Q: My eighth-grade son wants to go into a new program his high school will offer that has a technical-career focus. My husband loves the idea. My son is a B-minus student at best, but I'd still like to see him graduate from college. (His older brother dropped out.) Doesn't vocational education narrow students' options?

A: The disappearing middle class and many of the jobs that sustained it have educators and policymakers looking at this very question. Districts and states are ditching your granddad's "voc-ed" to create a more successful approach that expands students' options.

Michael J. Petrilli, president of the nonprofit education think tank the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, points out that career-technical education (CTE) is not a path away from college, but another pathway into postsecondary education. With CTE, Petrilli writes on the institute's blog, districts can create "coherent pathways, beginning in high school, into authentic technical education options at the post-secondary level. ... These arrangements not only provide access to workplaces where students can apply their skills, they also offer seamless transitions into post-secondary education, apprenticeships and employer-provided learning opportunities."

Petrilli cites the findings from a recently released new study from the institute, "Career and Technical Education in High School: Does It Improve Student Outcomes?" The study collected data on Arkansas high school students and found that "students with greater exposure to CTE are more likely to graduate, enroll in a two-year college, be employed and have higher wages."

In other words, high-quality CTE provides a route to the middle class.

What defines high quality, and what should you look for in your son's CTE program? The Association for Career and Technical Education recently published a draft framework identifying some of the characteristics of high-quality programs (for more information, go to acteonline.org):

-- Courses should align with appropriate grade, district, state or national standards to ensure competency in reading, science and math. They should also align with industry-validated technical standards.

-- Students should be able to progress seamlessly without remediation or duplication and have access throughout to career guidance.

-- Students should have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning and get continuous feedback. There should be processes that assess program effectiveness over time.

-- To be effective, the staff must be prepared; the facilities should reflect today's workplace.

-- Teachers should use motivating techniques such as project-based learning, relevant equipment and technology, and real-world scenarios.

-- There should be a continuum that progresses from workplace tours to internships and onto apprenticeships.

-- Programs must be offered to all students and support services provided when needed. There should be no barriers to work-based learning or post-secondary credits.

-- Students should have opportunities to foster connections to professionals and activities that advance their goals.

The current way of thinking, "bachelor's degree or bust," often means "a young person drops out of college at age 20 with no post-secondary credential, no skills and no work experience, but a fair amount of debt," writes Petrilli in an article on the nonprofit Brookings Institute website. "That's a terrible way to begin adult life."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: At the last grading period, my son Jamal's third-grade teacher was concerned about his reading. She suggested home activities and summer school. I think he'll catch up on his own. Kids don't all learn to read at the same time, so why is this a problem?

A: It may not be a problem, but the data doesn't favor Jamal. Many studies show that being able to read well by the end of third grade means that children do much better in all subjects from fourth grade onward.

There's a saying in education circles, says Kristin Calder, CEO of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County (Florida): "'In the first three grades, children learn to read. In fourth grade, they read to learn.' Students need strong vocabulary and comprehension skills to read science, math and social studies texts. How can you attack a word problem if you can't read the words? Or understand a science lesson on weather if you struggle (to read the word) lightning? Not being able to keep up with subject matter accelerates a cycle of failure that can lead to dropping out."

Cracking the code by the time a student enters fourth grade is so important that many U.S. cities have joined with school districts in a formal Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, says Calder. "Third grade is a pivot point. In Palm Beach County, we make achieving this literacy milestone a major part of our work."

Take your son's teacher's concerns to heart. Carve out time each day to focus on reading at home. Divide it into independent reading and reading to him.

-- Read a few pages of a compelling book, such as a "Harry Potter" novel, to Jamal each night. Stop at a spellbinding spot guaranteed to make him eager to hear more.

-- Get him a library card and work with the librarian to find titles that match his interests. What topics get Jamal excited? Football? Animals? Humor? Check out a stack each week.

-- Try humor. Don't worry if he's still stuck on "Captain Underpants" books. At least he's reading. Find lots of books he might like on guysread.com, a site founded by best-selling children's book author Jon Scieszka that is dedicated to encouraging boys to read.

-- Access digital resources. Most libraries offer Internet access to their collections to download on a tablet or phone. Check out podcasts, too. Favorites include TED Talks for kids and family, and PBS Kids. Find educational games and apps reviewed at Common Sense Media's graphite.org.

-- Add a dose of nonfiction. Atlases, children's almanacs, field guides and other "fun facts" books are easy for readers to get into. Consider subscriptions to magazines such as Popular Science, National Geographic Kids or Sports Illustrated for Kids.

-- Enroll Jamal in summer classes. "There's so much evidence of learning loss during vacation, that many schools welcome kids -- whether they are struggling or not -- into summer classes," says Calder. "The program should give him even more opportunities to practice his reading skills."

-- Keep up the family reading time at home. As summer approaches, it's tempting to let it go. Don't. Jamal needs this "power assist" to do well in fourth grade. Be sure to also monitor his use of video games and other non-reading-related digital media, so he doesn't get distracted.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Since spring break, my fourth-grade son seems to have "checked out." His teacher emailed that he participates less and pays less attention in class. He didn't turn in a report that was completed. He seemed more organized at the beginning of the school year. Do you think he's depressed?

A: No, unless there's something huge in his life you're not mentioning. I think he's a fourth-grader with spring fever.

"With the warm spring weather arriving, daylight savings time in effect and only a few months of school remaining, it's not uncommon for kids to lose motivation," notes Virginia educator Ann Dolin in a recent blog post at ectutoring.com.

"Motivation will ebb and flow during the school year," writes Dolin, who taught in the Fairfax, Virginia, schools for several years prior to founding Educational Connections Inc., a tutoring service. "This is a time when students are more focused in counting the days until summer than studying; parents are losing steam as well."

Dolin offers these tips to help your students get to the end of the school year:

-- Re-establish old routines. "If routines have gone by the wayside, it's not too late to put them back in place," suggests Dolin. "They foster a sense of order and can greatly reduce procrastination."

Ask yourself: What worked well in the fall? Does your son still have a set schedule for homework, dinner and bedtime? Does he still place his backpack in one spot, so he can grab it for school the next morning?

-- Reset a study time. Spring sports, school events and summer plans are distracting. "They're also more likely to be distracted by social media," says Dolin. "You really have to limit their choices. ... Set up a routine for a block of time, say 8 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., where social media is turned off and everyone in the family is device-free."

-- Monitor assignments (but don't do them). If homework isn't turned in, Dolin says to determine if your son is writing them down. Find out how your son's teacher gives homework. Does he or she post to Blackboard or your school's homework portal? Can your son take a picture of his homework with his phone? Some students never use their assignment book, no matter how much they're encouraged to.

Once you know what the assignments are, spend five minutes to list what needs to be done. Have him do them in order. "Maybe even watch him do the first problem or question, and then walk away," says Dolin.

If he gets stuck, Dolin suggests asking him, "Do you have notes on this? Where do you think you can find the information? Have you done a problem similar to this?"

-- Schedule long-range assignments: Spring fever can make a student forget assignments that aren't completed daily. Dolin says to ask your son what reports or projects he has and when he is going to do them. Have him plot key dates on a calendar (setting alerts if he uses a smartphone). If the plan seems reasonable, she says you should ask him, "When should we check in with each other?"

Dolin says this technique puts the responsibility for longer-term planning on your son's shoulders and teaches him how to hold himself accountable.

For more advice from Dolin, download her free ebook, "Help Your Disorganized Student," at ectutoring.com.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)