Responses

Reagan Wegener

Michelle Krueger

ENG 201

April 4th, 2019

Writing to Solve a Problem

Introduction:

Attention getter: As of 2016 69.7% of people between the ages of 16 and 24 who graduated from high school enrolled in college.

https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/69-point-7-percent-of-2016-high-school-graduates-enrolled-in-college-in-october-2016.htm

Thesis: The United States needs to change the national legislation to require education in trade profession, thus promoting trade work.

Overall note:

I need to work on the order of all my body paragraphs to make the paper sound more fluid. My idea right now is to work from informing to persuading to providing a solution. The issue is arranging the paragraphs within those sections.

Body Paragraph number one:

Topic: writing to inform

In this paragraph talk about what vocational schools are. Talk about what type of professions that going to a vocational school can provide. Also speak about how they train there and the different requirements of the schooling.

The 1990 Perkins Act defines vocational education as "organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of individuals in paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree." (2)  While vocational education is provided at both the secondary and postsecondary levels, its focus differs somewhat at each level.

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs/web/95024-2.asp

Body Paragraph number two:

Topic: writing to inform

In this paragraph talk about what the benefits of attending a vocational school are. This includes the lower costs (add information comparing it to prices of a four-year university) as well as post graduate employment rates. Also touch upon the salary of those going into trades. Maybe even talk about these rates/wages in comparison of those attending a four-year university. Provide statistics at this point. This would be a valuable place to insert imperial data

“Prior non-experimental evidence suggests that students who participate in secondary CTE programs have higher employment and earnings than demographically-similar peers in the short run, but they do not necessarily have better academic outcomes. For example, many studies show little or no differences between CTE participants and comparison groups in terms of academic achievement, high school graduation or college enrollment.”

Body paragraph number three:

Topic: writing to inform

Talk about how vocational training and schooling once was provided on campus for students and how this has changed. Also talk about the forms of vocational schooling that public schools do still offer today. https://www.city-journal.org/html/when-high-schools-shaped-americas-destiny-15254.html

Body paragraph number four:

Topic: writing to inform/persuade

In this paragraph stress the importance of trade skills and their decline in society. Insert personal anecdote about attending a public high school and these skills importance not being emphasized. Provide statistics on the decrease of trade workers within society. Use this paragraph as a call to action by blaming the public schooling for not promoting vocational schooling.

Body paragraph number five:

Topic: writing to inform/persuade

In this paragraph cover the current ways that high schools promote post-secondary education and how it is prominently for four-year universities (enter statistic again. About enrolment rates) provide information (anecdote?) about how this is especially clear with standardized testing. Overall sum up this paragraph as persuading that it is the public-school systems job to better promote vocational schools.

Body paragraph number six:

Topic: writing to persuade using emotional appeals

Along the lines of this: Imagine going through America’s traditional public education system, every day you come to school to have no interest in anything you are being taught. You can’t connect with the information and struggle to stay motivated. Every day you come to class feels like a day wasted. You want to be successful in life and are driven, however you don’t think you could make another four years of traditional schooling, but that’s the only way you’ve ever been told you can be successful. As your senior year comes to an end you dread the idea of going to a university and still feel lost. When you reach out to the councilors about your options, they suggest vocational school. Unaware of this option, that was never advertised before, you are surprised by all of the options that allow you hands on learning and a chance to gain real world skills. U determine this is the right option for you. You attend a vocational school that allows you to follow your passions that you didn’t feel possible when in high school, as well as make a profitable income. This profession allows you to feel happy and fulfilled. Isn’t that the dream?

Possible body paragraph:

Have a paragraph explaining how this issue can only be solved through high school education. This is because it is the only direct line to the potential vocational; school students. As well as it is where the students last required form of schooling, so it is the schools’ job to provide their students options for their next chapters in life.

Possible body (persuasive) paragraph:

Use the point addressed in this article to persuade the imminent need for vocational training: https://www.wired.com/2014/10/on-learning-by-doing/

Basically the article addresses the lowering of trade workers and how society needs those jobs in order to function so basically the United States is creating a huge problem by mostly only prompting four-year universities as a successful future

Body paragraph number seven:

Topic: to solve a problem

In this paragraph propose the solution of having the government get involved on the issue through legislation. Talk about how vocational training is addressed today by the government. Also write about what the legislation would look like. This legislation would include public schools to require trade skill courses in order top graduate. By putting in place these requirements it would allow the students to have a better idea of what the professions vocational school provides (maybe a separate paragraph on the outcome of this legislation that I just previously mentioned). Use this article: https://www.brookings.edu/research/what-we-know-about-career-and-technical-education-in-high-school/

“The first federal law providing funding for vocational education was passed in 1917, even before education was compulsory in every state.[1]

The  Smith-Hughes Act of 1917  preceded the passage of compulsory attendance laws  in Mississippi in 1918 , the last of the 48 states of the time to pass such a law

Body paragraph number eight:

Topic: to solve problem

In this paragraph propose another way to the solve the issue of a lack of support for vocational training. This solution would be by having the national government provide grants for the states that would be allocated towards trade school programs.

Use this article to explain this solution better: http://onthehill.tnjournal.net/lee-makes-vocational-education-push-his-first-legislative-initiative/

“GIVE (name of the proposed organization) also provides funding for high school juniors and seniors to utilize four, fully-funded dual enrollment credits for trade and technical programs. Previously, high school students only had access to two fully-funded dual enrollment credits. With access to four credits, students will now be better prepared for entry into the workforce within two years of graduation.”

Side note: I know I need more body paragraphs, but I think I can clean up so e of the ideas in these paragraphs and separate them once they are actually written

Conclusion:

Provided an over view of what vocational schools are and their benefits. Also readdress the current system of technical training within the United States. Once again suggest the solution of having the national government becoming involved, whether that be through appropriating funds through grants or by implementing a system of requiring student to take trade related courses. Then restate the thesis: The United States needs to change the national legislation to require education in trade profession, thus promoting trade work.