1. Graduating Students College & Career Ready: What’s Next
SCDN
May 2013
EngageNY.org

2. Tests are Signals, Not the Curriculum
Curriculum and Instruction reflect our real aspirations for our students
Take stock of our curriculum
ELA resources (text, evidence)
Math resources (depth, applications)
How do the State’s supplemental modules fit or not fit into local curriculum strategies?
How do we use video to reflect on practice?
How do we organize teacher time (review of student work, observation of colleagues)?
How do we organize principal time (time spent in classrooms)?
EngageNY.org

3. Tests are Signals, Not the Professional Development
Do our APPR plans reflect the Common Core and College and Career Readiness?
Do our SLO’s reflect the Common Core and College and Career readiness?
Did we pick the right targets?
Did we pick the right measures?
Do we need pre/post measures or is prior achievement sufficient?
Do our local achievement measures reflect the Common Core and College and Career readiness?
Do our summer and year-long PD plans reflect the Common Core and College and Career readiness?
EngageNY.org

4. What is College and Career Readiness?
There is no common definition or one single measure of college and career readiness.
Research suggests:
College and career readiness is defined by the content knowledge, skills, and habits that students need to be successful after high school whether in postsecondary education or training that leads to a career pathway.
Sources: ACT. (2006); Conley, D. (2007); Conley, D. (2012).
EngageNY.org

5. Domains of College and Career Readiness
Defines the academic knowledge
and skills students need to be
successful in college and
careers.
Specifies the non-
cognitive, socio-emotional knowledge and skills that
help students successfully
transition from high school to
college or careers.
Describes the career-
specific opportunities
for students to gain the
knowledge, skills, and
competencies they need
to pursue and succeed in their
chosen career.
EngageNY.org

6. Evolving CCR Measures: Aspirational Performance Measures
New York developed alternative measures of student readiness based on research predicting likelihood of success in postsecondary education.
Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation
Earn 22 units of credit, score at or above 65 on 7-9 Regents examinations, and take advanced course sequences in languages other than English, CTE, or the arts.
ELA/Math APM
Graduate with a Local, Regents, or Regents with Advanced Designation diploma and earn a 75 or greater on their English Regents examination and earn a 80 or greater on a math Regents examination.
EngageNY.org

7. Measuring CCR with PARCC
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) Assessments will assess the Common Core standards in ways that require a broader range of skills needed to be CCR.
Will include Performance-Based Assessments that measure reading comprehension, problem solving, and applying skills, concepts and understandings.
Will use empirical evidence to set performance standards, building on methods used in New York in 2010
Robust engagement strategies with higher education ensure that faculty across New York provide input into the development of CCR policy decisions and assessments.
EngageNY.org

8. Academic Readiness: Beyond State Assessments
Advanced coursework and non-state assessments
Academic readiness can also be measured by indicators such as:
Performance on other assessments (SAT, ACT, AP exams)
Advanced coursework such as AP and IB
Performance on industry-certified exams
Success in entry-level coursework
SED will begin to collect and report more data needed for a broader definition of academic readiness.
EngageNY.org

9. Beyond Academic Readiness: Key Attitudes and Behaviors
Research widely recognizes that readiness for college and career extends beyond academic skills and achievements to non-cognitive and transitional skills.
Such as:
These attitudes and behaviors are harder to measure, but SED will encourage early efforts and consider how to shape consistent, statewide approaches.
Persistence
Resiliency
Goal Setting
Academic Behaviors like Study Skills
College Awareness
Career Awareness
EngageNY.org

10. Beyond Academic Readiness: Career-Specific Knowledge & Skills
These skills refer to those that are necessary for students’ success in their careers whether they enter these careers immediately from high school or after college.
May include technical skills for a trade or manufacturing career or academic skills for careers in research, medicine, or law.
New York’s CTE course sequences increasingly lead to postsecondary enrollment or to direct entry into meaningful careers.
EngageNY.org

11. Career-Focused Pathways
Career-focused pathways must span the last years of high school and at least one year of post-secondary education or training and lead to an industry-recognized credential.
Key Challenge:
To build enough differentiation in grades 11 and 12 that young people opting for occupations that require less formal academic training can take the initial steps toward viable careers.
Source: Pathways to Prosperity Project, Harvard University, February 2011,
EngageNY.org

12. Progress Reports on College and Career Readiness
SED will begin to report multiple indicators of college and career readiness on low-stakes reports for districts and high schools.
They will be designed for use by districts and schools to identify areas for improvement in the school's educational program to address students' readiness for college and careers.
EngageNY.org

13. EngageNY.org

14. Early Assessment Programs
Creates a more coherent P-20 system with clear, aligned expectations for readiness and opportunities to identify and address gaps in readiness for postsecondary education.
Early Assessment
A 10th or 11th grade assessment that measures academic readiness for college and careers.
CCR Determination
The early assessment provides students, teachers, and parents an indicator of student readiness early enough to provide academic intervention.
12th Grade
Coursework
Students who are not ready receive instruction to build the skills and knowledge needed to be academically prepared.
Students who are ready receive opportunities for college-level work.
EngageNY.org

15. Roles Under the New Paradigm….
What Boards Do
What Superintendents Do
What Principals Do
Educate the community on readiness and the changes needed
Adopt policies that support the focus on college and career readiness
Budget based on values and expectations of the community
Protect human capital investments through professional development
Evaluate the Superintendent based on multiple measures, including student achievement, teacher & leader effectiveness
Focus discussion at Board meetings on student achievement, teaching and learning
Get smart on the three school-based initiatives in the Regents Reform Agenda
Build Principals’ capacity and hold them accountable for implementing:
Foster the use of district-wide, common interim assessments aligned to the Common Core
Demand that principals foster systems for test-in-hand analysis of interim assessment data to drive changes in teacher practice
Implement effective & aligned professional development at all levels of the district
Demand and protect principal time in classrooms
Build teacher awareness and establish a common language around the Shifts in Instruction demanded by adoption of the Common Core
Protect teacher time to plan units which adhere to the Shifts demanded by the Common Core
Have a laser-like focus on teaching and learning and build a culture of reflection and continuous improvement
Spend as much time as possible in classrooms to collect evidence and artifacts to drive improvements in teacher planning and practice
Engage in evidence-based, action-oriented conversations with teachers; build teacher capacity & hold them accountable
Foster systems for test-in-hand analysis of interim assessment data to drive changes in teacher practice
The Common Core
Data-Driven Instruction
Evidence based observation
EngageNY.org 15

16. What are next steps for Board members?
Get to know the Common Core Standards --professional development video series on
Engage in monthly conversations with the superintendent about how the Common Core Standards, Data Driven Instruction, and the new Teacher and Principal Evaluation System will be implemented.
Set policies that ensure that all teachers and principals will be evaluated and supported with professional development based on what works.
Develop a plan for the Board and the governance team that ensures a deep understanding of the Common Core Standards, Annual Professional Performance Review, student achievement data, and fiscal planning.
Build the budget by aligning resources with the strategy to reach your goals for improving student achievement through implementation of the Common Core, Data Driven Instruction, and Teacher & Leader Effectiveness.
EngageNY.org

17. Toolkit for Parent Engagement
Parent Handouts 
Parent’s Backpack Guide to the Common Core

18. Thank You. EngageNY.org Talking Points:
Research defines college and career readiness by the knowledge and skills that students need to be successful after high school, whether they enter college or a career. However, this is a very broad definition that still creates many questions for educators.
In order to know whether a student has achieved college and career readiness (CCR) it is helpful to define CCR in ways that can be measured. This approach can also identify gaps in a student’s readiness.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) believes that expanding and refining our definition of CCR to include benchmarks in multiple domains over time will help all educators in the State to assess and improve students’ college and career readiness.
EngageNY.org