Expanding Student Achievement: The Key Role of Education-Business Partnerships

1. Expanding Student Achievement: The Key Role of Education-Business Partnerships Kyra KesterSpecial Assistant for Industry PartnershipsOffice of Superintendent of Public InstructionState of Washington

2. Expanding Achievement In Washington, this is our assignment: “to provide students with the opportunity to become responsible citizens, to contribute to their own economic well-being and to that of their families and communities, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives” RCW 28A.150.210Basic Education Act -- Goal.

3. Expanding Achievement • Moving from this:

4. Expanding Achievement To this: • Solid thinking skills • Foundation content knowledge • Basic personal skills • Technology literacy

5. Expanding Achievement • Education Reform demands high skills • Motivation = Performance

6. Think You Can Motivation = Performance Work Hard Get Smart

7. Expanding Achievement • Helping students “Think They Can” means showing them how to: • Discover where they want to go • Learn what skills they will need • Find where and how to get those skills • And it means providing opportunities to learn those skills

8. Expanding Achievement • Update Technical Education • Exploration • Preparation • Requires: crucial partnerships with industry

9. Expanding Achievement • Increase contextual and work-based opportunities • Requires crucial partnerships with industry

10. Expanding Achievement • Smooth transitions • Requires crucial partnerships with postsecondary programs

11. What does it take to make all these partnerships? Pictures that help us translate each other’s languages, cultures – even our goals.

14. ACADEMIC FOUNDATION/INTENSIVE IT CAREEREXPLORATION IT Fluency: Career Exploration and IT Skills for Work IT Literacy: Career Awareness and IT Skills for Learning IT PATHWAY MODEL C A R E E R D E V E L O P M E N T/ L I F E L O N G L E A R N I N G IT DEGREE PROGRAMS AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS Examples: Computer/Information Systems Analyst, Computer/Information Scientist, Software or Hardware Engineer, Programmer EMPLOYMENT CAREER CLUSTER CONCENTRATIONS/PATHWAYS • Network Systems • Network Design & Administration • Information Support & Services • Database Dev & Admin • Enterprise Systems Integration • Technical Support • Technical Writer • Programming & Software Development • Programming/ • Software Engineering • Interactive Media • Digital Media • Web Development & Administration Grades K-20 Work Based Experience CLUSTER FOUNDATION • Ethics and Legal Responsibilities • Employability and Career Development • Technical Skills • Academic Foundations • Communications • Problem Solving and Critical Thinking • Information Technology Applications • Systems • Safety, Health and Environmental • Leadership and Teamwork  2001, EDC

15. Expanding Achievement Successful Strategies for Building an Effective IT Pathway

16. Expanding Achievement • Critical Partners • Shared Vision • Incentives • Shared Activities • Funding • Continuity

17. Expanding Achievement County-Wide Advisory Panels: • 18 Member Panel: 11 Industry; 7 Ex-officio • Industry Driven • Educators as “Active Listeners” • One Panel Serving Multiple Purposes

18. Expanding Achievement Value of County-Wide Collaboration to Industry Partners: • Industry leaders engage in dialogue with education leaders (levels must match) • Both develop long-term view of education system • Changes support both education and workforce goals

19. Expanding Achievement County IT Labor Market Analysis: • Created “snapshot” of IT industry in county • Established baseline to measure progress/success • Offered six recommendations for future county focus

20. Expanding Achievement Benefits of Articulation: • High school to college transition • Dual credit • Community college to baccalaureate transition • Dual enrollment

21. Expanding Achievement Common Articulation Standards: • Each agreement must meet or exceed the competencies taught at the college/university • Agreements reviewed annually by all partners • Agreements updated as emerging technologies are identified

22. Expanding Achievement Incentives • In Washington, to qualify for supplemental state funding, secondary programs must: • Articulate with post-secondary programs; • Lead to industry certifications (at secondary or postsecondary level) • Be based upon industry skill standards

23. Expanding Achievement Incentives: Local School Boards: By high school graduation, all students must have: • Completed academic foundations • Done some IT career exploration • Mastered a cluster foundation • Had the opportunity to begin one of the IT career cluster concentrations

24. Expanding Achievement IT Foundation Courses: • Digital Communication Tools (Replaces Keyboarding in 2004) • Office User Specialist (360 Hour Sequence) • Fundamentals of Information Technology • Computer Repair http://www.k12.wa.us/careerteched/it/exploreIT.asp

25. Expanding Achievement Tools for Aligning Math, Science, and Technology into an IT Pathway: http://www.k12.wa.us/careerteched/it/documents/EPlanningGuide.pdf http://www.k12.wa.us/careerteched/it/itresources.asp http://www.edc.org/ewit/

26. Expanding Achievement State and Federal Support and Involvement: • H1B Grants • NSF Grants • WIA Funding • State Worker Retraining Dollars • State High Demand Grants • State Technology Grants

27. Expanding Achievement For copies of materials and presentation, go to: http://www.pc3connect.org/itskills/

28. Expanding Achievement For a student, it could be a key to the future.