High School Issues

High school students are faced with the daunting task of making choices that will have momentous consequences on the remainder of their lives. They must choose whether to pursue higher education at a four-year college or university, begin their studies at a two-year community college, start a vocational training program, or enter the workforce directly after high school.

For those students who decide they want to pursue a college education, the choices to be made only multiply: students must decide how to present themselves in the optimal light on college applications, which colleges to apply to, and which college to ultimately attend.

Fortunately, most public high schools have a “guidance office” and guidance counselors who are given the job of helping students to navigate the sea of tough decisions that must be made towards the end of high school.

But are high school students getting the help and advice that they need from the guidance counselors at public schools? A new study released by the nonprofit research organization Public Agenda suggests that most people who have graduated from public high schools in the last decade do not feel that their school guidance counselors provided them with any meaningful advice.

This video shows a demonstration interview by a guidance counselor.

The Problems with the Current High School Guidance System

Lack of Personal Attention

In its response to

The topic of sex education always sparks intense debate, and now the conversation may become even more heated. As more public schools from New York to Milwaukee contemplate providing free condoms on campus, students are caught in the crossfire of the debate.

Milwaukee Public Schools may soon join the small ranks of public school districts nationwide to provide high school students with access to free condoms. The school district's health officials cite concerns about the spread of sexually transmitted diseases as evidence of the need for a plan to make condoms accessible to students who need them. The proposed plan would allow a student to receive two condoms after a consultation with the school nurse, who would also provide the student with literature pertaining to the risks of sexual activity.

While it is not yet clear if the Milwaukee school board will approve the plan, the proposal has resurfaced a national debate over whether condoms have a place in public high schools.

The Advocates for Condom Distribution

Those who support making condoms available as part of a public high school's sex education program make several arguments:

* Condoms Needed to Prevent Spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections
In 2008, the Center for Disease Control released a study showing that one in four teenage girls in America has at least one sexually transmitted infection, and that nearly half of African-American teenage girls had at least one sexually transmitted infection. Advocates for condom distribution in public schools point these studies as

Entering into the medical field no longer means demanding college lab classes, medical school, and residency programs. In fact, you can start your medical career right at your local public school. Indeed, some public high schools are offering medical vocational programs that prepare their students for the medical industry – right after earning their high school diploma.

The NCES report, Vocational Education in the U.S. reports that "Most public high school students participate in vocational education. In 1992, almost all public high school graduates (97 percent) completed at least one vocational education course, and 87 percent completed at least one occupationally specific course (table 1). On average, graduates completed the equivalent of almost four full-year courses in vocational education (3.8 credits), with two and a half of these courses in occupational program areas."

Medical Training during High School

While many public schools across the country offer their own unique versions of vocational training, schools in the Western Colorado region are earning great acclaim for their healthcare profession programs, which are held in conjunction with the local community college.

As the Daily Sentinel reports, eligible juniors and seniors from the area’s seven high schools can apply for an advanced medical training program hosted at Western Colorado Community College. Focusing on the profession of healthcare, “The courses whet students’ appetites for careers in health care by offering a broad introduction to the field.” High school students in the program receive advanced

Many teens are attracted to the glamorous appeal of high-fashion style, runways, and celebrity trends. Fortunately, through innovative public school course offerings, students can begin to develop the skills needed to pursue a career in the fashion industry. While many public schools offer fashion design courses, some students can even enroll in public high schools devoted strictly to fashion!

Innovative Public Schools Dedicated to Fashion

If you live in New York City and have a serious passion for fashion, consider enrolling in New York’s Fashion High School. While it may sound fictional, Fashion High School (FHS) is an award-winning and widely celebrated public school for fashion-forward teens.

Considered one of the top schools in New York, FHS provides teens with “Challenging, creative, and effective vocational, technical and academic” opportunities. In fact, FHS has even garnered national media attention. In fact, both the U.S. News and World Report and the New York Times have published articles celebrating the school’s success. Furthermore, after evaluating more than 18,000 schools, experts from leading institutions awarded FHS as one of the best schools in the country.

This video reports on a day at the Fashion Industries High School.

FHS aims to provide students with an educational experience that is personally, socially, and professionally sound. Specifically, educators guide students through lessons that center on core issues such as:

• Students work together collaboratively

Did you know that student dropout rates are still continuing to rise in some of the United States' most populated areas? According to Fox News, America's Promise Alliance reveals that in many urban areas, approximately half of public school students do not earn their high school diplomas. This report further found that 17 of the nation's 50 largest cities have graduation rates below 50 percent. Among the lowest cities are Detroit, Indianapolis, and Cleveland. In examining this crisis on a larger spectrum, only 70 percent of the United States' high school students graduate on schedule each year, and 1.2 million students opt to drop out of school each year. Although the current dropout epidemic is bleak, some school leaders have fortunately found programs to help transform their negative graduation rates.

This video reports on America's dropout epidemic.

Solving the Country's Educational Crisis

In response to the grim dropout statistics, the United States former Secretary of State Colin Powell stated “When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it's more than a problem, it's a catastrophe.” Powell's wife, Alma Powell, further elaborated on the importance of high school education – arguing that public schools prepare individuals for higher education, new challenges, and issues that extend far beyond a classroom.

To address the many problems associated with this crisis, Colin and Alma Powell have created the Chair