10300 E 81st St.
Tulsa, OK 74133
April 27, 2022
Cyndi Todd
ENGL 2333 Student
11408 S. Date St.
Jenks, Ok 74037
Dear Professor France:
This is my report of the benefits of incorporating Life Skills into high schools. While preparing my report I
found excellent examples and statistics of those benefits. I am confident that my information will help school
officials and law makers make a well-informed decision on adding these classes into local high schools. Thank
you for your help, guidance, and support through this process.
Though many schools did away with classes like Life Skills in previous generations due to budget cuts, I
believe they will see the need and benefit in adding them back in a more structured way. Society and the
students will benefit from these classes being a requirement for graduation.
Students are our future and they will eventually be the ones making decisions about laws, voting, and working
in society. Life Skills classes are essential for the success of the future members and leaders of our society.
These are skills our parents and great grandparents learned in school and at home and unfortunately are lacking
in most of today’s youth. These classes will not only give them the valuable skills they need, but it will build
their confidence and chances for success.
I enjoyed working on this project as it is something I am passionate about, and I would be happy to answer any
questions you may have. Please feel free to call me at 918-924-4931 or email me at cyndi.todd2@tulsacc.edu
Sincerely,
Cyndi Todd
Cyndi Todd
Incorporating Life Skills Classes
Incorporating Life Skills
Classes in High school
For
Principals
Teachers
School Boards
State Department of Education
By
Cyndi Todd
Technical and Professional
Writing Student
April 21, 2022
Incorporating Life Skills Classes
Table of Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Data Section .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Factors contributing to the need for Life Skills Classes ............................................................................ 2
What young Americans wish they had learned more about in school ................................................. 2
Young adults ages 18-26 living at home with their parents. ................................................................ 2
Skills required to find and keep a job........................................................................................................ 3
Advantages of Young Adults taking Life Skills classes in high school........................................................ 4
Drawbacks of incorporating Life Skills classes in high schools as a graduation requirement. ................. 5
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Summary of Findings................................................................................................................................. 6
Recommendation...................................................................................................................................... 6
References .................................................................................................................................................... 7
Figures and Tables
Figure 1 What young Americans wish they had learned in school ............................................................... 2
Figure 2 Young adults living with parents .................................................................................................... 3
Figure 3 Top 10 skills/Qualities Employers Seek ......................................................................................... 4
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
Abstract
The importance of incorporating Life Skills Classes into graduation requirements based on
analysis of the value of skills, young adult’s views, and research.
Life Skills classes are valuable for all high school students. These classes teach students basic
skills needed to succeed in everyday life. Students will graduate being confident that they can
take care of their basic needs, manage their money, and handle common issues that come with
being an adult living on their own.
High school students would have four years to take Life Skills classes in order to satisfy this
potential graduation requirement. Class should be taught by a certified teacher with experience in
the life skill they are focusing on. Teachers will go through training on how to present the
material in a way that is easily understood by students with assessments to track progress and
whether or not a student is grasping the concepts.
Examples of six core Life Skills competencies are:
 Home Economics
 Automotive Care
 Self-Advocacy
 Work Place Readiness
 Budgeting
 Understanding Insurance & Taxes
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
Introduction
High school graduates are leaving high school with volunteer experience, good grades, musical
or athletic talent, but sadly not many of them know how to plan a meal, cook for themselves, or
do their own laundry. They don’t know how to manage their finances or file taxes. All of these
basic necessary skills are essential for their life long success. Most schools did away or
diminished those classes due to budget cuts. The emphasis on academics has become more
prevalent than previous generations. Our students deserve to learn not just book knowledge or
how to get an athletic scholarship. They need to learn how to take care of themselves and or
future families.
Requiring students to take Life Skills classes that will give them knowledge in six core life skills
areas will help them become more well-rounded, self-sufficient, and product members of society.
High schools can give student the four years of high school to complete these courses. They can
hire or train teachers in Life skills areas to give students quality education in these areas. The
classes need to incorporate hands-on learning and not just book or video learning.
The six core Life skills areas include:
1. Home Economics (meal planning, shopping, cooking, sewing, laundry)
2. Automotive care (checking the oil, adding fluid, changing a tire, when to take it
in for service)
3. Self-Advocacy (learn everything about yourself from needs, strengths,
challenges, know your rights and responsibilities as an adult, interpersonal skills)
4. Workplace Readiness (job & career exploration, resume/applications, workplace
etiquette, rights &responsibilities as an employee, entrepreneurship)
5. Budgeting (how to create/balance a budget, stay within a budget, savings, &
investing)
6. Understanding Insurance & Taxes (how to choose health insurance and car
insurance, know what is covered, what is a co-pay and deductible, how to fill out
a W-4 how many dependents should I list and why does it matter, how and when
to file taxes, self-employed taxes)
Let’s answer a couple of questions about incorporating Life Skills classes as a graduation
requirement:


Should incorporating the six core Life Skills classes be a requirement?
Why are these classes so important?
This report analysis information gathered from professionals and research to help answer these
questions. After defining what Life Skills classes are this analysis examines required skills,
benefits, and possible drawbacks of this proposed requirement.
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
Data Section
Factors contributing to the need for Life Skills Classes
Generations focusing on high academics instead of skills and family has contributed to a need for
these classes.
What young Americans wish they had learned more about in school. Students reported wishing
they were taught these skills in school as reported by Bank of America.
The study included 2,108 young adults ages 18-26 that participated in surveys about their views on
financial matters. This study also included interviews.
1. Investing and money management ranked number 1 on the list
2. Job skills were the second highest skill they wanted to learn
3. House hold skills came in third on the list of what they wished they learned in school
As you can see young adults also believe they should have been taught the basic life skills needed to be
successful (Figure 1)
What young Americans wish they had learned more about
in school
How to do laundry and other household chores
How to navigate the workplace
How to be an effective public speaker
How to find a job
How to prepare for a job interview
How to save for retirement
How to manage monthly bills
How to invest
0%
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Column1
Figure 1 What young Americans wish they had learned in school
Figure 1 What young Americans wish they had learned in school
Source: adapted from Young Americans & Money,
a new Bank of America/USA TODAY Better Money Habits report
Young adults ages 18-26 living at home with their parents. We all know that the covid
pandemic greatly increased the number of young adults living at home, but the number was
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
already high. In fact, the number of young adults living with their parents has been steadily rising
since the 1960s. (Fry et al.) Young adults are more likely to have high student loan debt and
inability to budget their money. This is due in part to not only generations focusing more on high
academic achievement, but also school pushing the same focus.
Figure 2 Young adults living with parents
Figure 2 Young adults living with parents.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of decennial census 1900-1990;
Current Population Survey annual averages 200-2019; 2020 Current Population
Survey monthly files (lPUMS).
While many young adults moved back in with their parents because of the issues surrounding the
pandemic, many more moved back in because of high student loans, lack of savings, high debt,
loss of employment, and divorce. Young adults need to know how to manage money, do basic
life skills, manage debt, and learn how to find and keep a job.
As a professional teacher that works with uniquely abled high school students and a mom of
college and high school students, I have seen firsthand the struggles that these young adults face
after years and years of only focusing on academics, music, or being great athletes. While those
skills helped them get into good colleges, they haven’t prepared them for life after school.
Skills required to find and keep a job. Young adults need to know how to choose a career,
search for that job, apply for or submit a resume for that job and interview for it. Young adults
that know their strengths and weakness and how to turn a weakness into a strength is a valuable
job skill. Knowing their options for careers in fields that interest them, how to create a resume
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
that stands out, how to interview and make a good impression is priceless. Figure 3 will show
you the top 10 skills employers are looking for in an employee. (“Skills”)
Top 10 Skills/Qualities Employers Seek:

Ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization.

Ability to work in a team structure.

Ability to make decisions and solve problems.

Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work.

Ability to obtain and process information.

Ability to analyze quantitative data.

Technical knowledge related to the job.

Proficiency with computer software programs.

Ability to create and/or edit written reports.
Ability to sell or influence others.
Figure 3 Top 10 skills/Qualities Employers Seek
Figure 3 Top 10 Skills/Qualities Employers Seek
Source: Boston University Center for Career Development RSS
Employers are looking for young adults that are independent and number one on everyone’s list
of qualities they are looking for is communication. The skill of communication is one of the
areas that would be covered in a Life Skills class under Self Advocacy and Workplace readiness.
Other necessary skills employers are looking for like decision and problem-solving skills,
planning, organizing, and prioritizing would be covered under Home Economics, Self-Advocacy,
and Workplace Readiness. As you can see from the list above academic skills are still important
but basic Life Skills are also a need.
Advantages of Young Adults taking Life Skills classes in high school. There are many
advantages of students taking Life Skills classes in high school. These classes will build their
confidence to be independent young adults. They will give them the tools and knowledge to
manage their finances, take care of themselves and their household, maintain their vehicles, and
due their duty as a taxpayer without the stress and aggravation most people without those skills
face.
Ben Renner who wrote an article on Survey: “Average American uses just 37% of knowledge,
skills learned in high school said Nine in ten respondents agree that life would be much easier if
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
they’d been taught more practical skills — a major reason why the average person doesn’t feel
that they truly grasp “adult” life skills until they’re 29 years old.” (Renner et al.)
Students who learn automotive care basics will save money over time by avoiding unnecessary
car repairs due to lack of maintenance. We have more confidence when traveling by car knowing
their vehicle has been maintained and they can change a flat tire instead of waiting on the side of
the road for help. According to AAA the average cost of maintaining a vehicle is $792 a year or
$66 a month. Not maintain your vehicle could void your warranty, cause a bigger more
expensive issue, or even an accident.
So many adults struggle with making insurance choices and doing their taxes. Choosing
insurance can be a frustrating and confusing problem. Often times adults have to pay for a tax
preparer and hope everything is right because in the end the government will still hold us
accountable for the accuracy of our tax records. Young Adults will have an understanding on
how to choose the right insurance and how to do their own taxes. This will not only give them
peace of mind, but save them money. According to the National Society of Accountants’ 2018–
2019 Income and Fees Survey, “the average tax preparation fee for a tax professional to prepare
a Form 1040 and state return with no itemized deductions is $188” (qtd in What’s). It also states
that itemizing deductions makes the average cost go up by more than $100 to $294 (“What’s”).
Drawbacks of incorporating Life Skills classes in high schools as a graduation requirement.
Some of the drawbacks of adding Life Skills as a graduation requirement is finding space in their
already full school schedule, finding qualified teachers, and the cost associated with hiring
teachers and paying for materials and supplies. Schools are already having a hard time finding
and keeping enough teachers to staff their schools and most schools already don’t have enough
money in their budgets for more classes and requirements without better funding. There is a
national teacher shortage as it is and more teachers leaving the profession already. This is partly
due to the fact that teachers are paid as much as “20 percent less than other college-educated
workers with similar experience is a huge obstacle to recruiting first-rate educators” (Walker).
By adding this requirement, it could put initial pressure and stress on the students to complete
more requirements in time, but ultimately give them confidence and peace of mind after
graduation. Although some students may feel more pressure to fit these classes in, I believe the
schools can accommodate them and work them into their schedule without much stress. The
students will see that they can do more for themselves and learn time management skills and
coping skills through these classes to offset any initial stress they may feel about them.
6
Incorporating Life Skills Classes
Conclusion
Summary of Findings
Life skills classes are essential for young adults graduating from high school. Research has
shown that even young adults 18-26 years old agree that they want to learn these valuable skills.
While there are some challenges to implementing these classes, there is a huge need for them.
Students will be prepared for life in college or starting their career. These classes lead to more
independent, confident, successful members of society.
Graduates will be more financial stable, not have to move back home with their parents, and will
have the tools they need in life and in their jobs. They will learn interpersonal skills along with
all of the basic life skills. We can see that the need can be met by including the six core Life
Skills classes during high school. Young adults will graduate with more than a high GPA, they
will be able to cook, manage a budget, advocate for themselves, maintain a vehicle, confidently
choose a health plan, file taxes with ease, and navigate adulthood successfully.
Recommendation
Life Skills classes should be added as a graduation requirement.
1. There is a need for these classes per the students themselves.
2. Colleges won’t have to offer these kinds of classes.
3. Young adults will gain the skills they need to become productive well-rounded members of
society.
4. Students will gain confidence in themselves and become more independent after graduation.
5. Young adults will be able to manage their finances and not have to move back home with
their parents.
6. They will save money by being able to do more things by themselves.
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Incorporating Life Skills Classes
References
Aaa. “What Does It Cost to Own and Operate a Car.” AAA Automotive, AAA, 7 Oct. 2015,
https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/what-does-it-cost-to-own-and-operate-a-car.
Fry, Richard, et al. “A Majority of Young Adults in the U.S. Live with Their Parents for the First
Time since the Great Depression.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 9 Sept.
2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/04/a-majority-of-young-adults-inthe-u-s-live-with-their-parents-for-the-first-time-since-the-great-depression/.
Renner, Ben, et al. “Survey: Average American Uses Just 37% of Knowledge, Skills Learned in
High School.” Study Finds, 21 Apr. 2022, https://www.studyfinds.org/survey-americansuse-37-percent-knowledge-learned-high-school/.
“Skills & Qualities Employers Look for " Center for Career Development: Boston University.”
Center for Career Development RSS, https://www.bu.edu/careers/internships-andjobs/skills-qualities-employers-look-for/.
Walker, Tim. “Educators Ready for Fall, but a Teacher Shortage Looms.” NEA, 17 June 2021,
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/educators-ready-fall-teachershortage-looms.
“What's the Average Cost of Tax Preparation?” Credit Karma, 9 Nov. 2020,
https://www.creditkarma.com/tax/i/pay-to-do-yourtaxes#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20National%20Society%20of%20Accountants'%
202018%E2%80%932019%20Income,more%20than%20%24100%20to%20%24294.
Young Americans & Money - About Bank of America. Bank of America in Partnership with Kahn
Academy, 2016, https://about.bankofamerica.com/assets/pdf/BOA_BMH_2016-REPORTv5.pdf.