A Focus on Success: Big Sky Pathways

1. A Focus on Success: Big Sky Pathways

2. America’s Challenge America’s economic strength depends upon the education and skills of its workers Jobs requiring at least an associate degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college experience Over the next decade, nearly eight in ten new jobs will require higher education and workforce training Yet, sixty percent of Americans have no postsecondary credentials at all

3. The President’s Goal Produce a higher percentage of college graduates than any other country in the world by 2020 • Move our rate of degree holders from 40% to 60%. This includes both four-year colleges and two-year colleges To reach that goal we need… 3 million graduates of 4-year colleges and 5 million from community colleges

4. Our Challenges • Today, 27% of young people drop out of high school (Montana @ 18%) • Every year, 1.2 million teenagers leave school for the streets • Math remediation rate is 50% for MT public HS grads entering the 2-YEAR COLLEGES in the U-system • 50% Dev Ed students never complete

5. Pathways – Opportunities • Clusters and Pathways – 20 years in making • Student Centered • Promotes Coop – Secondary/Postsecondary • Communication/Advising • Improve Persistence/Graduation Rates • Reduced Remediation Rates

6. Montana’s Big Sky Pathways • Perkins Partnership – MUS, OPI & MT DOL • Continuous Improvement • Seamless system of education (secondary to post-secondary)

7. Big Sky Pathways: Status Report • US DOE’s 10 Element Program of Study Design Framework • Montana’s Perkins CTE Team Prioritized Perkins Funds to help us Meet the 10 Elements

8. The Ten Elements • LEGISLATION AND POLICIES • PARTNERSHIPS • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION SYSTEMS • COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STANDARDS • COURSE SEQUENCES • CREDIT TRANSFER AGREEMENTS • GUIDANCE COUNSELING AND ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT • TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES • TECHNICAL SKILLS ASSESSMENTS

9. Big Sky Pathways: Phase I • In 2010, Perkins colleges were asked to choose pathways they would like to offer to all high schools in Montana • High schools then selected programs they would like to develop a pathway

10. Big Sky Pathways: Phase I • Meetings were set between high school and college faculty (2010/2011) • This effort was designed to reach every school and college to develop at least the mandatory one BSP

11. Big Sky Pathways: Significant Progress • The meetings resulted in more than 160 schools and 12 colleges signing up for 480+ pathway partnerships!  • 2011/2012 – Working to Refine Existing Pathways & Build New Pathways

12. Big Sky Pathways: Next 5 Years • Align Pathway Classes with Career Clusters Industry Developed Knowledge and Skills. Identify Which Knowledge and Skills are not being Covered or Duplicative • Integration of Math into CTE Pathway • Development of Industry Partners • Integration of Writing into the CTE pathway • Counselors will Lead with Big Sky Pathways for Career Guidance

13. Leading the Way: RPOS • Montana Pilot (one of six RPOS grants in nation) – Billings, Helena, Townsend, and Great Falls Public Schools (MSUB COT, UM Helena COT and MSU Great Falls COT) • Goal: Move Beyond these pilot High Schools to Entire State

14. A Sample Pathway is illustrated on following slides

18. Questions