The first step for improving Maine’s economy is to become a lot more creative and demanding in the education we are providing our Maine students. That’s the key message I took from a recent report, “Ensuring Maine’s Global Competitiveness,” from the national business leader group, ReadyNation.
The report provides fascinating details about a growing movement for “deeper learning” experiences in K-12 schools that transform the school day through career and technical training, partnerships that connect high schools to higher education, and project-based lessons that combine several subjects at a time. A key goal is to prepare students for postsecondary education and the jobs that will drive our economy forward.
That’s important because many Maine employers are facing a major “skills gap” between the number of jobs available for skilled workers and the number of Mainers who are prepared for those jobs. The ReadyNation report estimates that Maine will need an additional 15,000 high-skilled workers to fill future jobs. It also shows 66 percent of new job openings in Maine between 2010 and 2020 will require postsecondary education — which is a problem since only 57 percent of state residents of working age have that level of education.
Underachievement in middle and secondary school appears to be a driver of this problem. According to the Nation’s Report Card, only 40 percent of Maine eighth-graders are proficient in math, just 38 percent are proficient in reading, and a mere 37 percent are proficient in science. Less than half of Maine students taking the SAT during the 2012-13 school year scored at proficient levels in math, reading or writing.
Fortunately, we have a tremendous opportunity to reverse this trend by bringing deeper learning experiences to more students.
For instance, Lake Region High School in Naples launched six “Career Academies” two years ago. The LRHS academies explore career possibilities through project-based and traditional learning models. The academies span a wide range of disciplines, from health and wellness to visual and performing arts. Each academy supports the school’s new philosophy of providing a learning environment that gives students the best opportunity to pursue their educational interests while also helping them solve 21st-century problems.
Another approach builds on the concept of Expeditionary Learning (EL), a comprehensive school-reform model that uses project-based learning to help students cultivate critical thinking, problem solving, and build collaboration skills. EL is being utilized in a network of 165 schools in 29 states, including Casco Bay High School in Portland. Since it began, Casco Bay graduates are earning very high admissions to college. In fact, in three of out of five years, 100 percent of Casco Bay seniors have earned admission to college.
Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) is another promising program that works with over 5,000 public-school students in grades 6-12 each year. JMG specialists teach a hands-on, interactive curriculum that focuses on career development, leadership and team building, communication, time management, and community-service learning.
The Maine Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has addressed the lack of skilled craftspeople needed for many years now by building partnerships with state Career and Technical High Schools. ABC also holds annual craft championships that introduce Maine high school students to opportunities in the construction industry through hands-on immersion in various trade occupations in Maine.
Cianbro Corporation has partnered for years with area public and private higher-education institutions and established opportunities for their team members to earn college credits by participating in select internal training programs.
A recent study from the American Institutes for Research demonstrates the value of replicating these approaches. The study shows students who participated in deeper learning activities in 13 schools were more likely to graduate from high school on time; had higher scores on tests of English language arts, reading, math, and science; were more likely to enroll in four-year colleges; and reported higher levels of several non-cognitive skills that employers depend on — such as self-efficacy and the ability to collaborate.
For these reasons and more, I hope employers, policymakers and educators will continue to work in partnership to bring deeper learning experiences to more schools for the sake of students today and for our economy in the years to come.
Dr. Steven M. Pound is the Associate Director of Workforce Development at the Cianbro Institute, a workforce training initiative of the Cianbro Corporation in Pittsfield.