This鈥檒l be a light blogging week as I work on another story, but I wanted to pass this along: I have heard some parents of children with disabilities suggest that it is difficult to have 鈥渟oft skills鈥� included on their child鈥檚 individualized education program. , from the, suggests why such skills are important.
According to a University of Illinois professor who studies the sociology of education, high school sophomores who were rated by their teachers as having good social skills and work habits, and who participated in extracurricular activities in high school, made more money and completed higher levels of education 10 years later than their classmates who had similar standardized test scores but were less socially adroit and participated in fewer extracurricular activities.... 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not to say that academic achievement in high school doesn鈥檛 matter 鈥� it does,鈥� [the researcher] said. 鈥淏ut if we only look at standardized test scores, we鈥檙e only considering part of the equation for success as an adult in a global marketplace...."
For a look at Education Week articles and online chats on special education and social skills, click here. The website is hosting an 鈥渙pen house鈥� through April 8, so this is an opportunity for you to read up (and hopefully, decide to subscribe!)