Careers in Social Studies. Profiles of Promise 28.

The Skyline Center in Dallas, Texas, a high school which provides career development in professional fields, offers students a solid knowledge background in addition to some firsthand work experience. The school is organized on a cluster basis, with three hours per day spent on one of the 28 career clusters and the remainder in regular class schedule. The Advanced Social Studies Career Program serves as an example of an academic cluster for students interested in a social science career in areas such as psychology, political science, or social science education. Approximately 100 grade 10-12 students participate in the two-year program. The first year introduces students to a broad base of psychological and sociological concepts. Specialization begins in the second year when a specific career area is chosen and a self-directed curriculum is designed. Most students elect to do field work and spend one to four days a week at their position. Work placements have included the police and planning departments, creative learning centers, mental health clinics, social welfare agencies, schools and law-related agencies. Evaluation includes letter grades as well as a subjective judgement by the learning directors. Staff and students testify to the value of this type of learning experience. (Author/KSM)