Regional legislative agenda focuses on workforce education

The preparation of high school students and adults for high-demand jobs is a legislative priority for the business community.

The state legislative session begins Monday.

"We're starting to talk with our legislators and governor to see what's possible to get passed," said Jon Moran, vice president of government affairs for the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce.

Policy concepts include supporting changes in state education policies helping high school students graduate and enter jobs requiring training, but not as much as a four-year college degree, he said.

Students would graduate from high school with training for a good-paying job, such as in certified nursing assisting, diesel technology or welding, he said. Then it's up to the graduates to decide whether to remain in a job or to work and continue their education in trade school, community college or at the university level.

Proposals for policy changes have not yet been drafted into legislation, Moran said.

Pea Ridge Superintendent Rick Neal is among superintendents involved in crafting proposals to better link high school to education and training after high school and the workforce.

"It's going to take legislative action to make change," Neal said. "We have to understand more about what business and industry is needing. We need to understand school districts can't provide some of these things because we have certain boundaries."

Neal has pursued more options for students in the Pea Ridge district, including developing the Pea Ridge Manufacturing and Business Academy. The academy is a district-run charter school built around juniors and seniors studying in career pathways, such as plastic and metal fabrication.

Completing career and technical education courses is one barrier school districts face, Neal said. Students now take end-of-course exams for career and technical education courses and are encouraged to become "completers" of a series of courses related to a career field.

But course completion has little value to employers, Neal said. He would like to see the end-of-course requirement replaced with end-of-program assessments, industrial portfolios or career readiness assessments that give employers more information about the preparation of high school graduates for work.

Another policy interest this session is combining academics and career courses, such as students receiving credit for geometry in a construction class, Neal said.

The Bentonville School District has received waivers for introducing the Ignite Professional Studies program under current regulations, said Superintendent Debbie Jones. The high school program began with a focus on one field and continues to expand, with the district next school year adding studies in food preparation, teaching and business.

The district used waivers approved by state officials so instructors who have professional experience, but are not certified teachers, could lead classes in health professions and information technology, Jones said. Students in the program are able to work in internships that give them business experience while earning credit toward high school graduation and college.

"We see more students better informed about college and career choices as they exit high school," Jones said.

More options for schools to partner with businesses and provide students with work experiences will produce a more educated workforce and impact the economy, Jones said.

Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, has followed the conversations of superintendents, the Northwest Arkansas Council and the chambers. He's willing to help sponsor legislation, but so far has only seen the concepts.

"There has to be an ability for students to learn and to take that education and skills development forward into a career in a productive job without necessarily going to college," he said. "The system has always been, 'Go to high school. Go to college.' This is a little different twist, a different outcome and potential for a better outcome."

He wants to know that all the area superintendents support the policy changes and then will seek agreement with state officials and other lawmakers, he said.

Lindsey's only concern is that the changes do not weaken education standards or allow school officials to "game" the system, such as when they can't find a math teacher, he said.

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Legislative Agenda involved the five chambers of commerce for Bentonville and Bella Vista, Fayetteville, Rogers and Lowell, Siloam Springs, and Springdale, as well as representatives of industries, major employers and colleges.

The document, which contains 23 proposals, developed from September through December with several in-person meetings and conference calls, Moran said. The working draft was presented to a few of the region's state senators and more than a half-dozen state representatives, as well as to the executive committee of the Northwest Arkansas Council.

The issue is not students choosing college or a career, but providing easier entry into the workforce pipeline and putting students on the first rung to higher education, said Mike Harvey, interim president of the council.

School districts across the region have implemented programs with an emphasis on workforce education for high school students, Harvey said. Superintendents have suggested possible improvements in more than a half-dozen issues that are part of the legislative agenda.

NW News on 01/08/2017