Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE/ESOL Classroom - SABES

L e s s o n 1 2
Exploring Options for Further Education
Learning Objective
To have students learn about the various types of postsecondary schools and
institutions that provide further education and to understand the advantages
and disadvantages of each
Materials Needed
handouts: “What are My Options,” “Private Occupational School Student,”
“Proprietary Schools,” and “Comparing Schools: What’s Important to You?”
Vocabulary
earning potential, proprietary school, trade, accredited, license, postsecondary
SCANS Competencies
Thinking Skills: Creative Thinking; Decision Making
Information: Acquires and Evaluates Information
Instructions for Conducting the Activity
Part 1 – Learning About the Options
As a large group, brainstorm a list of schools that they know people attend for further education or skills training to get
a job. Encourage students to think about friends and family who have gone to school. Write the list on the board.
Then group the list by three categories – community colleges, 4-year colleges/universities, proprietary schools.
Write the definition for a proprietary school on the board:
“Proprietary schools are privately owned and operated postsecondary schools organized as either a non-profit or a profitmaking
venture primarily to teach vocational skills.”
Point out that proprietary schools include what they may call trade or technical schools.
Lead a brief discussion about the differences:
• Why do you think people choose to attend a proprietary school? Community college?
• What has been the experience of friends/family at each of these?
• What questions do you have about the differences at the schools?
Distribute and review the “What Are My Options?” handout.
Follow this up with more in-depth information using the “Private Occupational School Student” handout. Draw the
diagram on the board and review/discuss the handout. End the discussion by distributing the “Proprietary Schools”
handout, which lists resources for learning more about proprietary schools.
Part 2 – Comparing the Options
Explain that the next step in looking at options for postsecondary education is to compare them based on what is
important to you. Note that each student will have different things that are important.
In small groups, have students write up on flipchart paper a list of issues that may be of importance to them in comparing
options. Provide some examples, such as:
Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE & ESOL Classroom | Section IV, Lesson 12: Exploring Options for Further Education | 132