Posted on March 22, 2006
Recently, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce published a report saying that schools across the country are not properly preparing students for college and the workforce.
Virginia does not fall into that category.
The report, titled “Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness,” gave each state a “report card” on how well it is doing according to the organization’s standards.
Overall, Virginia schools received a “B” for academic achievement, rigor of standards, postsecondary and workforce readiness, return on investment, truth in advertising about student proficiency, and flexibility in management and policy.
The report, authored by John D. Podesta, chief executive of the Center for American Progress, and Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, showed that many states are behind where they should be.
“Whether it’s high school or college, new requirements and new skill sets come out that we have to adapt to,” Thomas Dary Erwin, assistant vice president of Assessment & Public Policy at JMU said. “We regularly review what employers look for because things change all the time.”
“When we ask our graduates, it’s overwhelming the number who would recommend JMU,” Frank Doherty, director of Institutional Research, said.
In order to help students prepare for the future, there are several assessment programs in place to test their abilities, Erwin said. Prior to their second year, all students must pass the Information Literacy test, and most majors also require an assessment before graduation.
Another method used to prepare students is the General Education program. This program was developed to provide students with critical skills in reasoning, communication and technology that will help them prepare for their lives and careers after college, according to the Web site.
“It’s not just the learning of knowledge, but how you can apply it,” Erwin said. “The emphasis on skill sets is what helps students be prepared.”
As a result, students are better equipped to handle the opportunities presented to them after graduation.
Mason Miller, a recent media arts and design graduate, said he was more prepared for the workforce than he had anticipated before graduation.
“From a comprehension standpoint, I felt very prepared,” he said. “More prepared than I expected to be.”
This is true of many graduates that go on to find work after leaving JMU. According to a 2006 survey organized by Institutional Research, more than 90 percent of graduates surveyed believed their major has helped them in the workplace, especially when it was related to their career.
But students don’t stop learning when they leave school.
Miller said, “I’m still learning now at my current position.”
