BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Brittany Henderson is years away from her first job, but she already knows she needs to do well in school to become a good employee.
When this fifth-grade student fills out her first application, she won't be surprised if an employer asks to see her transcript or attendance record.
And that's an attitude Northern Kentucky businesses and school districts are working to create through a workforce development partnership that would let employers use a student's academic record as an indication of dedication, loyalty and work ethic. "I think that could be good, because if you know how you do in school could help you get a good job, you'll do better," Brittany said Friday as she worked with other John G. Carlisle Elementary students to create signs and banners for today's Covington Youth Fest.
"And if you have bad grades and are absent a lot, (the employer) will know that you won't come to work and they'll know other things about how you'd do on the job."
Education officials say attitudes such as Brittany's are what they're trying to instill in high-school-age students.
Bob Richards, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce workforce development spokesman, said access to student transcripts is something business is pushing for as a way to convince students, educators and parents how important learning is to becoming a productive part of the workforce.
And schools are taking the idea seriously. Officials from Citibank, Fidelity Investments, Clarion and the Mazak Corp. will meet with representatives from Northern Kentucky's 14 school districts this summer to find an easy way to make transcripts and attendance records available to employers.
"I'm already talking at the high schools, trying to let students know that they'll have to explain why they've been absent so long and that this will be a very important tool for them," Mr. Richards said.
Students or their parents will have to grant permission for an employer to see school records. There is also a push from Gov. Paul Patton to give students "employability certificates" that will include a variety of non-classroom indicators of a student's performance, said Brad Hughes, spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association.
"I'm not aware of any school district that makes this information available yet, but it's a very positive thing," Mr. Hughes said. "Employers have to be more and more careful and look for more and more information about job candidates. If they can view how a student did in school they will have a reflection of how well a student will do as an employee."
Some states already use various methods to motivate students. Districts have considered everything from special truancy schools to threatening parents with arrest and jail time.
At least 14 states, including Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, have laws that link driving privileges with school attendance, according to the Education Commission of the States.
Other programs include school-to-work efforts that train students for employment, alternative schools that offer mental health and other treatments, and programs that emphasize smaller classes and remediation.
Judy Gibbons, director of Northern Kentucky's Education Alliance, said the issue is critical to area employers.
At John G. Carlisle, students work closly with community members on a variety of after-school and weekend projects in an effort to increase involvement and drive home the importance of a good education. Brittany and a handful of other students volunteer their time every Friday by staying after school to work on ways to communicate better and provide community service.
Sixth-grader Mark Janeway said he won't mind if a business wants to see his school records.
"I've only been absent two days this year," he said. "And I think it's a good idea (for employers to look at school records), because if you're a good kid with good grades, you'll be good at the workplace."
Some Northern Kentucky schools are going even further by making an effort to produce the type of students businesses want to hire. Boone County Superintendent Bryan Blavatt said he will meet this fall with employers to find out what skills his students should have when they graduate.
"Once we see the students can meet the qualifications the businesses want, we'll give them a card that guarantees their employability," Mr. Blavatt said.
Ludlow High School counselor Barbara Grim said it will take a while for students to realize the impact of businesses' looking at their school records and requesting students be educated in certain areas.
"People in the business world really want this feature, because they feel that students are coming out of school not realizing how important things are," Ms. Grim said. "But kids won't believe how important it is until someone is turned down for a job based on their attendance at school."
