't hurt for the elementary school educators to read it, either.) It is also recommended for parents who are concerned about the types of curriculums offered in high schools today.Gray and Herr say that the "one way to win" (i.e, the four-year college education) does not work for all students -- particularly many in what they call the academic middle. They say that many of these students enter four-year colleges ill prepared. They end up taking many remedial courses their first year, many do not finish college, and end up with high student loan debt.They recommend that students start to prepare a career plan in middle school or the first year in high school. Such plans should include a realistic assessment of the student's abilities to undertake a four-year college program. For many students, moving into one and two-year certificate and associate degree programs which lead to highly skilled, highly paying jobs would be a better alternative than a four-year college. Other students would benefit from a school-to-work transition program.In short, Gray and Herr say that the current academic system is failing many students, and we need to look at alternatives to help students succeed.