Student Perceptions Regarding the Influence of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) on College Readiness

Download Student Perceptions Regarding the Influence of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) on College Readiness PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (727 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Student Perceptions Regarding the Influence of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) on College Readiness by : Jessica L. Kiernan

Download or read book Student Perceptions Regarding the Influence of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) on College Readiness written by Jessica L. Kiernan and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Impact of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program on Students' Perceptions of College Readiness

Download Impact of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program on Students' Perceptions of College Readiness PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 526 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (778 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Impact of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program on Students' Perceptions of College Readiness by : Ronda Kouba

Download or read book Impact of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program on Students' Perceptions of College Readiness written by Ronda Kouba and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For high school students who are deemed at risk, the aspirations of attending college can be met with challenges that can leave them easily defeated. The necessary skills and dispositions needed to be successful at the college level are purposely provided through the nationally acclaimed program Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). This qualitative study investigated the impact of the program on student perceptions of college readiness through the actual voices of the students as participants in the AVID program, and then as participants in the college/university setting. Particular attention was given to those students characterized as first generation college students. The study also filled a specific need at the high school where the research was conducted to bring the school in line with educational practice with regard to college readiness, especially with the growing population of first generation college students. Grounded theory was utilized through an empirical analysis of qualitative data sources. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted with AVID participants and administrators to determine the impact of the AVID program on students' perceptions of college readiness. These interviews, along with the researcher's reflective journal, allowed for the triangulation of data regarding perceptions of college readiness academically, emotionally, and personally. Recommendations were provided for educators as they focus on preparing students to be college ready as they enter the collegiate setting upon graduation from high school.

The Influence of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program on Student Performance Measured by College Readiness Standards

Download The Influence of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program on Student Performance Measured by College Readiness Standards PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (12 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Influence of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program on Student Performance Measured by College Readiness Standards by : Jonathan Campbell

Download or read book The Influence of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program on Student Performance Measured by College Readiness Standards written by Jonathan Campbell and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: African Americans and Hispanics may experience double isolation as a result of the attributes of race and poverty and predominantly attend schools with far greater numbers of low-income students than white or Asian students (Siegel-Hawley & Frankenberg, 2012). The Texas Education Agency reported that 60.3% of students enrolled in Texas schools are considered economically disadvantaged (TEA, 2013). The President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (2003) stated that the United States will suffer significantly in “lost tax revenues, lower rates of consumer spending, reduced per capita savings and increased social costs” (p. 3) due to a growing uneducated workforce. Many educational leaders look to support programs such as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program on High Student Achievement that is designed to close the learning gaps for economically disadvantaged students. The purpose of the study is to determine if significant differences exist between AVID students and non-AVID students, in grades 9-12 regarding whether they achieved math and English TAKS commended status, PSAT scores, frequency of AP exams taken, and AP exam scores. Matched and non-matched pair samples were used with a parametric independent samples two-tail t-test and a Pearson chi-square to determine if statistically significant differences exist between AVID and Non-AVID student achievement scores and levels. Additionally, this study sought to determine the perceptions of AVID teachers and the principal regarding the effectiveness of the AVID program. In the finding of this study, AVID and non-AVID students reported statistically significant differences on 19 of the college readiness standards reported from the math and English TAKS, PSAT, and AP exams. Conversely, no significant differences between AVID and non-AVID students were reported on the 5 following college readiness standards: both matched and non-matched English TAKS commended status, non-matched PSAT writing skill scores, and frequency and scores on AP exams. Moreover, AVID students performed just as well or better in 6 college readiness standards than non-AVID students. Additionally, this study found that the perceptions of teachers and administrators with regards to the AVID program reported teacher effectiveness, administrative support, substantial professional development offerings, and positive student motivation as important elements to closing educational achievement gaps. Also, this study found students needed to be exposed to a college-going atmosphere with a cultural mindset of educational achievement through rigorous coursework. Lastly, this study realized a college readiness preparation indicator program would be beneficial to monitor student progress.

A Study of the Advancement VIA Individual Determination (AVID) Program and Student Self-efficacy and Academic Achievement

Download A Study of the Advancement VIA Individual Determination (AVID) Program and Student Self-efficacy and Academic Achievement PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 142 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (913 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Study of the Advancement VIA Individual Determination (AVID) Program and Student Self-efficacy and Academic Achievement by : Kimberly S. Monachino

Download or read book A Study of the Advancement VIA Individual Determination (AVID) Program and Student Self-efficacy and Academic Achievement written by Kimberly S. Monachino and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research study examined the impact of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program on students' self-efficacy and academic achievement outcome measures at the middle and high school level. AVID is a college readiness system designed to prepare at-risk students in the fourth through 12th grade for college. The main focus of this study was to determine if there was a difference in students' self-efficacy based on the number of years in the AVID program and if there was a difference in AVID students' academic achievement outcome measures between seventh and eighth grade in reading and math. Participants included seventh through 11th grade AVID students in one suburban school district within northeast Ohio (N = 239). These students reported perceptions of their self-efficacy on the My Voice Survey (QISA, 2010). Student achievement data were obtained from the 2010-2011 Ohio Department of Education Local Report Card. Through multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) the data were analyzed. Findings from this study indicated that there were statistically significant differences in students' self-efficacy based on the number of years in the AVID program and statistically significant differences in academic achievement outcome measures between seventh and eighth grade for AVID students in reading and math. AVID students' active engagement was statistically significant in year 1 of the AVID program when compared to year 2, year 3 or more. Seventh grade AVID students' math scores had a statistically significant higher mean score (414.66) than did eighth grade AVID students' math scores (403.02). These results suggested that AVID students' self-efficacy and academic achievement outcomes did not increase as they progressed through the program. The data showed that perhaps the AVID program may not be the answer to the problem that was posed in this study and that the AVID program alone may not be the reason for the findings of the study. The results may be attributed to other variables beyond the AVID program, such as high quality instruction from teachers, mentoring from tutors, support from guidance counselors, or encouragement from family members.

Middle Grades Research Journal

Download Middle Grades Research Journal PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : IAP
ISBN 13 : 1641132418
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (411 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Middle Grades Research Journal by : Larry G. Daniel

Download or read book Middle Grades Research Journal written by Larry G. Daniel and published by IAP. This book was released on 2017-12-01 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Middle Grades Research Journal (MGRJ) is a refereed, peer reviewed journal that publishes original studies providing both empirical and theoretical frameworks that focus on middle grades education. A variety of articles are published quarterly in March, June, September, and December of each volume year.

An Analysis of Student Academic Perfomance [sic] at Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration Schools and AVID Schools

Download An Analysis of Student Academic Perfomance [sic] at Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration Schools and AVID Schools PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (89 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis An Analysis of Student Academic Perfomance [sic] at Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration Schools and AVID Schools by : Ron Griffen (Ed. D.)

Download or read book An Analysis of Student Academic Perfomance [sic] at Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration Schools and AVID Schools written by Ron Griffen (Ed. D.) and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

IJER Vol 19-N3

Download IJER Vol 19-N3 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1475816626
Total Pages : 70 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (758 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis IJER Vol 19-N3 by : International Journal of Educational Reform

Download or read book IJER Vol 19-N3 written by International Journal of Educational Reform and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-11-16 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mission of the International Journal of Educational Reform (IJER) is to keep readers up-to-date with worldwide developments in education reform by providing scholarly information and practical analysis from recognized international authorities. As the only peer-reviewed scholarly publication that combines authors’ voices without regard for the political affiliations perspectives, or research methodologies, IJER provides readers with a balanced view of all sides of the political and educational mainstream. To this end, IJER includes, but is not limited to, inquiry based and opinion pieces on developments in such areas as policy, administration, curriculum, instruction, law, and research. IJER should thus be of interest to professional educators with decision-making roles and policymakers at all levels turn since it provides a broad-based conversation between and among policymakers, practitioners, and academicians about reform goals, objectives, and methods for success throughout the world. Readers can call on IJER to learn from an international group of reform implementers by discovering what they can do that has actually worked. IJER can also help readers to understand the pitfalls of current reforms in order to avoid making similar mistakes. Finally, it is the mission of IJER to help readers to learn about key issues in school reform from movers and shakers who help to study and shape the power base directing educational reform in the U.S. and the world.

Thriving in College and Beyond

Download Thriving in College and Beyond PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780757572807
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Thriving in College and Beyond by : Joseph B. Cuseo

Download or read book Thriving in College and Beyond written by Joseph B. Cuseo and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

JSL Vol 27-N2

Download JSL Vol 27-N2 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1475836724
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (758 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis JSL Vol 27-N2 by : JOURNAL OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Download or read book JSL Vol 27-N2 written by JOURNAL OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-06-16 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: JSL invites the submission of manuscripts that contribute to the exchange of ideas and scholarship about schools and leadership. All theoretical and methological approaches are welcome. We do not advocate or practice a bias toward any mode of inquiry (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative; empirical vs. conceptual; discipline-based vs. interdisciplinary) and instead operate from the assumption that all careful and methodologically sound research has the potential to contribute to our understanding of school leadership. We strongly encourage authors to consider both the local and global implications of their work. The journal’s goal is to clearly communicate with a diverse audience including both school-based and university-based educators. The journal embraces a board conception of school leadership and welcomes manuscripts that reflect the diversity of ways in which this term is understood. The journal is interested not only in manuscripts that focus on administrative leadership in schools and school districts, but also in manuscripts that inquire about teacher, student, parent, and community leadership.

Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities

Download Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Corwin Press
ISBN 13 : 1452271720
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (522 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities by : Ruth S. Johnson

Download or read book Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities written by Ruth S. Johnson and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ruth Johnson and Robin Avelar La Salle provide a comprehensive overview of how to use data to provoke questions that lead to the kind of quality education that all students deserve. This book should be required reading in every school district." —Gary Anderson, Professor New York University, NY "Equity warriors everywhere will find this useful resource packed with effective strategies, user-friendly processes, and helpful tools." —Jennifer Frentress, Director of Teaching and Learning Forest Grove School District, OR Uncover buried data to close the achievement gap! Standardized test scores and other outcome-based data are useful tools, but they also paint an incomplete picture that papers over the cracks in our education system. Peel away the layers, however, and you discover hidden factors that contribute to the achievement gap and chronic low school performance. Ruth S. Johnson and Robin Avelar La Salle dramatically illustrate how data from nontraditional sources—disciplinary policies, teacher attendance, special education referrals, and more—can be used to uncover and eliminate systemic inequities. This solution-focused guide: Helps you identify sources of data and questions to ask Examines disparities in graduation rates, special education placement, and the achievement of English learners Includes data exercises to help you analyze your school or district as you read Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities arms you with the tactics you need to challenge the status quo and take decisive action.

College Knowledge

Download College Knowledge PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0787996750
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (879 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis College Knowledge by : David T. Conley

Download or read book College Knowledge written by David T. Conley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-01-28 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although more and more students have the test scores and transcripts to get into college, far too many are struggling once they get there. These students are surprised to find that college coursework demands so much more of them than high school. For the first time, they are asked to think deeply, write extensively, document assertions, solve non-routine problems, apply concepts, and accept unvarnished critiques of their work. College Knowledge confronts this problem by looking at the disconnect between what high schools do and what colleges expect and proposes a solution by identifying what students need to know and be able to do in order to succeed. The book is based on an extensive three-year project sponsored by the Association of American Universities in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts. This landmark research identified what it takes to succeed in entry-level university courses. Based on the project's findings - and interviews with students, faculty, and staff - this groundbreaking book delineates the cognitive skills and subject area knowledge that college-bound students need to master in order to succeed in today's colleges and universities. These Standards for Success cover the major subject areas of English, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, second languages, and the arts.

Securing the Future

Download Securing the Future PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Russell Sage Foundation
ISBN 13 : 1610441508
Total Pages : 347 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (14 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Securing the Future by : Sheldon Danziger

Download or read book Securing the Future written by Sheldon Danziger and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2000-06-29 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than ever, the economic health of a country depends upon the skills, knowledge, and capacities of its people. How does a person acquire these human assets and how can we promote their development? Securing the Future assembles an interdisciplinary team of scholars to investigate the full range of factors—pediatric, psychological, social, and economic—that bear on a child's development into a well-adjusted, economically productive member of society. A central purpose of the volume is to identify sound interventions that will boost human assets, particularly among the disadvantaged. The book provides a comprehensive evaluation of current initiatives and offers a wealth of new suggestions for effective public and private investments in child development. While children from affluent, highly educated families have good quality child care and an expensive education provided for them, children from poor families make do with informal child care and a public school system that does not always meet their needs. How might we best redress this growing imbalance? The contributors to this volume recommend policies that treat academic attainment together with psychological development and social adjustment. Mentoring programs, for example, promote better school performance by first fostering a young person's motivation to learn. Investments made early in life, such as preschool education, are shown to have the greatest impact on later learning for the least cost. In their focus upon children, however, the authors do not neglect the important links between generations. Poverty and inequality harm the development of parents and children alike. Interventions that empower parents to fight for better services and better schools are also of great benefit to their children. Securing the Future shows how investments in child development are both a means to an end and an end in themselves. They benefit the child directly and they also help that child contribute to the well-being of society. This book points us toward more effective strategies for promoting the economic success and the social cohesion of future generations. A Volume in the Ford Foundation Series on Asset Building

College Knowledge

Download College Knowledge PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 38 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis College Knowledge by : Louis G. Tornatzky

Download or read book College Knowledge written by Louis G. Tornatzky and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Understanding the Working College Student

Download Understanding the Working College Student PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000978753
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Understanding the Working College Student by : Laura W. Perna

Download or read book Understanding the Working College Student written by Laura W. Perna and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-07-14 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How appropriate for today and for the future are the policies and practices of higher education that largely assume a norm of traditional-age students with minimal on-campus, or no, work commitments?Despite the fact that work is a fundamental part of life for nearly half of all undergraduate students – with a substantial number of “traditional” dependent undergraduates in employment, and working independent undergraduates averaging 34.5 hours per week – little attention has been given to how working influences the integration and engagement experiences of students who work, especially those who work full-time, or how the benefits and costs of working differ between traditional age-students and adult students.The high, and increasing, prevalence and intensity of working among both dependent and independent students raises a number of important questions for public policymakers, college administrators, faculty, academic advisors, student services and financial aid staff, and institutional and educational researchers, including: Why do so many college students work so many hours? What are the characteristics of undergraduates who work? What are the implications of working for students’ educational experiences and outcomes? And, how can public and institutional policymakers promote the educational success of undergraduate students who work? This book offers the most complete and comprehensive conceptualization of the “working college student” available. It provides a multi-faceted picture of the characteristics, experiences, and challenges of working college students and a more complete understanding of the heterogeneity underlying the label “undergraduates who work” and the implications of working for undergraduate students’ educational experiences and outcomes. The volume stresses the importance of recognizing the value and contribution of adult learners to higher education, and takes issue with the appropriateness of the term “non-traditional” itself, both because of the prevalence of this group, and because it allows higher education institutions to avoid considering changes that will meet the needs of this population, including changes in course offerings, course scheduling, financial aid, and pedagogy.

A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (A Report to the Nation and the Secretary of Education)

Download A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (A Report to the Nation and the Secretary of Education) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 9781304100511
Total Pages : 50 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (5 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (A Report to the Nation and the Secretary of Education) by : The National Co Excellence in Education

Download or read book A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (A Report to the Nation and the Secretary of Education) written by The National Co Excellence in Education and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2013-06-03 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the report "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform," provided by the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Includes findings and recommendations about the U.S. educational system. Lists members of the Commission and includes the Commission's charter and a schedule of its events. Contains commissioned papers, hearing testimony, and other presentations to the Commission. Offers information on notable programs and lists acknowledgments. Provides information on ordering the printed version and offers access to an ASCII version of the document for downloading. Links to the U.S. Department of Education home page and related publications.

Teaching Arguments

Download Teaching Arguments PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Stenhouse Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1571109994
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (711 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Teaching Arguments by : Jennifer Fletcher

Download or read book Teaching Arguments written by Jennifer Fletcher and published by Stenhouse Publishers. This book was released on 2015 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No matter wherestudents' lives lead after graduation, one of the most essential tools we can teach them is how to comprehend, analyze, and respond to arguments. Students need to know how writers' and speakers' choices are shaped by elements of the rhetorical situation, including audience, occasion, and purpose. In Teaching Arguments: Rhetorical Comprehension, Critique, and Response, Jennifer Fletcher provides teachers with engaging classroom activities, writing prompts, graphic organizers, and student samples to help students at all levels read, write, listen, speak, and think rhetorically.Fletcher believes that, with appropriate scaffolding and encouragement, all students can learn a rhetorical approach to argument and gain access to rigorous academic content. Teaching Arguments opens the door and helps them pay closer attention to the acts of meaning around them, to notice persuasive strategies that might not be apparent at first glance. When we analyze and develop arguments, we have to consider more than just the printed words on the page. We have to evaluate multiple perspectives; the tension between belief and doubt; the interplay of reason, character, and emotion; the dynamics of occasion, audience, and purpose; and how our own identities shape what we read and write. Rhetoric teaches us how to do these things.Teaching Arguments will help students learn to move beyond a superficial response to texts so they can analyze and craft sophisticated, persuasive arguments-;a major cornerstone for being not just college-and career-ready but ready for the challenges of the world.

Question Everything

Download Question Everything PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118438191
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (184 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Question Everything by : Jay Mathews

Download or read book Question Everything written by Jay Mathews and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-04-27 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How AVID levels the playing field, helping underserved students come out ahead In Question Everything, award-winning education writer Jay Mathews presents the stories and winning strategies behind the Advancement Via Individual Determination program (AVID). With the goal of preparing students for the future – whether that future includes college or not – AVID teaches students the personal management skills that will help them survive and thrive. Focused on time management, presentation, and cooperation, the AVID program leads not only to impressive educational outcomes, but also to young adults prepared for life after school. This book tells the stories of AVID educators, students, and families to illustrate how and why the program works, and demonstrates how teachers can employ AVID's strategies with their own students. Over the past thirty years, AVID has grown from a single teacher's practice to an organization serving 400,000 middle- and high-school students in 47 states and 16 countries. Question Everything describes the ideas and strategies behind the upward trajectory of both the program and the students who take part. Learn which foundational skills are emphasized for future success Discover how AVID teaches personal management skills in the academic context Contrast AVID student outcomes with national averages Consider implementing AVID concepts and techniques into current curricula As college readiness becomes a top priority for the Federal Government, the Gates Foundation, and other influential organizations, AVID's track record stands out as one of success. By leveling the playing field and introducing "real-world" realities early on, the program teaches students skills that help them in the workplace and beyond.