Instead of just taking all the general classes in high school to get to graduation, what if you could graduate with a diploma that put you on specific track to enter your career path? Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is now waiting for the Board of Regents to approve two new high school diplomas, according to the Huffington Post article.
Schumer is proposing that students have the opportunity to earn two different diplomas upon graduating from high school. One diploma is geared toward studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and the other for skills in career and technical education (CTE). His reasoning for trying to implement these two diplomas is because he believes it will, “improve graduation rates and reduce young adult unemployment.”
In different job areas, according to the article, over 3 million jobs cannot be filled because Americans are not proficient in the STEM areas. Students on track to earn a STEM degree would be required to take an additional math and science course, while students on the CTE path would be trained in precision machining and optics and imaging.
Schumer believes that if these diplomas are approved, they will, “help encourage students to graduate, get jobs right out of high school and also encourage students to pursue jobs in science and engineering.”