This study examined whether recent graduates of the Northfield Public Schools (Minnesota) had acquired the skills necessary to make successful transitions to adulthood and postsecondary education. Survey responses (n=146) were obtained from two recently graduated classes 3 years after graduation and from graduates of the Alternative Learning Center 1 year after graduation. The survey asked respondents to evaluate themselves in the following 11 areas: decision making, handling conflicts with other people, information gathering and management, intercultural awareness, looking for and keeping a job, mathematical reasoning, oral communication, personal awareness, reading, technological literacy, and writing. Graduates rated decision making, reading, and writing as the most frequently encountered, while handling conflicts with other people and intercultural awareness were the least frequently encountered. Graduates expressed the highest levels of confidence in looking for and keeping a job, reading, and intercultural awareness while least confident about technological literacy, oral communication, information gathering and management, and writing. Other findings addressed differences between high and low ability students and between males and females.

Authors: Jenni, Roger and Others

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