The Florida State House recently passed a law that will require incoming high school freshmen to declare a major, just like college students, according to CNN.com.
The bill was proposed by Gov. Jeb Bush to prepare students for the real world and reduce their state high school dropout rates by making classes more interesting, according to CNN.com.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush said in a recent statement on his website, www.govflorida forum.com, that he appreciates the support of the House of Representatives on his 'A++ Plan for Education' which would require incoming high school freshmen to declare a major. Bush said, "The 'A++ Plan for Education' builds on the successful education reforms we have worked to implement since 1999, and will better prepare students for the rigors of college and the workforce."
Anne Kaiser, an academic counselor in College of Arts and Sciences at AU, said 70 percent of college students change their major between entering and graduating college. As opposed to the possible inflexibility of the Florida schools, Kaiser noted it is relatively easy for students to change majors at AU.
Marla Boren, a CAS academic adviser, said she agrees that having students more engaged in what they are learning is important.
"I'm just not in agreement that having 14-year-olds choose a major is the best way to reach that goal," Boren said. "While it is important for students graduating from high school to be prepared for the job market, a broad-based education is better preparation in the long run than training for a specific job."
Daryn Koo, a freshman in CAS, said, "I feel like education should be career orientated to an extent, but when you're 15, you should be focusing on a more diversified education."
Kurt Gunderson, a School of Communication academic adviser, agreed with the premise of the Florida bill.
"[The bill] will get students thinking about what they want to do the rest of their lives, and it might cut down the changes to their programs at the college level," he said. "Plus... it might cut down on the dropout rate."
Boren also worries that high school guidance counselors will not have the time to engage each student in discussions about their major and that students may be typecast and plugged into majors that are popular.
Julianne Niemaszyk, a freshman in SOC, said requiring high school students to choose a major "would really put a lot of pressure on the kids, and their parents might try to influence them to choose a certain field."
Carl Cook, an academic adviser for the School of Public Affairs, said he believes that if high schools did their job of giving students a well-rounded education, students would be better prepared for college and their future careers.
Kaiser said another downfall of the Florida bill is its lack of flexibility.
"[The bill] doesn't allow for much flexibility and then it forces students to go into areas they already know about, but they don't have a chance to explore other areas they didn't know about," Kaiser said.
Kaiser said this is why AU's General Education program is positive: it helps students broaden their knowledge and learn about new disciplines.
Another pitfall of the Florida program is that if students decided to change their major, they might have to take additional classes, which could delay their graduation, Kaiser said. Also, she said she believes it may encourage students to drop out if they could not change their majors and were forced to take classes they were no longer interested in.
Although the bill passed in the state House, the future of the high school education bill is uncertain in the Florida
Senate.
