Reforming High School for the 21st Century

                   There is a world consensus that the governments, politicians, education systems` employees, parents and students must make an effort to upgrade the quality of education. The fourth industrial revolution is about to begin and we all should be prepared for the technological challenge. The law for the implementation of high school reform in Brazil in 2017 was a good step toward the right direction. Now depend on education system of every state for its effective implementation. We all know that integral high school is difficult to implement in the short-term, because most of high school buildings have classes of middle school in the afternoon, but at least the flexibilization of subjects and the sixth class are perfectly possible to implement next year in all schools in every state. The law demands that next year all high school in all states must work with the new system, and many researches have shown that this new system is better in preparing the students for a job after secondary education or further studies in the university. So, we must not forget to demand the correct  implementation of the high school reform from our governors next year. By the way we are waiting for the plan of its implementation. So far there is not a plan for all schools in the state of MG. We are anxious to know if this new high school will be exactly how it is in the law. We should not wait more, we are wasting precious time. The high school reform approved by Congress in 2017 is the best option to improve the Brazilian education, in the short-term, the sixth class and the flexibilization will deep the students knowledge in their subjects chosen, and in the long-term the integral school will give time for students learn more their weakness.    This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at   http://horizon.unc.edu/projects/issues/papers/School_to_Work.html. The second with the incomplete title above was published at   http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/mf_PB06_ReformingHS.pdf

                 School to work programs, by definition, link students and schools with the workplace. This is accomplished through school partnerships with employers, unions, and other public and private sector organizations. Together, these organizations help students develop the skills needed for the competitive job market while making their educational experience relevant to the world they will experience as adults. Schools to work programs are becoming increasingly important in school reform movements. They encourage curricular restructuring towards a contextual learning environment. With such a restructuring, the universal complaint of students, "why are we learning this when we won't ever use it" will be laid to rest. Application learning makes formal education relevant to life. The belief is that vocational program are for the low-achieving students, while academic programs are for the higher-achieving students who will probably seek post-secundary education. However, those who attend college are unfamiliar with the variety of career paths. Even these students could have benefited from secundary career exploration. All students need to be prepared to enter the job market, and this should begin long before graduation. The school-to-work movement will encourage the linking of education to preparation for a well-chosen career path. Faced with a fast changing job market through which there seems to be no discernible pathway to economic ssurvival. non-college-bound students often exit high school with no marketable skills. In 1994, President Clinton signed the "School-to-work Initiative Act". Calling for the creation of a national system of school-to-work programs. By connecting the school environment to long-term job goals and earning potential, educators will be providing students with a motivating incentive previously lacking from most realms of secondary education.

          For decades, reading, writing and arithmetic provided the foundation for all subsequent learning. In today's information society, those basic skills, while necessary, are not sufficient. Revitalizing education and making it relevant to 21st century requires supplementing with rigor, relationships, and relevance. In a revamped high school, the concept of rigor is broadened to include mastery not only of core academic subject but of the higher-order cognitive high school program aligns curriculu,. instruction and assessment with high standards. High schools in the process of transforming are often divided into smaller learning communities that provide individual support to each student and take responsibility for decisions related to their own learning. Students work cooperatively on tasks and assignments. Research tell us that students in such contexts have improved attendance, achieve higher levels and graduate in higher numbers. A growing number of students disengage from learning when the course content have not relevanceto real-world applications. Interest is growing in career and technical education, where teachers reengage students by coupling academic preparation with career and technical education. The American public understands that unless students master the skills athat the global economy demands, our nations's economic competitiveness will suffer.