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Explore how Common Core standards and assessments can boost college readiness and improve instruction and services for community college students. Learn about the benefits, challenges, and potential for multi-state partnerships.
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Improving the TransitionFrom High School toCommunity College Michael W. Kirst President, State Board of Education
Common Core could improve readiness of incoming CCC students. How? • By expanding the definition of college readiness beyond the A-G requirements. • By sending consistent signals to all high school students about readiness for non-remedial college work, regardless of their post-sec plans. • By elevating and making more visible the concept of community college readiness.
Common Core could create opportunities for earlier intervention and remediation. • Assessments will provide earlier and more specific information about community college readiness. • Useful for structuring K-16 partnerships, pathways, and bridge programs. • Common point of reference for K-16 faculty dialogue.
Common Core assessments could be useful for CCC course placement… Why? • Administered to all high school students, regardless of post-secondary plans; • Administered at an expected time, under consistent conditions; • Provide data on discrete content and levels, not just dispersion around single marker of grade level proficiency; • Will be explicitly evaluated on performance relative to SAT/ACT, ACCUPLACER, and other instruments.
…and improving CCC instruction and student services. Why? • Entering students will have a portfolio of assessment data on readiness in specific competency areas. • Data could be useful in designing basic skills modules and placing students. • Data also useful for improving instruction across the curriculum.
Common core could also strengthen career and CTE readiness… • Common Core standards and assessments also incorporate career readiness. • Assessments should capture students’ preparedness for CTE classes/programs better than CST/EAP. • Should provide a point of access for CTE faculty to engage in conversations and partnerships with K-12.
…but it will be important to get the details right. • Common Core standards appear to define college and career readiness as essentially the same thing—not necessarily the case. • National consortia have not clearly articulated their approach to measuring career/CTE readiness. • Not clear if the Common Core movement embraces a “multiple pathway” approach (robust CTE in high school while keeping door open for college).
Multi-state partnership may offer other advantages. • Tap into national expertise. • Allow us to buy more at lower development cost: assessments, test bank items, computer adaptive software, instructional materials, PD. • Help us compare the readiness of our high school students and the progress they are making. • Help us compare results of different strategies, programs, policies in other states.