History, Discussion and Recommendation to SBOE College and Career Readiness

Preparing each Kansas student for success after high school through… 1. Academic and Technical Skills a. Academic content b. Cognitive strategies c. Access Resources d. Navigate Post-secondary systems 2. Employability Skills a. 21 st Century b. Social, Emotional and Character c. Access Resources d. Navigate Post-secondary systems

Kansas needs 64% of workers to have a post secondary certificate or degree. Approximately 40% need to be bachelor degrees or higher Approximately 24% need to have a certificate or associate degree Current status in Kansas is….. Just under 40% of all Kansas students graduating high school earn any type of post secondary completion (6 years post high school graduation).

“The entry ticket to the middle class today is a postsecondary education of some kind,” but too many kids are not coming out of K-12 prepared for that, and too many parents don’t get it, says Jon Schnur, the chairman of America Achieves.

College and Career Readiness Mark Crawford - HugotonCindy Lane - KCK Bill Bierman - GoodlandDestry Brown - Pittsburg Bill Hagerman - NickersonMischel Miller – Dodge City Robert Morton - CoffeyvilleSteve Noble - Hillsboro Michelle Sedler – KC TurnerMary Jo Taylor - Stafford Examine the definition of college and career readiness drafted by KSSA last year and; How will schools assess the cognitive skills to be college and career ready? What is needed to do this work? How will schools assess the 21st century soft skills necessary to be college and career ready? Provide recommendations to the KSSA Board of Directors, KSSA membership, KASB and KSDE.

KASB/USA Regional Summits Summits held in: Garden City Valley Center Girard Oakley Topeka Concordia What we learned from the field on College and Career Readiness: 60% 21 st Century/Soft Skills 32% Cognitive/Academic Skills 8%Career Interest Develop Skills

College and Career Readiness Definition Problem Statement The universal charge for Kansas schools, preschool through grade twelve, is that all students graduate from high school prepared for college and careers in a global society, meeting internationally established benchmarks of performance, and at every grade level performance is on-track and on-time for success. Conley (2010) defined college and career ready to be the level of preparation a student needs in order to enroll and succeed – without remediation – in credit bearing courses at a postsecondary institution or a certificate program enabling career pathway advancement. KSSA agrees with Conley and defines college and career readiness as:

College and Career Readiness Definition College AND Career Readiness is determined by academic/cognitive preparation, technical skills, employability/soft skills and career interest development.

College and Career Readiness Definition Academic/Cognitive Preparation and Technical Skills are determined by: Level of performance on college readiness exams (Reading, Math, English, and Science) for full admittance to post- secondary institutions without the need for remediation (non- credit bearing courses) and/or Achievement of technical credential or industry certification (such as welding or Certified Nursing Assistant etc. )

College and Career Readiness Definition Employability/Soft Skills are determined by: Basic Skills: reads, writes, listens, and speaks well Critical thinking skills: decisive, creative thinking, solves problems, reasons Personal qualities: responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, access resources

College and Career Readiness Definition Career Interest Development: Ability to engage in exploration and planning for career preferences leading to post-secondary success Exploration relevant to the students interests

Assessing Academic/Cognitive Preparation, Technical and Employability/Soft Skills Current research by Collins, McREL, Schmoker and others compels educators to measure the preparedness of our students for a prosperous future in a SINGLE, tightly coupled, meaningful and relevant assessment system. This system should be based on college and career standards, aligned to the national career readiness certifications and accepted by higher education for full admission, admittance into credit-bearing courses, and scholarship considerations. The provision for a single assessment system must take into account what students need in order to develop college and career readiness. Secondly, the assessment system must inform instruction based on high expectations and preparation for college and careers without the need for remediation.

ACT Suite of Assessments

Past Recommendations from Kansas Education Commission, Governor's Task Force on Graduation/Dropout Prevention, and Teaching in Kansas CommissionRecommendations from Kansas Education Commission, Governor's Task Force on Graduation/Dropout Prevention, and Teaching in Kansas Commission Common Core Standards Common Core Standards Revise Accreditation model Revise Accreditation model MTSS in all schools MTSS in all schools SBAC SBAC Kansas Teacher/Leader evaluation instrument KEEP Kansas Teacher/Leader evaluation instrument KEEP Focus on CTE/21st Century Skills Focus on CTE/21st Century Skills Adopt a Growth Model Adopt a Growth Model

Past (cont’d) May State Board adopts 11 Career and Technical Education goalsMay State Board adopts 11 Career and Technical Education goals Fall 2010 – State Board adopts Kansas Common Core StandardsFall 2010 – State Board adopts Kansas Common Core Standards September 2011 – States are allowed to submit an ESEA WaiverSeptember 2011 – States are allowed to submit an ESEA Waiver

July 20 Kansas ESEA waiver conditionally approvedJuly 20 Kansas ESEA waiver conditionally approved AYP is GONE, used for the last time in 2012AYP is GONE, used for the last time in 2012 A new Reporting system will be designed around 4 new AMO’s, used with the 2013 AssessmentsA new Reporting system will be designed around 4 new AMO’s, used with the 2013 Assessments Spring current Kansas assessmentSpring current Kansas assessment Field Test SBAC test items from SBACField Test SBAC test items from SBAC Focus efforts on quality instruction and implementation of Kansas Common Core StandardsFocus efforts on quality instruction and implementation of Kansas Common Core Standards

(cont’d) TIKCII -- define student growth evaluationTIKCII -- define student growth evaluation Pilot new accreditation modelPilot new accreditation model Decide how the 4 new AMO's affect QPADecide how the 4 new AMO's affect QPA Winter Kansas to adopt History/Government standardsWinter Kansas to adopt History/Government standards Winter review local evaluation instrument and/or review KEEPWinter review local evaluation instrument and/or review KEEP Review GuidelinesReview Guidelines Winter/Spring- submit local instrument guidelines to KSDE for review and approvalWinter/Spring- submit local instrument guidelines to KSDE for review and approval Evaluate other Assessment ToolsEvaluate other Assessment Tools

ESEA waiver (continues) -- fully approvedESEA waiver (continues) -- fully approved New report cards around 4 AMO’sNew report cards around 4 AMO’s State Board decides on Kansas Assessment InstrumentState Board decides on Kansas Assessment Instrument Full implementation of Kansas Common Core (English Language Arts and Math)Full implementation of Kansas Common Core (English Language Arts and Math) Spring 2014 – last year for the current state assessments, orSpring 2014 – last year for the current state assessments, or Field Test new Assessment InstrumentField Test new Assessment Instrument

(cont’d) ESOL standards aligned with Kansas Common Core StandardsESOL standards aligned with Kansas Common Core Standards Possible adoption of Science StandardsPossible adoption of Science Standards State wide pilot/training of KEEPState wide pilot/training of KEEP Maintain current QPAMaintain current QPA Field test new accreditation modelField test new accreditation model

nd year of Kansas Common Core Standards2nd year of Kansas Common Core Standards Full implementation of new state assessmentFull implementation of new state assessment KEEP or your own instrument that meets the guidelinesKEEP or your own instrument that meets the guidelines New ELPA assessmentNew ELPA assessment 1st year of new accreditation model1st year of new accreditation model

Solution…. New higher standards leading to completion of post secondary education. Kansas and many other states adopted the Common Core Standards.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. The standards are informed by the highest, most effective models from states across the country and countries around the world, and provide teachers and parents with a common understanding of what students are expected to learn. Consistent standards will provide appropriate benchmarks for all students, regardless of where they live. These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs. The standards: Are aligned with college and work expectations; Are clear, understandable and consistent; Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and Are evidence-based.

Three current options for summative assessments to measure Common Core Standards in Pre-K – 12… PARCC Smarter Balanced ACT

PARCC The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a consortium of 23 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers. These new K-12 assessments will build a pathway to college and career readiness by the end of high school, mark students’ progress toward this goal from 3rd grade up, and provide teachers with timely information to inform instruction and provide student support. The PARCC assessments will be ready for states to administer during the school year. PARCC received an $186 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top assessment competition to support the development and design of the next-generation assessment system.

PARCC States

PARCC Strengths Weaknesses Race to Top Money to DevelopSmall Consortium of States Strong organizationMeasures only academic behavior Tied to Common Core StandardsMeasures only ELA and Mathematics Possible formative and summativeKansas is not a member Computer Adaptive OptionNo track record Authentic style questions Conservatives may not like government money for assessments Paper/Pencil Option????Cost

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is one of two multistate consortia awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education to develop an assessment system based on the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS). To achieve the goal that all students leave high school ready for college and career, Smarter Balanced is committed to ensuring that assessment and instruction embody the CCSS and that all students, regardless of disability, language or subgroup status, have the opportunity to learn this valued content and to show what they know and can do. With strong support from participating states, institutions of higher education and industry, Smarter Balanced will develop a balanced set of measures and tools, each designed to serve specific purposes. Together, these components will provide student data throughout the academic year that will inform instruction, guide interventions, help target professional development and ensure an accurate measure of each student’s progress toward career- and college- readiness. Smarter Balanced

Smarter Balanced States

Smarter Balanced Strengths Weaknesses Large Consortium of StatesMeasures only academic behavior Kansas is a governing memberMeasures only ELA and Mathematics Race to Top Money to DevelopNo track record Tied to Common Core Standards Conservatives may not like government money for assessments Possible formative and summativeComputer only Computer Adaptive Cost Authentic style questions

The ACT Aspire system will be aligned from elementary grades to high school, connecting each grade level to the next. This will create a cohesive longitudinal system that is comparable and transportable from one state to the next. Teachers and parents can know with confidence where each student is on the path to college and career readiness at every step along the way. In addition to summative assessments that measure how much students have learned over time, ACT Aspire will include formative assessments that help teachers meet students’ learning needs within individual classes throughout the year. The aligned assessments will inform teachers about students’ progress toward specific learning standards, so they can better tailor their instructional activities and resources to help students learn. A state-of-the-art, digital delivery of the system—powered by Pearson, with which ACT is partnering on this initiative—will allow teachers to take control of classroom testing, giving them the flexibility to schedule tests according to their classroom schedules. The system will also have the ability to support millions of students at scale on multiple devices, such as laptops and tablets. (The system will also accommodate a paper-and- pencil format for schools that need it.) ACT Aspire™

The cloud-based, interactive system will accommodate new types of multimedia test items and give educators the ability to view classroom test results almost immediately. This quick insight will help pinpoint gaps between what students have actually learned and what they need to learn, allowing educators to better align assessment, curriculum, learning and intervention strategies. Because ACT Aspire is evolving from ACT’s more than 50 years of experience with college and career readiness assessment programs and research—and because the system will be anchored by the organization’s flagship college and career readiness exam, the ACT ® —it will offer continuity to schools and states that have used the organization’s existing solutions. The score scales for 3rd through 10th grade assessments will be linked to the familiar College Readiness Benchmark scores used on the ACT, PLAN ® and EXPLORE ®. The transition to ACT Aspire can therefore occur smoothly, with minimal disruption for many schools and teachers. The ACT Aspire system will be designed to evolve over time based on the changing needs of college and career readiness. As ACT is developing the 1.0 version of the system, it is already planning for new features in subsequent versions. ACT is committed to ongoing research, support and validation of the system. Over the years ahead, ACT will continually update and refresh the content of the system to reflect any changes in college and career readiness standards. ACT Aspire will be fully aligned with the Common Core State Standards, which draw heavily from ACT’s College Readiness Standards and research. The system will also go beyond those standards to measure science skills and other dimensions of readiness. ACT Aspire™

ACT States

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Strengths Weaknesses Used in all US StatesNot PARCC or Smarter Balanced Kansas is a heavy userKansas is not a governing state Tied to Common Core StandardsMay not be computer adaptive Possible formative and summativeNo track record in Pre-K - 7 Has College and Career cut scores establishedCost Measures academic skills of ELA, Mathematics and Science Higher Education currently uses for admission, placement and scholarship Has other assessments tied to CCR – work ready, soft skills, psycho-social Private, not-for-profit. Might not be as political for conservatives Computer or paper/pencil ACT

National Career Readiness Certificate PLUS Cognitive Workplace Skills: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information Work Discipline : Productivity and dependability Teamwork : Tolerance, communication, and attitude Customer Service Orientation : Interpersonal skills and perseverance Managerial Potential : Persuasion, enthusiasm, and problem solving

ACT WorkKeys Plus – General Employability Skills Industry Specific Certification Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Graduate Degree

“We want to ensure that all Kansas students meet challenging academic and technical standards, so they are prepared for high- demand, high-wage, and high-skill occupations in current or emerging professions,” said Robin Harris, assistant director, Career, Standards, and Assessment Services, Kansas State Department of Education.

College and Career Readiness Questions, Comments, Answers