Defining Career and College Readiness in CA

As many of you know the nation's schools are transitioning to the new Common Core Academic Standards and an invigorated focus on career and college readiness.  As part of that effort, each state is working to define what it means by "career and college readiness." We recently read a survey conducted by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) asking states to share their definition of career and college readiness. Only 14 of 46 states that responded had a working definition. What I found fascinating is that most of the states had the same definition for college and career readiness with a strong leaning towards academic skills development necessary for college achievement. There is very little focus on skills that might interest employers beyond basic skills. Also, it's interesting to see the variance in definitions;  some states offering practical definitions focusing on the number of units needed to graduate and others defining readiness in more poetic terms. My favorite was Indiana: "Students are college- and career-ready when they are able to enroll and succeed in post-secondary coursework without the need for remediation." I would have loved to be on the team that came up with that definition!

We were honored to attend the Educating for Careers conference last Monday in Sacramento. I was thrilled when the the California Superintendent of Schools, Tom Torlakson, announced new Career Readiness Standards for K-12 students. Although California is in the process of articulating the definition for career and college readiness, these new standards called the "Standards for Career Ready Practice" describe in general terms what students need to succeed when they transfer to post-secondary education, career training, or the workforce-beyond academic skills. These skills expand far beyond what is currently articulated in the academic standards to include life skills necessary to succeed in the work world. These standards are particularly exciting because the state recognizes that a successful career is more than academic achievement. 

Below is a summary of the Standards for Career Ready Practice:

1. Apply appropriate technical skills and academic knowledge.
2. Communicate clearly, effectively, and with reason.
3. Develop an education and career plan aligned with personal goals.
4. Apply technology to enhance productivity.
5. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
6. Practice personal health and understand financial literacy.
7. Act as a responsible citizen in the workplace and the community.
8. Model integrity, ethical leadership, and effective management.
9. Work productively in teams while integrating cultural and global competence.
10. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.

As always, we welcome your feedback and conversation on this topic. 

Amanda Gerrie and Kim Coulthurst
Partners, Pathways Consultants
510-325-6959