Research Proposal
Running head: The effect of career education on the economically disadvantaged
The Effect of Career Education on the Economically Disadvantaged
EDRS 5305
Dr. Teresa Cortez
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Research Proposal
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Abstract
Rio Bravo Middle School services 420 students ranging from the sixth grade through the
eighth grade. In the eighth grade, there are 121 economically disadvantaged students in the atrisk population. Out of these 121 students, approximately 10% of these students will be able to
continue their education immediately upon graduation from high school. The purpose of this
study is to determine if Career Education helps these students continue their education beyond
high school, in addition to finding employment that will lead them to become successful
members of their community, as is the stated mission of the Ysleta Independent School District.
This research will track the economically disadvantaged students of Rio Bravo Middle School
through their high school education to determine if these students pursue careers in identified
interest areas.
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The effect of career education on the economically disadvantaged
Problem
Public schools have become the new environment to support and nurture at-risk students and
are the largest educational institution for providing long-term commitments and services to these
populations. According to Chapter 75, Subchapter BB in the Commissioner’s Rules Concerning
Special Provisions for Career and Technology Education, “students who are members of special
populations shall be provided career and technology services in accordance with all applicable
federal law and regulations.” Upon further inspection of these guidelines, it can be interpreted
that students with disabilities are the main focus of these services. (Texas Education Code,
Curriculum, Chapter 75.1023) Students who qualify for Career and Technology education are in
a special population and must follow an individualized education program (IEP). These
identified students are funded by the Carl D. Perkins Act. (Texas Education Code, Curriculum,
Chapter 75.1022) While it is understood that students with disabilities need special training for
the work world, this leaves the economically disadvantaged student population without career
education. Many young people from “economically disadvantaged backgrounds face a number of
challenges that can limit their chances of success in education and employment.” (Economic and
Social Research Council, Autumn 2002, number 9) Many of these students are not able to
continue their education upon high school graduation. In fact, many of these students leave
school to assist the family in financial matters. Therefore, it is the intent of this proposal to
provide economically disadvantaged students with the opportunity to obtain Career Education
throughout their high school career.
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Purpose of Study
The Financial Accountability System Resource Guide developed by TEA lists thirteen
identifiers for at-risk students.(Financial Accountability Resource Guide, 9.2.3.1, Compensatory
Education Guidelines) These identifiers address the following standards. Students who do not
perform satisfactorily on a readiness test or assessment instrument administered in the current
school year and/or those students who have not maintained a 70 percent in two or more subjects
in a core curriculum class during a semester. A child may be identified at-risk if they did not pass
the TAKS test in the previous year or has not passed from one grade level to the next for one or
more school years. Another consideration is that the student is pregnant or is a parent or has been
placed in an alternative education plan in the preceding school year. A student who has been
expelled, is currently on parole, deferred prosecution or other educational release may also fall
within the guidelines of an at-risk student. Any student who has been reported by the Public
Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to have dropped out of school or is a
student of English Limited Proficiency may also be categorized as at-risk. Any child who is in
the custody of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, is homeless or residing in a
residential facility, including a detention facility, substance abuse treatment facility, emergency
shelter, psychiatric hospital, halfway house or a foster group home may be identified in the atrisk population. Students may be placed in one or more of these categories to be considered atrisk. In addition to these state identifiers, students are classified at-risk economically if they are
participating in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program. This is our targeted group..
Because El Paso, and the Ysleta district, in particular has so many students who fall under these
guidelines, many economically disadvantaged students are not offered sufficient career training
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to secure financially rewarding job opportunities in the event they are unable to enter college
upon graduation. Ysleta ISD had 20,298 economically disadvantaged students in 2004, and not
all these students were enrolled in career education. (Texas Education Agency, 2004 District
Accountability Data Tables)
In this study, we hope to track 121 economically disadvantaged students from Rio
Bravo through high school to determine if the exposure they receive at the eighth grade level
assists them in their educational planning. Since these students are all required to take the initial
course for career planning at the eighth grade level, they will receive three separate assessments
to identify their particular interests in a career. During their eighth grade year, they will also have
the opportunity to develop a high school graduation plan. It is the purpose of this study to
determine if these students follow their personal high school plan by providing them with annual
assessments and curriculum and career guidance opportunities throughout their high school
years.
Questions to be Answered
Prior to the 2004-05 academic school year, students were not offered career education courses
at the eighth grade level, except as an elective. Students did have the chance to attend career
fairs at the high school level. However, these fairs are not attendance required, nor is attendance
monitored by the teachers. Students may or may not attend these career fairs. We want to ensure
that our identified population attends career fairs and we want to know if attendance at these fairs
impacts their educational and occupational choice. Pikulshi states that intervention programs that
are successful incorporate programs that are offered early, tied to the work students are doing as
a normal part of their school routine, are offered on a regular and frequent basis and supplement
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the classroom instruction. We want to know if our identified population is provided with career
education opportunities throughout high school, will they seek higher education and/or
specialized training for well-paying occupations. High schools provide school-to-work
opportunities as specified in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 75, Curriculum, and Subchapter
BB. As previously stated, this part of the code only addresses students who have physical or
learning disabilities. Students who are economically disadvantaged have a unique set of needs
that also affect their educational and career opportunities. Those influences usually result in low
academic achievement, low self esteem, disciplinary problems and peer relationships (Project
Based Education; Robert L. Web, 2000)
We want to know if economically disadvantaged students should be offered the opportunity to
enroll in school-to-work programs. We also want to know if these students would benefit from
consistent career education and planning.
Hypothesis
Does career education have an impact on the at-risk population, specifically those students
who are economically disadvantaged? Jackson states that integrated instruction with programs
emphasizing professional aspects and prospects aid in motivating at-risk students. Students who
are challenged with meaningful activities such as exploring real-world issues and relating them
to culture, knowledge and experience are more likely to succeed in school and pursue higher
education or skilled labor occupations. Findings also cite intellectual gains from career planning
due to the following factors; at-risk students are motivated by the deviation from routine,
classroom based instruction, increased problem solving abilities and increased student
achievement through volunteer work. (Hedin, 1989) As a result of this information, we feel that
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formal career education and planning will help economically disadvantaged students complete
high school and be prepared for higher education or skilled labor occupations.
Significance
At-risk students are usually those who are not experiencing success in school. They are
usually low academic achievers exhibiting low self-esteem. Some have disciplinary or behavior
difficulties and their peer relationships are problematic. As they fall behind their peers due to
their experiences with failure, school becomes a pessimistic environment that reinforces their
negative conception of themselves and their future. (Pokalow, V., Lives on the Edge)
The Ysleta mission statement is “All students who enroll in our schools will graduate fluently
bilingual in two or more languages, prepared and inspired to continue their education at a four
year college, university or institution of higher learning so that they may become successful
members in their communities.” The challenge in this statement is convincing all stakeholders in
this process that the higher education is a reality for all our students. However, the students who
are subjects in this study may not have the chance to continue their education immediately upon
graduation from high school and are the focus of this research project.
Beginning in the 2004-05 academic school year, all eighth grade students in the Ysleta district
are required to take Career Investigation. Prior to this educational shift, students were not
exposed to information about career education at this level. Because students did not have this
information, they were not adequately prepared for the rigorous course requirements for high
school that would lead to graduation, higher education or the work world. While students did
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have the opportunity to assess their career needs, they did not have the chance to pursue their
career interests or develop a plan for graduation that would assist them in graduating with a
strong college preparatory foundation, or with necessary skills and training to secure
employment.
Previous to this year, economically disadvantaged students embarked on their high school
education without an appropriate pathway to follow in order to achieve their career or academic
goals. With the inclusion of Career Investigation in the eighth grade year, students will have the
opportunity to examine their interests, abilities and skills and acquire the knowledge necessary to
make informed choices about their future. Career Investigation addresses student interests, needs,
abilities and skills, while providing them with the opportunity to examine the career that interests
them. This guided discovery into the work world helps students chart the course of their future
by requiring each student to develop a plan for high school graduation. (Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills, Chapter 127.2f)
The study group for this proposal will be tracked through their high school years to
determine if their career educational planning has helped them to stay in school, graduate and
make informed decisions about their future career.
Major Variables
Method
All students enrolled in Career Investigation at Rio Bravo Middle School who continue their
education at Ysleta High School will participate in the study. However, only those students in
our sample population will have their progress tracked. Students and parents will be given a
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letter of informed consent upon registration for eighth grade. The letter of consent will inform
parents and students of this four year study. Participation beyond the eighth grade will be
voluntary. A student may withdraw from the study by submitting a written letter requesting such
signed by both the student and the parent. The instruments used to assess the students at
inception will be the Career Occupational Preference System (COPS) and Career Ability
Placement Survey (CAPS), The COIN program and the Career Targets Interest Survey. At the
high school level, age appropriate assessments will be devised and given to students as they
progress through their education. High school students will be given these assessments prior to
registration for the following academic year. Results will be compared to the previous survey,
course credits will be noted and appropriate course changes will be made at that time.
Procedure
The initial assessment for students will take place in October of the eighth grade year with
students taking the COPS and CAPS Career Interest Survey. These assessment tools have a twopronged approach of identifying student interests and abilities. The first assessment given to
students is the COPS test, which surveys student interests (EdITS, San Diego, CA., copyright
1995, Educational Research and Services). This survey asks students to rate their interest level in
various work related tasks. Students rate their interests by indicating whether they are Very
Interested, Somewhat Interested, Little Interest, or No Interest. These opinions are given point
values of 3, 2, 1 and 0 respectively. Students then tally their interests and score them to
determine which career cluster is of most interest to them. The second assessment tool is the
CAPS, which is a battery of timed tests that assesses student’s skills and abilities in eight areas.
(CAPS Copyright 1976, EdITS, San Diego, CA) These areas are, Mechanical Reasoning, Spatial
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Relations, Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Ability, Language Usage, Word Knowledge, Perceptual
Speed and Accuracy and Manual Speed and Dexterity. These assessments are important because
not only do they measure student ability and interest, but they also help to identify strengths and
weaknesses in academic areas, therefore, allowing individual student needs to be addressed and
met. Following this initial assessment, students will have the opportunity to explore the career
options identified in their interest areas. The results of this test are scored by the counselor,
returned to the student and then kept in the student Cumulative Folder and forwarded to the high
school.
In January of the eighth grade year, students will take the second interest assessment survey
found within the COIN program. Students are asked 41 questions and are to rate them on a
sliding scale of neither agree or disagree. Upon completion of this survey, students are directed
to occupations that fall within the student interest area. Students then choose three occupations
that interest them. Within the COIN program are many of the occupations found in each career
cluster. Students can review their area of interest to find information such as qualifications,
education, salary and other meaningful career information. The important aspect of this program,
however, is the correlation of the chosen field and the recommended courses students should
take to achieve employment in this area. The COIN program also provides a list of most of the
colleges, universities and technical schools in the country, and provides students with a template
to make inquiries to their chosen academic institution. This program also provides students with
a template so they can make inquiries of the college or university of their choice.
The final assessment is given in May using the Career Targets interest survey. (Career
Exploration and Educational Planning Guide, Rod Durgin, Ph.D.) This assessment tool is a
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booklet designed for use with the COIN computer program (COIN Educational Products,
Toledo, OH, copyright 2003). It provides students with feedback about their career choices and
gives them specific information about high school classes necessary to obtain the proper training
to enter college or training for their chosen career fields. Students answer 112 questions about
work related tasks. Questions are identified with numerical answers of 1; Dislike, 2; Little
Interest, 3; Not Sure, 4; Might Like, and 5; Really Like. The questions are sorted so that they
correspond to the 14 identified career clusters in this assessment tool. Students are then shown a
list of careers that fall into that cluster. This booklet is formatted so that students have the ability
to see how career connections are made, how to locate jobs and job information and, finally, to
plan their high school education path. Students share this information with their parents and then
can use this completed booklet to plan and maintain their high school educational plan.
These assessments will be redesigned into an age appropriate format and administered to
students during their freshman, sophomore and junior years in high school. Students will be
notified by written communication to pick up their surveys. One week will be allotted for
completing and returning the surveys. The counseling center at Ysleta High School will be the
pick up and drop off point for the surveys. Through examination of these assessments, we will
examine the effectiveness of career education in their academic plans and achievements. A final
interview with students will be developed for their senior year in high school to obtain their input
on the value of their career education and participation in this program.
Limitations
The limitations of this study may include but are not limited to the following: All assessments
are given in English; therefore, Limited English Proficiency students will be partnered with an
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English speaking student in areas where translation is needed and allowed. Only the eighth
grades students enrolled at Rio Bravo Middle School during the 2005-06 school year will be the
subjects of this study. The identified economically disadvantaged students from RBMS are the
target population for this study. This study is designed to cover a five year period from the time a
student is enrolled in the eighth grade at RBMS until graduation in 2010.
Delimitations
Due to the economic instability of our study group we are unable to control the leaver count
of students who may leave the Ysleta school district. We are unable to control sickness and
death. It is important that students take the assessments during the same time frame. This ensures
that all students are tested at the same time of the academic year. We cannot control vacation or
absence from the city. We cannot control the number of students who choose to opt out of the
research period. To minimize interruption of the normal school period, we cannot control when
students will pick up the interest survey. We have no control over whether or not the student
completes the survey honestly or whether they are influenced by family or friends. Interest
surveys are based on the honesty of the students at the present time of taking the interest survey,
therefore, we cannot control honesty in responses.
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