Elise M Huggins, PhDPortland YouthBuilders
November 3, 2011
Promoting Academic Rigor in YouthBuild for Postsecondary
Completion
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Warm-up activity:Define academic rigor. What does it look like? Feel like? How do you know it when you see it?
Think, Pair, ShareWriting to LearnPowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
YB Formed Partnership with Local Community College to Increase rigor in Prep and Bridge PhasesEstablished early in life of YB programRobust partnership with good support/representation of: Campus PresidentDean of Instruction and Student DevelopmentAssociate Dean of Student DevelopmentCareer and Guidance InstructorReading InstructorChair of Math DepartmentChair of Humanities DepartmentCoordinator of PAVTEC Partnerships (dual credit)
Ongoing engagement of partners around:Defining postsecondary readiness standards/integration in prep phase
Designing our bridge to college program (PYB College Bound)
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Work to Enrich Prep PhaseExplicit college-going culture
Partners build agreement that skills required for success in postsecondary education, training and work are the SAME (academic and soft skills)
College ready curriculum and instructionDefine the skills – what do students need to know and be able to do to be college/career ready?
Intentional use of time to maximize instruction and accelerate learningMap the skills across the program – when/where does program teach the skills
Personalized guidance and supportCreate systems and structures for individualized planning and support
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
How PYB Developed College-going Culture in Prep PhaseAnalyzed job market
Studied relationship in region between education and employability
Analyzed skills required (academic and soft skills)Looked at readiness for both postsecondary education and career entry/advancement
Held (ongoing) conversationsWithin academic departmentsAcross the schoolWith postsecondary partners
Came to consensual key decisionsPostsecondary education is not just college-includes two/four year options, apprenticeships and credential programs
Everyone needs some postsecondary education/trainingSkills required for success in college, apprenticeship and work are the SAME
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
ActivityWhat evidence do you have that a postsecondary-going culture exists in your program? Where are the opportunities to deepen that culture—what information do you need? What strategies would you use?
Collaborative Group Work
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Enriched preparationExplicit college going culture
Build agreement that skills required for success in postsecondary education, training and work are the SAME (academic and soft skills)
College ready curriculum and instructionDefine the skills – what do students need to know and be able to do?
Intentional use of time to maximize instruction and accelerate learningMap the skills across the program – when and where do we teach the skills
Personalized guidance and supportCreate systems and structures for individualized planning and support
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
College Ready Curriculum – what do students need to know and be able to do? When/how do we teach these skills? Partners engaged in work to: Identify academic standards (local)
o Used Portland Community College (PCC) course content and outcome guides
o Also reviewed PCC course syllabio Reviewed Apprenticeship requirements
Identify the soft skills required for successo Used Five Dimensions of Professionalism developed by PYB staff
Align academic curriculum in prep phase curricula and embedded soft skill development
Create new courses to address gapsReview and make ongoing adjustments/modifications
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
PYB’s curriculum now reflects focus on postsecondary readiness and bundles skills within retooled courses
BEFORE AFTER
Study and Research Skills I Academic Skills
Study and Research Skills II
Critical Reading
Humanities I Humanities I
Humanities II Humanities II
Integrated Math Contemporary Issues
College Algebra Writing Workshop
Career and Life Skills Development I
SSR
Career and Life Skills Development II
Intro to College Algebra I
Intro to College Algebra II
Career and Life Skills Development I
Career and Life Skills Development II
CG100: College Success and Survival
Intro to Apprenticeship
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Curriculum – what’s different now?Designed by teachers Aligned with postsecondary standards (increasingly explicit)
Literacy-basedStudent-centeredIntegratedThematicContent-rich curriculum (with embedded test prep)
Non-cognitive skill development embeddedExplicit messaging about postsecondary readiness
PowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Instruction - how we teachUse Common Instructional Framework (UPCS/JFF); includes: Collaborative group workWriting to learnLiteracy groupsQuestioningScaffoldingClassroom talk
Created Culture of collaboration, reflection and professional growth; includesRounds - informal classroom observations to improve instruction
Team teachingMeetings focused on curriculum, instruction and student work
Professional developmentPowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Artifacts of alignment work includeCommon Instructional FrameworkWriting at PYBWrite to Learn Low-Stakes Writing-to-Learn Strategies
Examples of integrated and aligned curricular units:
Juror BiasHood Phase Project
5 Dimensions of ProfessionalismPowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
ActivityHow will you create rigor and alignment in your context? What strategies will you use? Who should be involved? What barriers to you anticipate?
Collaborative Group WorkPowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Key points to take awayThe process is not linear (It is ongoing and iterative in nature)
Change requires a willingness to reflect on personal beliefs, assumptions and practices
Alignment work requires collaboration (within program and between program and PSE partner)
Work also requires school-wide commitment and buy-in
Results require shifts in resourcesPowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon
Activity3 things you learned2 things you will do immediately1 thing you are most worried about
Exit TicketPowerPoint presentation developed by Portland YouthBuilder's Program, Portland Oregon