{"id":1572,"date":"2018-01-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/blog\/three-big-questions-for-evolving-state-education-policy-to-support-student-centered-learning-in-2018\/"},"modified":"2022-11-04T17:13:44","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T21:13:44","slug":"three-big-questions-for-evolving-state-education-policy-to-support-student-centered-learning-in-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/blog\/three-big-questions-for-evolving-state-education-policy-to-support-student-centered-learning-in-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Big Questions for Evolving State Education Policy to Support Student-Centered Learning in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

With states preparing to implement newly-approved plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), there is an opportunity to reflect on some key issues from the field. ESSA provides a historic opportunity for states to transform K-12 education by redefining success, redesigning systems of assessments, rethinking accountability and aligning educator workforce capacity to student-centered learning. <\/span><\/p>\n

After years of asking for more flexibility and freedom from No Child Left Behind\u2019s restrictive frameworks for accountability, assessment and teacher quality, state and local stakeholders can now approach outdated educational systems differently under ESSA. States could use new flexibility in ESSA to advance equity and improve student outcomes with systems that support student-centered learning. <\/span><\/p>\n

We find ourselves at the beginning of a process of systems change that started with ESSA reauthorization, and that will not succeed in the long term unless we are able to identify (and address) the gaps in knowledge, capacity and policy enablers and supports to move the work in transforming education forward. The purpose of this blog post is to explore some of these gaps and questions as they relate to education policy and the roles of state policymakers; in particular:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. What does it mean for students to be truly prepared for success after high school?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. What information do families and communities need to know to understand whether schools are preparing students for success?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. What could accountability for continuous improvement look like in K-12 education?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In rethinking assumptions, we face a challenging task: policymakers must begin to forge a new path, asking and answering tough questions along the way, taking risks, learning from failures, and correcting course when needed. This blog post addresses some of the questions and challenges that we hope policymakers will consider as they examine ways to further the shift to student-centered learning in their own, unique state contexts for K-12 education.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Question 1: What does it mean for students to be truly prepared for success after high school?<\/h3>\n

    Families want to know that children are being prepared to attain a college degree, to become gainfully employed and to be engaged in their communities. Employers want to know if graduates can solve problems, think creatively, work in diverse teams and communicate effectively. <\/span>It is time for communities, educators and policymakers to come together to <\/span>redefine success<\/span><\/a> and align education systems <\/span>around helping all students succeed. <\/span>South Carolina and Virginia have established new <\/span>Graduate Profiles<\/span><\/a> (rooted in the district work of EdLeader21) and are beginning to align systems around these profiles. They are asking what students need to know and be able to do to prepare for the complex world they will enter. <\/span><\/p>\n

    A Profile of a Graduate is an important starting point for any state in the work of transforming K-12 education to student-centered learning. States with comprehensive graduate profiles might consider how they would address the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. How will we know that students are reaching success, across the full profile of a graduate? What are our goals and how will we measure our progress?<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. How can state graduation requirements align to our profile of a graduate? What are the learning progressions from pre-K to grade 12 that will lead to meeting the requirements?<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. What changes will districts need to make to instructional models and curricula in order to support each student\u2019s success toward a profile of a graduate?<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. What skills will teachers need to be able to exercise professional judgment around student mastery of the key knowledge and skills required for the profile of a graduate?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Question 2: What information do families and communities need to know to understand whether schools are preparing students for success?<\/h3>\n

      It is essential that we continue to collect and report information about student academic achievement and readiness, and disaggregate that information by subgroup for each school so that we can look at patterns and intervene where groups of students\u2019 needs are not being met. <\/span><\/p>\n

      At the same time, we should be asking if families and communities are getting the information that is most meaningful and important to them about school quality. The limited information that is currently communicated on school report cards – with summative state test scores and graduation rates – is insufficient to understand whether students are really learning and being prepared for success. <\/span><\/p>\n

      Policymakers and district leaders should be engaging deeply with a diverse cross-section of families and communities to learn what information is important for them to know about their schools. An important follow-up action step to this conversation is identifying how information could be collected, reported and used, and at which levels. Not all information collected needs to be (or should be) used for high-stakes purposes, and most of this information will only be needed at the local level. Another important discussion is how transparency of indicators of school quality might support <\/span>reciprocal accountability<\/span><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

      Question 3: What could accountability for continuous improvement look like in K-12 education?<\/h3>\n

      Accountability as continuous improvement recognizes that each student, teacher and school is in a different place on their path to meeting high expectations and that each one has room to improve. Educational systems should be designed to meet students, educators and schools where they are in their respective development so that they have what they need to accelerate achievement and close gaps.<\/span><\/p>\n

      An accountability system based on <\/span>continuous improvement<\/span><\/a> requires:<\/span><\/p>\n