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FACT: Employer expectations are higher than
ever before … and rising.
Workplace demands for higher levels of knowledge and skills are escalating, and college and work readiness is increasingly being defined by national and international standards.
REALITY: Far too many Central Ohio students
are not being prepared for success in college* and careers … Some because they are sequestered in traditional
academic settings that offer few choices or learning pathways.
Others because they are the first generation in their families to go to college, under-represented minorities or students with disabilities.
* “College” includes learning beyond high school that leads to credentialing (e.g., certificates and two- and four-year degrees.)
College must be a realistic goal for all young people and for many more adults already in the workforce.
Yet for this to be achieved …the system
needs to be redesigned to support
high achievement and the
development of life-long learning skills for all students.
This represents a major change in our thinking … in our learning practices … and perhaps in our culture of education … as they relate to college- and
career-readiness.
So a critical question is:
What do people think about effortsto close the gap between what
students need to know and be able to do to graduate from high schooland the knowledge and skills most demanded in postsecondary and
workplace setting?
Here’s what some of our customers think.
What employers say . . .
39% of high school graduates with no additional education are not adequately prepared for their current jobs
42% of high school graduates do not have the skills to advance beyond entry-level jobs
Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, (December 2004 and January 2005 surveys
What college instructors say . . .
Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, (December 2004 and January 2005 surveys
42% of their first-year college students are not adequately prepared for college-level work
65% of instructors say high schools do not adequately prepare graduates to meet the expectations they will face in college
24% of instructors say they spend a significant amount of class time on remediation.
What students say …
39% of college students and high school graduates say they have gaps in the skills and abilities expected in their college courses or jobs, respectively
Knowing what they know today …
65% of college students and 77% of non-students say they would have worked harder in high school
Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, (December 2004 and January 2005 surveys
Here’s what votersnationally think.
There is strong agreement that education or training beyond high school is necessary for future success.
There is strong agreement that rigorous requirements in high school are critical.
QUESTION: Generally speaking, when it comes to having sufficient academic knowledge and skills, do you believe graduates of our nation’s public high schools are very prepared, somewhat prepared, somewhat unprepared or very unprepared to meet the expectations they face as they take the next steps after high school?
By almost a two-to-one margin, voters tell us it is better to have rigorous graduation requirements for all students, than to have different requirements for different students
Raising academic and graduation requirements means more students will drop out of high school.
63% Same rigorous requirements for everyone
32% Higher graduation requirements for top-performing students
49% Agree
50% Disagree
Clearly, there’s a pressing need for a college- and career-readiness agenda … and there’s widespread public support for it.
But it’s not merely a matter of establishing demanding expectations, setting high standards and improving the quality of instruction. We also need to . . .
Show children and young people the relevance of learning;
Reinvent our K-12 schools;
Provide “whole-child” student supports that remove the non-academic barriers to learning;
Bridge secondary and postsecondary standards/expectations;
Blend secondary and postsecondary learning;
Extend and capitalize on learning opportunities beyond classrooms and schools;
Align secondary and postsecondary standards/expectations; and
Connect education and employment needs.
This is what the Central Ohio College & Career Success Network can be all about!