Promoting Academic Rigor in YouthBuild for Postsecondary Completion

1. Promoting Academic Rigor in YouthBuild for Postsecondary Completion Elise M Huggins, PhD Portland YouthBuilders November 3, 2011 PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

2. Warm-up activity: Define academic rigor. What does it look like? Feel like? How do you know it when you see it? Think, Pair, Share Writing to Learn PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

3. YB Formed Partnership with Local Community College to Increase rigor in Prep and Bridge Phases • Established early in life of YB program • Robust partnership with good support/representation of: • Campus President • Dean of Instruction and Student Development • Associate Dean of Student Development • Career and Guidance Instructor • Reading Instructor • Chair of Math Department • Chair of Humanities Department • Coordinator of PAVTEC Partnerships (dual credit) • Ongoing engagement of partners around: • Defining postsecondary readiness standards/integration in prep phase • Designing our bridge to college program (PYB College Bound) PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

4. Work to Enrich Prep Phase • Explicit college-going culture • Partners build agreement that skills required for success in postsecondary education, training and work are the SAME (academic and soft skills) • College ready curriculum and instruction • Define the skills – what do students need to know and be able to do to be college/career ready? • Intentional use of time to maximize instruction and accelerate learning • Map the skills across the program – when/where does program teach the skills • Personalized guidance and support • Create systems and structures for individualized planning and support PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

5. How PYB Developed College-going Culture in Prep Phase • Analyzed job market • Studied relationship in region between education and employability • Analyzed skills required (academic and soft skills) • Looked at readiness for both postsecondary education and career entry/advancement • Held (ongoing) conversations • Within academic departments • Across the school • With postsecondary partners • Came to consensual key decisions • Postsecondary education is not just college-includes two/four year options, apprenticeships and credential programs • Everyone needs some postsecondary education/training • Skills required for success in college, apprenticeship and work are the SAME PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

6. Activity What evidence do you have that a postsecondary-going culture exists in your program? Where are the opportunities to deepen that culture—what information do you need? What strategies would you use? Collaborative Group Work PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

7. Enriched preparation • Explicit college going culture • Build agreement that skills required for success in postsecondary education, training and work are the SAME (academic and soft skills) • College ready curriculum and instruction • Define the skills – what do students need to know and be able to do? • Intentional use of time to maximize instruction and accelerate learning • Map the skills across the program – when and where do we teach the skills • Personalized guidance and support • Create systems and structures for individualized planning and support PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

8. College Ready Curriculum – what do students need to know and be able to do? When/how do we teach these skills? Partners engaged in work to: • Identify academic standards (local) • Used Portland Community College (PCC) course content and outcome guides • Also reviewed PCC course syllabi • Reviewed Apprenticeship requirements • Identify the soft skills required for success • Used Five Dimensions of Professionalism developed by PYB staff • Align academic curriculum in prep phase curricula and embedded soft skill development • Create new courses to address gaps • Review and make ongoing adjustments/modifications PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

9. PYB’s curriculum now reflects focus on postsecondary readiness and bundles skills within retooled courses PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

10. Curriculum – what’s different now? • Designed by teachers • Aligned with postsecondary standards (increasingly explicit) • Literacy-based • Student-centered • Integrated • Thematic • Content-rich curriculum (with embedded test prep) • Non-cognitive skill development embedded • Explicit messaging about postsecondary readiness PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

11. Instruction - how we teach • Use Common Instructional Framework (UPCS/JFF); includes: • Collaborative group work • Writing to learn • Literacy groups • Questioning • Scaffolding • Classroom talk • Created Culture of collaboration, reflection and professional growth; includes • Rounds - informal classroom observations to improve instruction • Team teaching • Meetings focused on curriculum, instruction and student work • Professional development PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

12. Artifacts of alignment work include • Common Instructional Framework • Writing at PYB • Write to Learn • Low-Stakes Writing-to-Learn Strategies • Examples of integrated and aligned curricular units: • Juror Bias • Hood Phase Project • 5 Dimensions of Professionalism PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

13. Activity • How will you create rigor and alignment in your context? What strategies will you use? Who should be involved? What barriers to you anticipate? Collaborative Group Work PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

14. Key points to take away • The process is not linear (It is ongoing and iterative in nature) • Change requires a willingness to reflect on personal beliefs, assumptions and practices • Alignment work requires collaboration (within program and between program and PSE partner) • Work also requires school-wide commitment and buy-in • Results require shifts in resources PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon

15. Activity • 3 things you learned • 2 things you will do immediately • 1 thing you are most worried about Exit Ticket PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon