Excellence For All: World-Class Instructional Systems For Our Schools

Fall 2011

The National Center on Education and the Economy

World-Class Instructional Systems

Big Idea: By participating in the Excellence For All pilot, students participate in a rigorous, curriculum-driven, proven system of aligned instruction and examinations guided by national and international college and career readiness standards designed to ensure they master the knowledge and skills needed to be prepared for and succeed in postsecondary studies without remediation – whether that is at a trade or technical school, community college or four-year baccalaureate degree granting institution.

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World-Class Instructional SystemsAligned instructional systems are currently used in many high-performing countries and include:•A set of courses that constitute a core curriculum and are aligned to the new Common Core Standards•Thoughtfully constructed course designs captured in a syllabus•High-quality exams derived from the curriculum using multiple assessment methods designed to determine whether the students have mastered the curriculum described in the syllabus•Instructional materials of various sorts designed to support the syllabus•Quality teacher training matched to the course syllabi

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Standards & Test Systems vs.Curriculum-Driven Systems

S & T Systems• Assumes standards and

tests alone will drive performance up

• No direct link to classroom practice

• Leaves the disadvantaged behind, with weak curriculum, weak teaching

C-D Systems• Assumes that an aligned,

powerful instructional system is needed to drive high student performance

• Provides direct links to classroom practice

• Closes the achievement gap between the advantaged and the disadvantaged

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NCEE Research More than 20 years benchmarking high

performing education systems across the world:• America’s Choice: High Skills or Low Wages?!

• Tough Choices or Tough Times

• Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

NCEE research on high school exit examinations, and specifically Curriculum-Based External Exit Exams (CBEEEs), influenced the identification of world-class instructional systems as a reform strategy

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Role of NCEE The National Center on Education and the Economy

(NCEE) is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is staffing, managing, piloting, securing outside technical expertise for, and convening a consortium of states to implement world-class instructional systems through its Excellence For All program

States launching the lower division Excellence For All program as part of the pilot’s 21 school launch in 2011 include: Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Mississippi

We are currently recruiting schools for the cohort starting in 2012 from existing and new states

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Role of NCEE Hired University of Michigan Institute for Social

Research to conduct an independent evaluation of the three-year pilot study to:• Gather implementation information

• Gain understanding of efficacy of the Excellence For All lower division program pilot

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Role of NCEE Convened a Technical Advisory Committee to:

• Certify world-class instructional system providers, in conjunction with the State of Kentucky Education Department, for the lower and upper division Excellence For All program (completed)

• Assure that the E4A courses are compatible with the new Common Core State Standards (completed)

• Set the recommended pass points on the English and mathematics examinations to an empirically determined college-ready standard (underway)

• Assess the validity, reliability and fairness of the exams going forward (underway)

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NCEE Excellence For All Program:Required Core Courses

NCEE LOWER DIVISION PROGRAM REQUIRED COURSES

2 yrs English2 yrs Mathematics2 yrs Science: Lab-based science2 yrs History1 yr American History; 1 yr World History1 yr or 2 semesters from among the arts

Note: The lower division program leaves ample room for student electives.

NCEE LOWER DIVISION PROGRAM REQUIRED COURSES

2 yrs English2 yrs Mathematics2 yrs Science: Lab-based science2 yrs History1 yr American History; 1 yr World History1 yr or 2 semesters from among the arts

Note: The lower division program leaves ample room for student electives.

Lower D

ivision Exams (D

iploma W

hen Passed)Low

er Division Exam

s (Diplom

a When Passed)

NCEE UPPER DIVISION PROGRAM REQUIRED COURSES

2 yrs English2 yrs Mathematics2 yrs ScienceLab-based science, Engineering, or IT1 yr or 2 semesters of History, Economics, or other social science1 yr or 2 semesters from among the arts

NCEE UPPER DIVISION PROGRAM REQUIRED COURSES

2 yrs English2 yrs Mathematics2 yrs ScienceLab-based science, Engineering, or IT1 yr or 2 semesters of History, Economics, or other social science1 yr or 2 semesters from among the arts

Stay in High School

Stay in High School

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NCEE Excellence For All Program PathwaysOnce students qualify to earn a lower division diploma, multiple options are open to them including:

•Remaining in high school and taking the necessary additional coursework to prepare for university entry, including upper division E4A course of study

•Graduating and enrolling in full-time community college courses on the students' current high school campus or on a community college campus

•Enrolling in a full-time career and technical education program offered on a community college campus, a high school campus or a joint technical education district campus, or any combination of these campuses

•Securing employment10

Lower Division

ACT QualityCore Cambridge IGCSE courses

and exams

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Lower Division: Key Benefits• Not elite programs but designed to prepare all students for

elite programs• Prepares students to a minimum college-readiness standard

as early as age 16– Not intended to pack 4 years of high school into 2 years but offers rigorous

curriculum to prepare students for success in postsecondary educational pursuits

– Students become “diploma eligible” – are not required to graduate early– Requires collaboration across the pre-K through college educational system

• Offers options to bright students who are dropping out because of boredom

• Supports students to pass end of course exams through customized coursework, formative assessments, spiral curriculum, and other district-specified interventions

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Upper Division

ACT QualityCore Cambridge AS/A Levels/AICE Exams

leads to AICE Diploma

College Board Advanced Placement, including the Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID) option

International Baccalaureate

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Upper Division: Key Benefits• Students motivated to take tough courses and study

hard• A very strong curriculum and teachers trained to teach

it• A strong system for preparing the most able students

for selective colleges • College entrants ready to do college-level work• Prepares students for the workforce and specific

careers• Students can earn college credit at a reduced price

while in high school • More students are taking and succeeding in higher

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Commitment:Role of States• Grant high school diploma – or waivers to existing

“seat time” diplomas – to those who meet the lower division Excellence For All standards and wish to move on

• Approve NCEE Excellence For All providers for state procurement purposes

• Provide data to evaluators• Assist with securing post-secondary education

involvement• Share data related to setting exam cut scores

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Role of Arizona• Provided strong support through former Senator and current State

Superintendent John Huppenthal on Move On When Ready (MOWR) bill sponsorship and on implementation, as well as from Senator Rich Crandall and State Board of Education Member and Amphitheater Superintendent Vicki Balentine

• Developed MOWR legislation to award Grand Canyon Diplomas to those who meet the lower division Excellence For All lower division standards and wish to move on

• Established Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) as entity responsible for implementation

• Sharing data related to setting exam cut scores• Providing data to evaluators• Assisting with securing post-secondary education involvement• Approved NCEE world-class instructional system providers for State

Procurement purposes

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Broad Implementation Steps• Start with demonstration schools that will participate in a

3-year national pilot• Recruit schools, teachers, students• Set up alternative performance based diploma, based on

the lower-division exams• Work with external evaluator – University of Michigan

Institute for Social Research• Finalize technical work (setting cut scores)• Establish new pathways to include post-secondary

institutions• Expand as system proves itself

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Broad Implementation Steps

Ideal Target Date Deliverable

November 15 or earlier if possible

Excellence For All Pilot Commitment Letter Submission to NCEE

November -January Site visits by providers

January 2012 Design Teams Established and Implementation Planning Commenced

February – April 2012

February – July 2012

Implementation Planning Via Design Teams Commenced – with NCEE involvement

Implementation Planning Continued – with NCEE involvement

January – March 2012 Orientations for and/or On-Line Teacher and Principal Training Conducted

April Face to Face Teacher and Principal Training Conducted

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CONTACT

• Lyonel B. Tracy, Engagement Manager• The National Center on Education and the

Economy, Suite 5300• 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW• Washington, DC 20006• ltracy@ncee.org• 603-498-4767

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CONTACT

• Katy Cavanagh, Engagement Manager• kcavanagh@ncee.org

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