DAVIS
Small Learning Communities
More about Pathways
Each student selects a specific Pathway within their Small Learning Community to complete prior to graduation. A Pathway is a sequence of classes which help move a student to the next level of their educational training. Students completing a pathway of classes are better prepared to enter the next level of education or career training. A student follows a Pathway leading them to future employment in an occupational field and/or further education. Pathways are useful in providing guidance counseling and assisting students in setting goals for high school graduation and further education.
While there are a few exceptions, to graduate from a Pathway a student will generally be required to complete three credits during their time at Davis.
Q: Are Pathways only designed for the person who does not intend to go to a four-year university?
A: Pathways are designed to support all academic levels. They support the student who intends to go to work upon graduation from high school; the student who intends to get an associates or technical degree or certificate; and the student who intends to continue their education for a baccalaureate degree or higher.
Q: My child isn't ready to make career decisions in the eighth or ninth grade. Why are you trying to box my kids in?
A: It is not boxing a child in to encourage them to take more rigorous academic courses or to teach them to use applied strategies that are effective with a variety of learning styles. We are starting a thought process that will help them be prepared for whatever they decide to do in the future.
By the way, a recent poll of eighth graders showed that 71% of them had either already decided on a career or had narrowed the choice between two or three careers.
Q: Why are you trying to lock my child into a Pathway that he or she cant change?
A: Pathways d not lock anyone into anything. It simply lays out a plan for each child that can be readily changed at any point. There is a established process for students to follow if they are interested in changing Pathways once they have completed the pathway entry-level course.
Q: Why are you pushing Pathways when everyone knows that the that the only sure road to success is a four-year college degree?
A: Today, 80 percent of the good jobs available to graduates are more likely to require two years not four years of college. A four-year degree no longer guarantees success in life. Even so, Pathways still prepare one for continuation toward a four-year or higher degree.
Q: I have a high school diploma. Why isn't that good enough for my kid?
A: Because the workplace has changed, one can no longer get a good job with only a high school education. Less 10% of the jobs call for unskilled labor.
Q and A about Pathways
"I like the Pathways because they help me pick the right elective courses"
"My Pathway gives me a more challenging selection of classes. My electives have more meaning."
"The Pathway has given my son a sense of direction, and the chance to graduate from a Pathway has become his goal."
"The best part is that I have a Pathway adviser who can help me pick my classes."
"A Pathway only requires 3 credits, so I can still take a wide range of electives."
"I was afraid a Pathway wold get in the way of my AP classes. Not a problem. I will graduate from a Pathway and have 5 AP classes."
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