 College and Career Readiness Standards: Why Not??? Dr. Tracy Tucker, Superintendent of Schools Hermitage School District

STANDARDS vs. CURRICULUM  Standards explain what a student should know and be able to do at a certain point in time (end of grade level); most often determined at the state level or by an organization  Curriculum is how the standards are taught to students; most often determined by a district, school, PLC or other local group

STANDARDS vs. CURRICULUM  The defining point in the difference between standards and curriculum is, to me, the necessity to KNOW YOUR STUDENTS!!  What resources do you have available?  What does data show to be your curriculum strengths and weaknesses?  What interests your teachers? students?  How can you make learning rigorous and relevant?

What are College and Career Ready Standards?  Achieve Inc.: “College and career readiness refers to the content knowledge and skills high school graduates must possess in English and mathematics — including, but not limited to, reading, writing communications, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving — to be successful in any and all future endeavors.”  ACT: “The level of achievement a student needs to be ready to enroll and succeed — without remediation — in credit-bearing first-year postsecondary courses. And by postsecondary we mean primarily two-year or four-year institutions, trade schools, and technical schools. Today, however, workplace readiness demands the same level of knowledge and skills as college readiness.”

What are College and Career Ready Standards?  ConnectEd framework identifies four critical components of readiness: Knowledge: The basic understanding of the content, discipline, context or idea. Skills: The ability to acquire knowledge and to use it in multiple ways. Productive Dispositions and Behaviors: The ability to understand one’s own role in acquiring and using knowledge and skills. Educational, Career and Civic Engagement: Applying and using knowledge, skills and dispositions for engaging in life.

What are College and Career Ready Standards?  Education Policy Improvement Center (EPIC), Dr. David Conley, Hewlett Foundation THINK: Key Cognitive Strategies KNOW: Key Content Knowledge GO: Key Transition Knowledge and Skills ACT: Key Learning Skills and Techniques

Conversations about CCR in my district…  Work with Dr. Doss at UAM on development of mission, vision, goals and core beliefs with the School Board  Work shared with the DLT  Preparing for sharing with all staff  GUESS WHAT APPEARED???

“THE” CONVERSATION  ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS: What do I need to make certain my students ‘know’ in order to be college and career ready? G.R.O.W. (goals, reality=barriers/where are we now?, opportunities, work) from Retired Col. Nate Todd

What do the students in Hermitage look like?  44% of students are ELL (approximately)  80% of students receive free or reduced lunch (poverty)  50% of my graduating class this year will be the first in their families to attend college, well above the state and national average of 33%  38% plan to pursue a STEM career  96% plan to attend a 4-year college Source: myCollegeOptions

Habits of practice matter...

Keywords from practices that matter… CollaborateModelReasonPersevere ThinkDevelop a planSelect and use appropriate tools PlanUnderstand other perspectives/cultures ReadDevelop independenceAsk questions Construct InterpretReport CritiqueCommunicateEngage AnalyzeFind structureDefine/Identify

How we are beginning to address habits of practice…  FFA/Career Education experiences  Interviews  Focus Groups  Projects, projects, projects  Teacher collaboration

Ending thought…… “Without preparation, opportunity is an empty promise.” —Alan Page, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice

References  SREB – College and Career Readiness  Stanford University, Tina Cheuk  Education First  ERIC document on CCR