Over four weeks last spring, the Learning First Alliance convened a “Practitioner Think Tank” consisting of a cross-section of education practitioners: teachers, principals, school counselors, parents, technology directors, superintendents, teacher educators, school board members and other ground-level educators. This group began the process of creating a new report that explores what is needed to achieve the successful implementation of college- and career-ready standards.
The report, “Where We Are and Where We’re Going,” includes information on the contextual factors that educators recognize have led us to where we are now; the status of schools and districts regarding key issues identified by the discussants as necessary for successful implementation of college- and career-ready standards; and actions needed to position educators for success in the coming school year.
Educators believe that the high expectations the standards set are met when implementation is effectively managed. They are frustrated by the political noise and lack of support that surround their work and hinder their ability to help students succeed. And they want to maintain momentum and move forward. They believe that constantly changing demands on students, teachers and schools are distracting from the important work that they are doing.
The main recommendations for moving forward are to:
- Continue to move forward with college- and career-ready standards on a realistic timeframe and with the supports needed to allow students and teachers to successfully adapt the standards;
- Emphasize each individual child in instructional decisions;
- Expand communications efforts with the public and government officials and show how the standards are improving graduates’ readiness for college and careers;
- Continue to expand and support collaboration between teacher preparation programs and PK-12 programs;
- Expand targeted professional development for all educators;
- Redesign assessment and accountability systems to ensure they provide useful information for students and educators and accurately reflect the progress that students, schools and districts are making.
For more information, see the following resources:
Full Report:
http://www.learningfirst.org/sites/default/files/assets/WhereWeAreandWhereWereGoingFullReport.pdf
Four page brief:
http://www.learningfirst.org/sites/default/files/assets/WhereWeAreandWhereWeAreGoingSummary.pdf
Press release:
http://www.learningfirst.org/whereweareandwhereweregoing
