http://www.wicpa.org/Content/Files/PDF/CPA2B/cpa2bspring07.pdf
News for the CPA 2b
By Mary Murray, Public Relations Specialist
This article discusses how to bring college accounting students into the high school classroom. “It will not only benefit the high school students, but it will benefit the college student as well by gaining public speaking skills, building their resume and becoming involved in the community”. The college students feel that since they are closer to the high school age group that they can relate to them better. It also mentions bringing in recent college grads that are working in the field to be guest speakers to the accounting classes about accounting careers and the college/career process in general.
I feel it is extremely important to expose the high school students to as much as possible. I feel I have done my job if one of two things happens. First, the students know that this is not something they want to pursue, or second, I lay the foundation for them for when they take Financial Accounting in college. I don’t want a student leaving my class without being ready for the fast pact of college accounting. I do not however, when students tell me that this is not something they feel is right for them. My feeling is that they will not spend the money in college to pursue something that is not right for them.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_1_33/ai_62894056/
Integrating Reading Strategies into the Accounting Curriculum
College Student Journal, by Robert E. Pritchard, George C. Romeo and Shirley A.B. Muller
This article stresses the importance of reading strategies in high school. The authors feel that there is a strong correlation between GPA and grade level proficiency. It also discusses the possibility of colleges administering reading test to identify those students that may struggle and need accommodation or remedial courses. It continues to stress the association of achievement with the grade level reading. Final it lists strategies teachers can use to integrate reading into the business curriculum.
This is something I will definitely try to implement into my accounting and other business classes. I often feel with accounting though that there has to be high percentage of teacher centered learning since the material is new and foreign to the students. I think with changing more to a student centered focus and having them map out the reading and then reinforcing it for them could be a good combination strategy.
http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2005/105/essentials/p62.htm
High School Students’ Perceptions of Accounting
By Carolyn L. Hartwell, Susan S. Lightle, and Brian Maxwell
This is an interesting article about the way students feel about accounting as a high school course and pursuing it as a career. There was a survey done with 300 high school students and 70% of those students said they most likely were going to pursue a career in business. The main reason they were choosing it was due to the salary they felt they would be able to obtain upon graduation from a 4-year college. Students also felt that a degree in accounting would be beneficial for not only the traditional accountant but for a variety of jobs.
This was interesting to me because on a regular basis, we “fight” with the counselors about having the kids take accounting or other business courses. In today’s society, students and parents are consumed the gpa’s and cumulative averages, etc that they sign up for courses that may have a higher academic weight just to play the numbers games. Some of those students never take a business course in high school yet they become business majors in college. This article proves to me that we definitely have to educate the guidance department, parents and students. We have to recruit the incoming freshmen and keep them in the program and do ongoing career development throughout our curriculum.