Synopses & Reviews
USE THIS BOOK FOR PD!Includes discussion questions, tools for teachers, and additional resources online.
Praise for Getting Ready for College, Careers, and the Common Core
"David Conley's latest work is breathtaking in its scope and depth. Not only does he provide a history of the development of thinking regarding college and career readiness, but he also lays out specific steps that can be taken by schools and districts to ensure that all students have adequate instruction and support to develop the skills necessary for college and career readiness. If the recommendations in this book were to be implemented, it would constitute a true transformation of the current educational system. This is a must-read for educators at all levels." ROBERT MARZANO, CEO, Marzano Research Laboratory
"This book is a must-read for educational leaders, principals, teachers, and even parents. It explains how the Common Core was constructed, clarifying the roots of this movement and explaining where we go from here. Conley debunks the notion that the CCSS is just another passing educational fad. The book offers Common Core implementation strategies for administrators and teachers as they work to align their instructional practices with the higher expectations the CCSS embody." CECELIA CUNNINGHAM, director, Middle College National Consortium
"David Conley is central to America's most important economic development initiativethe quest to boost college and career readiness of America's youth. Everyone who cares about education should read this book for an exploration of the four keys to college and career readiness. Educators will appreciate Conley's take on deeper learning strategies and assessments, his call for more (and better) writing, and his plea to integrate math across the curriculum. The appendix is a valuable nine-part readiness system. This is a timely and important resource." TOM VANDER ARK, author and CEO, Getting Smart
Synopsis
Create programs that prepare students for college, careers, and the new and challenging assessments of the Common Core State StandardsWritten for all educators but with an emphasis on those at the secondary level, this important resource shows how to develop programs that truly prepare students for both the Common Core assessments and for college and career readiness. Based on multiple research studies conducted by Conley as well as experience he has gained from working with dozens of high schools that succeed with a wide range of students, the book provides specific strategies for teaching the CCSS in ways that improve readiness for college and careers for the full range of students.
- Draws from research-based models for creating programs for high school students that will ensure readiness for tests and for college and beyond
- Includes strategies and practices for teachers to help students develop postsecondary preparedness
- Is the third in a series of books on readiness written by David Conley, including College Knowledge and College and Career Ready
Teachers can use this valuable resource to understand the "big picture" behind the Common Core State Standards, how to teach to them in ways that prepare students for new, challenging assessments being implemented over the next few years and, more importantly, how to help all students be ready for learning beyond high school.
Synopsis
Written for all educators (with the spotlight on those at the secondary level), this important resource shows teachers and school leaders alike how they can get students ready for college and careers, while simultaneously preparing them for the Common Core assessments.
Getting Ready for College, Careers, and the Common Core is based on numerous research studies conducted by education expert David T. Conley and insights gained from his work with dozens of effective secondary schools. The book offers techniques and strategies for teaching the Common Core State Standards in ways that result in improved learning for all students.
Conley outlines a comprehensive framework for college and career readiness, which can be used to gauge readiness of both students and schools. His nationally known "Four Keys" model (Key Cognitive Strategies, Key Content Knowledge, Key Learning Skills & Techniques, and Key Transition Knowledge & Skills) specifies the teachable knowledge, skills, and abilities students must have to be effective learners. Most importantly, students must be able to take ownership of their learning and make connections between their aspirations and goals and what they are learning in school.
The book helps educators understand the "big picture" behind the Common Core by showing them how to teach toward the "deeper learning" that research has confirmed leads to more complex understanding and greater retention. This type of learning prepares students for the Common Core assessments and for success in college, careers, and beyond.
The book is ideally suited to study and discussion groups, for use by individual educators, and as a schoolwide resource. Central office administrators, board members, and educational policymakers will also find this book to be an essential resource for understanding college and career readiness and the Common Core.
About the Author
David T. Conley, Ph.D., is professor of Educational Policy and Leadership and founder and director of the Center for Educational Policy Research at the University of Oregon. He is also founder, CEO, and chief strategy officer at the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC). In addition, he serves as president of a consulting company devoted to strategic advising and licensing of intellectual property designed to foster new educational methods and models.
Table of Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xix
The Author xxi
Introduction 1The Common Core State Standards, Student Ownership of Learning, and College and Career Readiness • The Role of Elementary and Secondary Schools • Overview of the Chapters • Using This Book to Support
Implementation of the Common Core State Standards
1 The New Challenge: All Students College and Career Ready 19Why College and Career Readiness for All? • From Vocational Education to Career Technical Education • The Academic Core • Creating College Readiness and Career Readiness for All • The Rise of College Readiness Standards
2 College Readiness, Career Readiness: Same or Different? 37Exploring Readiness More Deeply • Connecting Student Interests and Goals to College and Career Readiness • Levels of Readiness • My Definition of College and Career Ready
3 The Four Keys to College and Career Readiness 53The Four Keys: An Overview • Key Cognitive Strategies in Depth • Key Content Knowledge in Depth
4 The Four Keys Continued: Learning Skills and Transition Skills 71Key Learning Skills and Techniques in Depth • Key Transition Knowledge and Skills in Depth • The Complexity of College and Career Readiness
5 Toward Deeper Learning 99Some Framing Characteristics of the Learning Process • Knowledge Complexity Progression • What Is Deeper Learning? • Four Models of Deeper Learning • Overview of Research Foundation for Deeper Learning
6 Deeper Learning at the Classroom Level 119Characteristics of the Deeper Learning Classroom • Challenges of the Deeper Learning Classroom • A Closer Look at Scoring Student Work for Deeper Learning • Deeper Learning, the Common Core State Standards,
and College and Career Readiness
7 A Closer Look at the Common Core State Standards 139Where Did the Common Core Come From? • An Overview of the Common Core State Standards • Structure and Organization of the English Language Arts and Mathematics Standards • The Heart of the Challenge of Teaching the Common Core State Standards • What the Common Core State Standards Don’t Do • Appendix: Key Elements of the Common Core
8 The Common Core State Standards and College and Career Readiness 169The Reaching the Goal Study • Implementing the Common Core State Standards to Improve College and Career Readiness • Who Owns the Responsibility to Teach the Common Core State Standards? • Understanding Key Areas Related to College and Career Readiness • A Key Role for Elementary School Teachers • The Challenge of the Common Core and College and Career Ready
9 The Consortia Assessments and College and Career Readiness 193The Goals of the Consortia Assessments • Characteristics of Each Consortium’s Assessment • Preparing for the Consortia Assessments • The Challenge Remaining
10 From an Assessment System to a System of Assessments 215Performance Tasks: Key Element in a System of Assessments • How a System of Assessments Addresses a Wider Range of Standards • Moving toward Student Profiles
11 Where To from Here? 235What Will “Ready” Mean? • A Blurring of the Line between High School and College • The Future of the Common Core State Standards and Consortia Assessments • The Overall Outlook
Conclusion: Changing Demographics, New Instructional Challenges 263
Appendix: A Nine-Part Readiness System 267
Index 287