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October 12, 2005
Ms. Maureen Cain, Coalition ManagerPartnership for 21st Century SkillsInfotech Strategies234 East Toole AvenueTucson, Arizona 85701
Dear Ms. Cain:
Attached is West Virginia Department of Education=s Application for Partnership for 21st Century Skills State Leadership Project. We are pleased to have the opportunity to submit this application for review.
Each P21 Leadership State Expectation has been addressed and supporting documentation included. The following additional documents have been attached for your information:
West Virginia Department of Education Collaborative Model for Developing 21st Century Learners Based on the West Virginia Framework for High Performing School Systems;
West Virginia=s Framework for High Performing School Systems;
West Virginia Department of Education Work Plans for 21st Century Learners, and
West Virginia Department of Education Work Plan for Construction of an RFP to Assess 21st Century Skills.
Submission of the application will be made electronically to you, and a hard copy of the completed information with signed letters will be mailed to you. If you require additional information, please call my office at 304-558-2681 or Dr. Jorea Marple, Assistant State Superintendent of School Improvement at 304-558-8098.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to submit this application that will enable West Virginia to be considered as a member state with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Sincerely,
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Steven L. PaineState Superintendent of
SchoolsSLP:JM:cm#17/10-05
West Virginia Department of Education
Application For
Partnership For 21st Century Skills State Leadership Project
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Application Form Page
Letters of Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
State Advisory Membership List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
WVDE Professional Development Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
WVDE Plan for Review of Existing Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
WVDE Plan for Assessment Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
WVDE Plan for Evaluating 21st Century Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
West Virginia Department of Education Additional Documentation Page
Collaborative Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
Framework for High Performing School Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
Work Plan for 21st Century Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
Work Plan for Construction of an RFP for Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
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Partnership for 21st Century SkillsState Leadership Project
P21 LEADERSHIP STATE APPLICATION
State Name West Virginia Department of Education
Main Contact Information
Name: Dr. Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent of Schools Address: 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East Building 6, Room 358 City, State, Zip: Charleston, West Virginia 25305 Email: [email protected]
Checklist:
Please check each item that applies and attach documentation for each.
STATUS P21 LEADERSHIP STATE EXPECTATIONS
DOCUMENTATIONREQUIRED
Ensure high level state leadership support for participation as a AP21 Leadership State@
Letters of Support For WVDE Participation:
Honorable Joe Manchin, GovernorDr. Steven L. Paine, State SuperintendentHonorable Robert Plymale, Senator, Education Chair (Separate Mailing)Honorable Thomas Campbell, Delegate, Education Chair (Separate Mailing)
Establish a State Based Advisory Committee (Leadership Team) which serves as a central point of contact for P21 - and a vehicle for collecting proofs of concept.
WVDE State Advisory Membership List for Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning
Ensure professional development strategies that develop the capacity of teachers across the state
WVDE Professional Development Plan for Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning
Undertake Standards Setting/Assessment Alignment
1) WVDE Plan for Review of Existing Education Standards to Ensure They Incorporate 21st Century Skills2) WVDE Plan for Assessment Alignment of Standards for Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning
Communication of proofs of Concept WVDE Plan For Evaluating The Frameworks for 21st Century Skills
Please email this completed application and the required documents to:The Partnership for 21st Century SkillsMaureen Cain, Coalition Manager, [email protected]
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P21 Leadership State Application: West Virginia Department of EducationP21 Leadership State Expectation: Ensure High Level State Leadership Support
For Participation as a “P21 Leadership State”Documentation Required: Letters of Support from the Governor and the
Chief State Schools Officer: “Letters of Support For WVDE Participation:1) Honorable Joe Manchin, Governor2) Dr. Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent3) Honorable Robert Plymale, Senator
Education Chair4) Honorable Thomas Campbell, Delegate
Education Chair
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October 12, 2005Ken Kay, Principal and ChairpersonPartnership for 21st Century Skills; Infotech Strategies345 East Toole AvenueTucson, AZ 85701
Dear Mr. Kay:
West Virginia is a state on the move. Since I took office in January 2004, I have repeatedly said, “West Virginia is open for business!” This phrase captures my thinking about this state, which I love and gives direction for my plans for the state.
My plans are fueled by a strong sense of personal responsibility for improving West Virginia’s economic climate so that we can retain and create good paying jobs with health care benefits for our state’s workforce, reduce West Virginia’s long term debt, make health care affordable and accessible to all our citizens, provide a seamless education for all our children, make available prescription drug assistance for our seniors, and establish a better support structure for our veterans. The foundation of such a climate is a 21st century education for all the children of the mountain state.
West Virginia’s public school system has shown much improvement in the past two decades, but we cannot be satisfied with what was good for the past. Consequently, West Virginia’s public education, too, is on the move. Under the leadership of Dr. Lowell Johnson, President of the West Virginia Board of Education and Dr. Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia is taking its school improvement initiative Framework for High Performing School Systems into the 21st century by expanding it into Frameworks for High Performing School Systems/Schools/Classrooms for the 21st Century Learner. The emphasis on the 21st century learner highlights the joint commitment of state government, state education, and state business to embrace the key elements of 21st century learning: emphasize core subjects, emphasize learning skills, use 21st century tools to develop learning, teach and learn in a 21st century context, and use 21st century assessments that measure 21st century skills.
I am proud to be an active partner in the work of providing quality education for our 21st century learners. As a partner, I lend my support and assistance to West Virginia’s involvement in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Sincerely,
Joe Manchin IIIGovernor of West Virginia
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October 14, 2005Ken Kay, Principal and ChairpersonPartnership for 21st Century SkillsInfotech Strategies345 East Toole AvenueTucson, AZ 85701
Dear Mr. Kay:
As I stressed in my earlier conversations with you, public school education in West Virginia is leaping forward! We have in place a dynamic WV Framework for High Performing Schools Systems and are currently developing the companion Frameworks for High Performing Elementary, Middle, and High Schools and the Framework for High Performing Classrooms. All of these frameworks operate under the heading “WV Frameworks for the 21st Century Learner.” We believe it is important to keep the student in the front of any initiative.
The first framework document presents West Virginia’s model for building local capacity for school system improvement and is the basis of two years of professional development with School System Leadership Teams. The resulting product of this work is a Five Year Strategic Plan for each of our 55 county school systems and for all 720 of our schools. The county plans are due into our offices this week, and we are most eager to review them after having spent one year providing statewide and regional training sessions along with system specific coaching clinics and nonstop phone and email technical assistance. By the way, the plan is totally electronic, including a variety of help tools, a plethora of data sources, and both the entering and submission processes.
In addition to this major system and school improvement initiative, we have rigorous content standards and objectives and a tightly aligned assessment system. Some of our content standards and objectives are currently in the revision process to ensure that they have embedded within them the knowledge and skills necessary for our 21st century learners. West Virginia has long viewed the use of technology as an integral part of the learning process and, as such, integrated its use into classroom instruction years ago. We continue to upgrade the hardware in our schools and to provide major training on usage to our teachers and administrators so that they can use technology both as productivity tools and as instructional tools.
I am honored and humbled to be leading a school system that is poised to become a national model for improving the learning of all students. With the incorporation of the work of the 21st Century Skills Partnership into our WV Frameworks, I believe West Virginia will lead the nation in ensuring mastery of content and beyond and in closing the achievement gap. We will do this because we owe our students nothing less than a top quality 21st century education. My colleagues and I look forward to our anticipated work with the 21st Century Skills Partnership.
Sincerely,
Steven L. PaineState Superintendent of Schools
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P21 Leadership State Application: West Virginia Department of EducationP21 Leadership State Expectation: Establish a State Based Advisory
Committee (Leadership Team) whichServes as a central point of contactFor P21 – and a vehicle for collectingProofs of concept.
Documentation Required: Include list and contact information for all members: “WVDE State Advisory Membership List for Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning”
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State Superintendent’s Advisory Council for the WV Frameworks for 21st Century Learners
Organization/Individual Type of Organization
Contact Information
Person’s Name
Verizon Business 816 Lee St.Charleston, WVPhone: 344-4072/7445(c) 377-8159
H. Stan Cavendish, President
Toyota Motor Manufacturing of North America
Business Buffalo, WVPhone: 937-7000
David Copenhaver, VP & Secretary
WV Roundtable, Inc. Business 821 Kanawha Valley BuildingCharleston, WVPhone: 357-0850
Paul E. Arbogast, President
WV Chamber of Commerce
Business 1624 Kanawha Blvd.Charleston, WVPhone: 342-1115
Stephen G. Roberts, [email protected]
AFT Education 1010 Lewis St.Charleston, WVPhone: 346-0571
Judy Hale, President
WVEA Education 1558 Quarrier St.Charleston, WVPhone: 346-5315
Charles Delauder, President
WV School Boards Association
Education PO Box 1008Washington St.Charleston, WVPhone: 346-0571
Howard O’Cull, Executive Director
WVU/Benedum Collaborative -Professional Development Schools
Education West Virginia UniversityPrete Bldg. B 229Morgantown, WVPhone: 293-2302
Van Dempsey, DirectorBenedum Collaborative,Benedum Center for Educational Renewal
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Media/Education WV Educational Broadcasting Authority600 Capitol St.Charleston, WV 25301Phone: 556-4900
Rita Ray, Executive Director
Governor’s Office Government WV Capitol, Building 11900 Kanawha Blvd. ECharleston, WVPhone: 558-3588 (Mansion Office)
First Lady Gayle Manchin, (or designee)
Legislature/LOCEA Government WV Capitol(RP) Room 415MPhone: 357-7937(TC) Room 434M
Senator Robert Plymale, ChairSenate Education Committee
Delegate Tom Campbell, Chair
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Organization/Individual Type of Organization
Contact Information
Person’s Name
Phone 340-31321900 Kanawha Blvd. Charleston, WV
House Education Chair
WV Education and the Arts
Government Capitol Complex, Bldg. 5, Room 2051900 Kanawha Blvd.Charleston, WVPhone: 558-2440
Kay Goodwin
Edvantia (formerly AEL) Business/Education
PO Box 1348Charleston, WV 25325-1348Phone: 347-0400
Keith Smith, [email protected]
WV Higher Education Policy Commission
Education 1018 Kanawha Blvd. ESuite 700Charleston, WV 25301-2800Phone: 558-2101
Bruce Flack, Acting Chancellor
Community and Technical Colleges
Education 1018 Kanawha Blvd. ESuite 700Charleston, WV 25301-2800Phone: 558-0265
Jim Skidmore, Chancellor
Institute for Scientific Research, Inc.
Research and Development
320 Adams St/PO Box 2720Fairmont, WV 26554Phone: 368-9300Phone: 290-1753
Guy Peduto, Director of Commercial Programs
Marshall University Education Jenkins Hall 224Huntington, WV 25755Phone: 696-3131
Rosalyn Templeton, Executive Dean, College of Education & Human [email protected]
The EdVenture Group Business/Education
63 Wharf St.Morgantown, WV 26501Phone: 296-9021
Lydotta Taylor, Executive Director
Kay, Casto & Chaney, PLLC
Legal 707 Virginia St. E #1600Charleston, WV 25301Phone: 345-8900
Steve Thomas
Charleston Area Alliance Business, Economic, Community Development and
1116 Smith St.Charleston, WV 25301Phone: 340-4253
Bill Goode and Patty Pitrolo(or designee)
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Organization/Individual Type of Organization
Contact Information
Person’s Name
Education/Workforce Training
Tom Seely Furniture Business 5270 Valley RoadBerkeley Springs, WV 25411Phone: 258-2343
Gat Caperton
The Education Alliance Education PO Box 3071Charleston, WV 25311-3017Phone: 342-7865
Hazel Palmer, President and CEO
WV Department of Commerce
Government Commerce DepartmentCapitol Complex, Bldg. 6, Rm 525Charleston, WV 35301-0311Phone:
L. Thomas Bulla,Commerce Secretary orRon Radcliffe
State Government – Governor’s Technology Contact
Government Governor’s Office of Tech.One Davis Square321 Capitol StreetCharleston, WV 25301558-3784, Ext. 2316
Nancy Sturm, DirectorEducation Technology
WV United Health System
Health Care WV United Health System1000 Technology DriveSuite 2321Fairmont, WV 26554Phone: 3682700
Tom Jones, President, & CEO
A. Michael Perry Business, Education, Health, Banking, Civic Leadership
Heritage Farm Museum & Village3350 Harvey Rd.Huntington, WV Phone: 522-1244
A. Michael Perry
Education Elementary/Middle
Judy Reed, Retired Elementary and Middle School Principal
Education Middle Level Education
10 Diana DriveFairmont, WV 26554Phone: 365-0628
Janie Merandino, Math Teacher
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Organization/Individual Type of Organization
Contact Information
Person’s Name
Education High School Wheeling Park High School1976 Park View RoadWheeling, WV 26003-9311Phone: 243-0400
Patrick Durkin, Science Teacher
West Virginia Board of Education
Education WVBECapitol ComplexBuilding 6, Room 3511900 Kanawha Blvd. ECharleston, WV 25305Phone: 558-3660
Lowell Johnson, PresidentJenny N. Phillips, Member
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Regional Philanthropy(Education, Health, Human Services, Community Development, Economic Development)
1400 Benedum-Trees Building223 Fourth AvenuePittsburgh, PA 152221-800-223-5948
William P. Getty, PresidentJames Denova, Senior Program Officer
WVU/Economic Development
Education/Business
WVUResearch and Economic DevelopmentChestnut Ridge Research Building886 Chestnut Ridge RoadMorgantown, WV 26506Phone: 293-3449 andPO Box 6581009 University AvenueMorgantown, WV 26505Phone:
Scott Rotruck, Director Economic DevelopmentAnd Chairperson of WV Council for Community and Economic Development
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P21 Leadership State Application: West Virginia Department of Education P21 Leadership State Expectation: Ensure Professional Development
Strategies That Develop the CapacityOf Teachers Across the State
Documentation Required: List objectives, tactics and metrics for implementing the 21st century skills as a professional development focus: “WVDE Professional Development Plan for Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning”
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“WVDE Professional Development Plan ForImplementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning”
INTRODUCTION:
West Virginia, like many other states, has focused its recent efforts on improvement of student achievement. While schools are focused on strategies to improve teaching and learning, we must also focus on aligning the knowledge students learn in school with the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities. The world in which today’s students will be expected to live and work requires more technological experience than before. Current scientific insight informs educators about the cognitive processes of learning, and the effective teaching strategies for engaging students in learning and motivating students to achieve. Literacy in the 21st century means more than basic reading, writing, and computing skills. It means knowing how to use knowledge and skills in the context of modern life.
In order to expand teacher capacity throughout West Virginia and to assure that students acquire 21st century skills, both our current teacher workforce--as well as the teacher workforce of the future--must be provided appropriate professional development. Toward this end, recent revisions of WVBE Policy 5100 (Approval of Educator Preparation Programs) have been made to include language to reflect the addition of 21st century learning skills as an expectation within the conceptual framework of teaching and learning in West Virginia.
Next steps include a professional development plan for teachers in order to help them embed 21st century skills into the content standards and objectives, with a parallel initiative for higher education teacher preparation programs. An orientation to the five content and skill areas that represent the essential knowledge for the 21st century is needed to establish a common language for understanding and recognizing 21st century tools in subsequent professional development sessions. 21st century tools and context must also be embedded in core subjects and assessments to assure that teaching and learning are relevant to life outside of school. All graduates of West Virginia IHE pre-service teacher preparation programs must be literate in information and communication technologies.
OBJECTIVE, TACTICS and METRICS:
OBJECTIVE 1:
Design and implement on-line professional development that will provide an orientation for all WV educators to define and provide specific examples of the five content and skill areas that represent the essential knowledge for the 21st century.
TACTIC for Objective 1 :
All educators will be required to complete the 21st Century Skills on-line orientation professional development by September 2006.
METRIC for Objective 1 :
A certificate of completion will be awarded to document that each teacher has attained the level of competency needed to integrate 21st Century skills into the curriculum and use (ICT) tools to perform learning skills.
OBJECTIVE 2:
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All new and on-going WVDE-, WVCPD- and RESA-sponsored professional development must incorporate 21st century skills and reflect relevant examples for each content area taught in the public schools of WV.
TACTIC for Objective 2:
Review all new and on-going WVDE-, WVCPD- and RESA-sponsored professional development to assure the incorporation of 21st century skills and relevant examples for each content area.
METRIC for Objective 2:
All professional development will clearly reflect the incorporation of 21st century skills and relevant examples for each content area using a common language easily recognized and understood by teachers.
OBJECTIVE 3:
A 21st century skills technology literacy self-assessment will be completed by each teacher in order to provide information that will form the basis of a technology literacy professional development plan to be used as part/all of his/her annual professional development.
TACTIC for Objective 3:
Using an appropriate assessment instrument, each teacher should demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the use of technology appropriate for incorporating the 21st century skills in his/her content area.
METRIC for Objective 3:
The 21st century skills technology literacy self-assessment instrument will be an on-line activity that includes tutorials, definitions and self-help components. Once the teacher submits his/her technology self-assessment profile, appropriate professional development activities will be identified to provide the knowledge/skills that may be lacking.
OBJECTIVE 4:
21st century skills must be embedded in all core subjects and teacher preparation programs in higher education.
TACTIC for Objective 4:
Representatives of WV’s 19 higher education educator preparation programs will participate in the same professional development activities as PK-12 teachers in order to effectively deliver instruction at the higher education level, as well as to make informed decisions about higher education program revisions.
METRIC for Objective 4:
State Code and WVBE policy certification requirements for work in the public schools of WV will be revised to include evidence of 21st century skills mastery, using appropriate assessment instruments.
P21 Leadership State Application: West Virginia Department of Education
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P21 Leadership State Expectation: Undertake Standards Setting/Assessment Alignment
Documentation Required: List objectives, tactics and metrics for aligning state standards and assessments with 21st century skills: 1) “ WVDE Plan for Review of Existing
Education Standards to Ensure They Incorporate 21st Century Skills”;
2) “WVDE Plan for Assessment Alignment of Standards for Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning”.
1) “WVDE Plan for Review of Existing Education Standards
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To Ensure They Incorporate 21st Century Skills”
Introduction:For students to be adequately prepared to meet the demands of today’s 21 st century communities and technology-infused workplaces, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) will review and revise current academic content standards to ensure that they incorporate 21st century skills. Academic standards for today’s classroom must include key dimensions of 21 st century learning: global awareness; civic engagement; financial, economic and business literacy; learning skills that encompass problem solving, critical thinking, and self-directional skills; and informational and communicational technology literacy.
Objectives:The West Virginia Department of Education will:
1. Identify in core subject areas those 21st century learning skills required for students to be successful,
2. Audit current academic content standards for the inclusion of 21st century learning skills, and
3. Revise current content standards to include 21st century learning skills of global awareness; civic engagement; financial, economic and business literacy; learning skills that encompass problem solving, critical thinking, and self-directional skills; and informational and communicational technology literacy.
Tactics:The WVDE Office of Instructional Services will:
1. Convene committees of stakeholders in each core subject area to identify critical 21 st
century learning skills, audit existing content standards for the inclusion of 21st century learning skills, and revise current content standards to include 21st century learning skills.
2. Have the revised content standards review by technical experts to ensure the inclusion of critical 21st century learning skills, and
3. Present the revised content standards for approval by the State Board of Education.
Metrics:January-February 2006Committees of stakeholders in each core subject area will be developed to identify critical 21st
century learning skills based on the work of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
March-April 2006Committees of stakeholders in each core subject area will audit existing content standards for the inclusion of 21st century learning skills, and revise current content standards to include 21st
century learning skills.
May 2006The revised content standards review by technical experts to ensure the inclusion of critical 21st
century learning skills.
June 2006The revised content standards will be submitted for approval by the State Board of Education.
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2) “WVDE Plan For Assessment Alignment of Standards For Implementing Frameworks for 21st Century Learning”
Introduction:
With the focus on School Improvement and 21st Century Skills for West Virginia schools, the Department of Education is releasing a Request for Proposal in November 2005 to transform the West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress, our statewide assessment program, into 21st century assessments that measure and that are aligned to learning skills that encompass problem solving, critical thinking, information and communications skills, directional skills and ICT Literacy which will be embedded in the West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives by grade level. Research shows that by using assessment data aligned to 21st century skills to inform educators of instructional areas of growth and change, they are better prepared to determine and meet student needs for the 21st century.
Objectives:
As we work towards school improvement and closing the achievement gap, statewide consistency of purpose and systemic reform are major goals. Meeting these goals will help to improve student learning for all subgroups as we work to close the achievement gap. The objectives of this new assessment program are to create valid and reliable assessments 1) that are aligned to the 21st century skill descriptors and state content standards and objectives, 2) that inform instruction, 3) that promote school improvement and 4) that produce results that can be used to calculate school, county and state accountability as per the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Tactics:
The following specifies the early 2006 development of each of the following assessments:
1. Name of assessment/grade level of administration 2. Type of assessment 3. Description/purpose of assessment 4. Uses and decision-making data for each assessment5. Development timeline
Online Formative Assessment Item Bank (Grades 3-12) are criterion-referenced assessments that provide the following:
1) Electronically delivered student testlets designed to assist students outside of the school environment to promote thinking and learning. These would also be accessible by parents and teachers. The assessments are aligned to the West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSO’s) and will have the 21st century skills embedded by grade level.
2) Online teacher item bank and testlets available for teacher use as formative classroom assessments aligned to 21st Century West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSO’s) that he/she taught during that instructional period or cycle.
3) Online district level benchmark assessment items and testlets available for school district benchmark assessments aligned to the 21st Century West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSO’s). Results from these assessments will redirect or refocus district benchmark instruction.
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K-2 Assessments (K-2) is a criterion-referenced test that measures student mastery of the 21st
Century West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSO’s) by the content area and grade level. The purpose of K-2 assessments is to measure student mastery of the CSO's and thinking skills including problem solving, creative thinking, and information and communications skills. The assessment results are used to re-direct instruction and assist in school improvement efforts in reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. New development is scheduled to begin in June 2006.
WESTEST (Grades 3-8 and 10) is a criterion-referenced test that measures student mastery of the 21st Century West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSO’s) by the content area and grade level. The purpose of WESTEST is to measure student mastery of the CSO's and thinking skills including problem solving, creative thinking, and information and communications skills. The assessment results are used to re-direct instruction and assist in school improvement efforts in reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Additionally, WESTEST results are used to calculate accountability to meet the NCLB accountability requirements in grades 3-8 and 10 in reading/language arts and mathematics. CTB/McGraw-Hill will continue as the vendor for WESTEST in grades 3-8. New development is scheduled to begin in June 2006.
ACT EXPLORE is a norm-referenced assessment that measures skill levels for English, mathematics, reading, and science as well as problem solving, information and communications skills, and directional skills for 8th grade students. In addition, information about students' educational career plans, interest, high school course work plans and self-identified needs for assistance are gathered and reported. West Virginia State Board of Education Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education Regulations for Education Programs requires that career awareness, exploration activities and ACT EXPLORE results be used by 8th graders to develop their individualized plans for the 9th and 10th grades. The purpose of this assessment is to provide career awareness and exploration activities; additionally, EXPLORE is used by 8th graders to develop their individualized plans for the 9th and 10th grades. Assessment results assist students/parents/educators in decision-making about educational career plans, interest and high school course work plans needed for college admission. ACT will continue as the vendor for ACT EXPLORE at grade 8.
Online Writing Assessment (Grades 3 - 11) are criterion-referenced tests of the West Virginia Writing Standard and the related objectives, which are part of the West Virginia CSO’s by grade level. The purpose of this assessment is to promote the improvement of communication and writing skills of students in all grades by assessing narrative, descriptive, persuasive and informative prompts. The Writing Assessment results are used to make instructional decisions and assist in school improvement efforts in reading and writing. New development is scheduled to begin in June 2006.
WESTEST/College Admissions Assessments (Grades 9–11) will be a combination of a college admissions test and a criterion-referenced test which will measure skill levels of English, mathematics, reading, science, social studies for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students for college admissions. All assessments will include a writing assessment component designed to enhance the student’s ability to apply problem solving, creative thinking, and information and communication skills. The tests will be augmented and aligned to the 21st Century West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSO’s). The assessment will be used as the measure of instructional need in grades 9,10 and 11 and as a predictive tool to determine college performance. Grade 11 results will be used as the NCLB measure for school, county and state accountability. New development is scheduled to begin in June 2006.
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National Assessment Educational Progress (Grades 4, 8) is a criterion-referenced test of the national NAEP Standards. NAEP assesses specific academic areas in students who are randomly selected in grades 4, 8 and 12. NCLB requires NAEP reading and mathematics assessments to be administered to fourth and eighth grade students every two years. These assessments are aligned to the NAEP standards and performance levels. There are no individual student, school or county results provided for this assessment. The purpose of this assessment is to assess and report what students know and should be able to do. NAEP assessments results will be used as an informal validation of the state assessment results in grades 4 and 8 for reading, mathematics and science and program evaluation. The federal government pays for development and administration of this program; ETS has the current federal contract.
Metrics:
The Office of Instruction plan includes an internal gap analysis study of the current CSO’s to the new 21st Century West Virginia CSO’s for grades 1 - 12 for reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. The Office of Assessment will conduct an internal alignment study involving West Virginia teachers in the selection and/or development of test items that align to the new 21 st
Century West Virginia CSO’s. Additionally, the assessment office will contract for an external alignment study to determine alignment of the accountability operational tests to the curriculum standards in reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies for all grades assessed by the accountability tests. This alignment study is designed to produce measures on five criteria. The underlying assumption of this approach is to compare the relationship between assessment instruments and standards by analyzing how these documents compare using the same criteria. The five criteria are as follows:
1. Categorical Concurrence This criterion between standards and assessment is met if the same or consistent categories of content appear in both documents.
2. Depth-of-Knowledge ConsistencyThis criterion between standards and assessment is met if what is elicited from students on the assessment is as demanding cognitively as what students are expected to know and do as stated in the standards.
3. Range-of-Knowledge CorrespondenceThis criterion is met if a comparable span of knowledge expected of students by a standard is the same as, or corresponds to, the span of knowledge that students need in order to correctly answer the assessment items/activities.
4. Balance of RepresentationThis criterion is met if the degree to which one objective is given emphasis on the assessment is comparable to the emphasis given.
5. Source of ChallengeThis criterion is met if the primary difficulty of the assessment items is highly related to students’ knowledge and skill in the content area as represented in the standards.
An Alignment Study Report will be generated that summarizes the findings of the evaluators by content area. The report will determine if the assessments are acceptably aligned using the above five criteria.
Secondly, the Standard Setting process will be a modified version of the Bookmark Standard Setting Procedure (BSSP). The Standard Setting will be held in Charleston, West Virginia and will use West Virginia grade level educators/participants in the process.
Educators/participants will be recruited from across the state of West Virginia to recommend the cut scores. The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) will recruit approximately 24 participants in each grade/content area. WVDE will then divide the participants within each
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grade/content area into four groups that are balanced in terms of relevant demographic characteristics, such as geographic location and school size.
Participants at the Standard Setting will recommend performance-level cut scores for Graded 3, 6, 8, and 10 Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. In each grade/content area, panelists will be engaged in three or four rounds of activities in which they will recommend four cut scores that defined five performance levels: Novice, Partial Mastery, Mastery, Above Mastery, and Distinguished. Next, selected participants from each content area will convene to recommend well-articulated cut scores such that similar percentages of students would be classified in each performance level across grades within any given content area.
A Standard Setting Report will be generated that summarizes the cut scores recommended by participants in each grade/content area after the final round of discussion and voting to include a summary of the cross-grade committee smoothed data. This report will provide the impact data that are associated with the cut scores presented in the document. Impact data will be the performance of the all students and subgroups from the pilot testing.
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P21 Leadership State Application: West Virginia Department of EducationP21 Leadership State Expectation: Communicators Of Proofs Of Concept
Documentation Required: Describe Methods and Systems to be used to capture and measure success of state initiatives: “WVDE Plan For Evaluating Frameworks For 21st Century Learning: A Concept Paper”
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West Virginia Department of Education “Plan for Evaluating Frameworks for 21st Century Learning:
A Concept Paper”
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which emphasizes student achievement, promotes a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, and requires assessments in core subject areas, has provided the nation with a foundation upon which to grow a citizenry that will be competitive at the international level. Education leaders in West Virginia want to take this emphasis on skill development and depth of knowledge a step further. Toward that goal, the West Virginia Department of Education is planning to incorporate the key elements of the 21st Century Skills Partnership (based on the model set forth by the Partnership for 21st Century Skill - www.21stcenturyskills.org) into the existing Frameworks for 21st Century Learners. According to this model, an educational system that is dedicated to the development of 21st century skills and knowledge should do the following:
Emphasize core subjects, including English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography.
Emphasize learning skills, such as information and communication skills, thinking and problem-solving skills, and interpersonal and self-directional skills.
Use 21st century tools to develop learning skills to encourage information and communication technologies (ICT) literacy.
Teach and learn in a 21st century context, which includes making content relevant to students’ lives; bringing the world into the classroom; taking students out into the world; and creating opportunities for students to interact with each other, with teachers, and with other knowledgeable adults in authentic learning experiences.
Teach and learn 21st century content, including global awareness; financial, economic, and business literacy; civic literacy; and other content that may be relevant in specific communities.
Use 21st century assessments that measure 21st century skills.
Incorporating 21st century skills and content into the state’s Framework for High Performing School Systems will position West Virginia as a model for the rest of the nation. Given the potential magnitude and national significance of this endeavor, careful planning, combined with ongoing description and evaluation, are essential.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills model requires changes at all levels of the state’s educational system. Outlined in Learning for the 21st Century: A Report and MILE Guide for 21st Century Skills (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2003) is a strategy consisting of nine steps to implement an educational system that promotes 21st century skills and knowledge. The steps in this strategy include the following:
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1. Embrace a powerful vision of public education that includes 21st century skills.
2. Align leadership, management, and resources with educational goals.3. Use the Partnership for 21st Century Skills MILE guide to assess where schools
are now.4. Develop priorities for 21st century skills.5. Develop a professional development plan for 21st century skills.6. Make sure students have equitable access to a 21st century education.7. Begin developing assessments to measure student progress in 21st century skills.8. Collaborate with outside partners.9. Plan collectively and strategically for the future.
West Virginia’s initiative will include formative (process) measures of progress in every step. Working with Edvantia evaluators, WVDE will be committed to ongoing systematic evaluation of progress toward 21st Century learning goals. A systems approach to assessment of progress and outcome measures will be implemented. This approach will allow evaluators to attend to multiple levels of the initiative simultaneously. Leadership teams consisting of educators at all levels of the system, along with objective outside evaluators, will develop rubrics of progress for each crucial element of the system (e.g., leadership, professional development, infrastructure, curriculum, assessment, et cetera). The rubrics will define developmental levels of implementation for each element. Key stakeholders, such as state and local education leaders, will review the rubrics regularly and determine at what level the system is operating, and what the next steps need to be. Hence, the rubrics will be used for diagnosis of needed changes or next steps as well as serving as assessments of current status. Feedback to relevant levels of the system regarding the current status and next steps will be an integral part of the initiative.
One of the key features of West Virginia’s evaluation plan for the Frameworks for 21st Century Learners will be embedding evaluation mechanisms into pre-existing systems. The state’s education information system, WVEIS, will be updated to contain new fields to permit monitoring of goals and objectives related to the 21st century skills initiative.1 The use of achievement data (e.g., WESTEST, ACT, ACT PLAN, alternative assessments, and yet-to-be-implemented 21st century assessments) will be for both formative and summative purposes.
Because West Virginia could be a model for other states, rich description of the initiative’s progress also will be a necessary component of the evaluation. Continuous monitoring of progress, interviews with key initiative stakeholders, observation in schools, and document review all will contribute to a comprehensive picture of the facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of such a large initiative at the statewide level. If the initiative proceeds in stages, such as with the intense implementation of some components in a few “test” districts prior to statewide rollout, the case study approach will be particularly useful in documenting the conditions under which approaches seem to work (or fail).
Different evaluation activities will be appropriate for different stages of the initiative; hence, evaluation will be developmental, evolving over time to continuously meet decision
1 As an example of how the rubrics would function, the inclusion of initiative-relevant fields in WVEIS would be an indicator on the infrastructure or assessment rubric.
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makers needs. At the beginning of the initiative, formative evaluation activities, including the activities described above, will be paramount. New initiatives and programs are not well suited to summative evaluation and are better served by formative evaluation activities that provide systematic feedback at critical decision junctures. As the initiative becomes institutionalized, the effectiveness of the changed curricula, professional development, and instructional activities will need to be assessed. The development of new assessment measures—21st century assessments—will permit WVDE and the evaluation team to determine whether the enhanced educational system is having an impact on student achievement. These assessments will be qualitatively different from past assessments. As Kay and Honey (2005) write,
These measures need to address how students perform in complex, real-word tasks, diagnose where students require intervention in terms of 21st century skills, assess the educational system’s effectiveness in teaching 21st century skills, and permit students to demonstrate their proficiency in 21st century skills to educational institutions and prospective employers. (p. 12)
Because these assessments will need to be created as a key component of the 21st century skills model, they comprise both an outcome in themselves and the means to measure student-learning outcomes from the initiative.
The West Virginia Department of Education’s commitment to ongoing evaluation will result in implementation of Frameworks for 21st Century Learners that is well documented and able to be altered and improved based on lessons learned at each stage. By attending to all levels of the educational system and changing as the initiative matures, the evaluation will be attuned and responsive to the comprehensive and developmental nature of this intensive reform initiative.
References
Kay, K., & Honey, M. (2005). Beyond technology competency: A vision of ICT literacy to prepare students for the 21st century. Unpublished manuscript.Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2002). Learning for the 21st century: A report and MILE guide for 21st century skills. Available at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
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West Virginia Department of Education
Additional Documentation
Attachment A
West Virginia Department of EducationCollaborative Model for Developing 21st Century Learners
West Virginia Department of EducationCollaborative Model for Developing 21st Century Learners
Based on the WV Framework for High Performing School Systems
WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Based on the Framework for High Performing School Systems, create the organizational culture, develop the improvement processes and implement the research-based practices that create conditions for improvement in schools and
classrooms and that focus on developing 21st Century Learners.
WV MIDDLESCHOOLS
Based on the Framework for High Performing Middle
Schools, create middle schools that effectively transition
students from elementary to high school, continue a strong
emphasis on core content, assure proficiency in basic
technology and expand student knowledge and abilities in 21st century
content, skills and tools.
WV HIGH SCHOOLS
Based on the Framework for High Performing High
Schools, create high schools that effectively prepare all students for post-secondary education or skilled career
opportunities, assure a rigorous and relevant
curriculum taught with 21st Century content, skills and tools, and culminate with a
21st Century credential.
WV CLASSROOMSBased on the Framework for High Performing Classrooms, create
classrooms where students are highly engaged in rigorous curriculum through the use of high yield instructional practices that develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes of proficient 21st Century Learners.
WV ELEMENTARYSCHOOLS
Based on the Framework for High Performing Elementary Schools, create elementary schools that insure literacy and numeracy for all, develop in students a sense of efficacy and love of learning and introduce students to 21st century content, skills and tools.
21st Century LearnersStudents able to responsibly live, learn and thrive in a digital global society
Proficient in basic skills including 21st Century Content in global awareness and financial, economic, civic and business literacyAbility to Use 21st Century Thinking Skills and Technology ToolsPersonal Accountability for Healthy Living, Learning and Responsible Behavior
THE GOVERNOR, THE WV BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE WV LEGISLATURE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP GROUPS
By committing to a common direction, the Governor, the WV Board of Education and the WV Legislature in cooperation with the business community and educational leadership
groups can enhance West Virginia economic development and improve the level of educational quality through strong focused leadership, long-term planning and targeted
resource allocation dedicated to the development of 21st century learners.
21st CENTURY CREDENTIALAward the Governor’s Diploma with scholarship incentives based on high levels of performance on 21st Century assessments.
21ST CENTURY COMPONENTS-Use up-to-date technology tools to enrich curriculum.-Develop units and lessons that focus on deep understanding of concepts, ideas and patterns.-Use instructional strategies that enhance student ability to critically think and problem solve.-Connect 21st Century content to relevant student experiences.-Use standards-based performance assessments to measure proficiency in ability to apply technology and critical thinking skills.-Instill a spirit of inquiry, student self-direction and personal responsibility for learning.
21ST CENTURY COMPONENTS-Create positive context for 21st Century learning through teacher support, collaborative planning and disbursed leadership.-Use effective strategic planning, including tech- nology planning, to implement the Frameworks.-Enrich curriculum through WVLearns e-learning platform and WV Virtual School.-Use scheduling and staffing patterns that assure student access to 21st Century Content.-Create support systems that encourage all students to be 21st Century credentialed. -Monitor curriculum, instruction and assessment processes to assure alignment with 21st Century Learning.
21ST CENTURY COMPONENTS- Create local stakeholder commitment to graduate 21st Century Learners. -Use strategic planning, including technology planning to implement the Frameworks and integrate 21st Century Content, Tools and Skills.-Implement comprehensive professional development programs.-Build local business partnerships to support 21st Century Tools and Skills.-Develop policies/procedures and allocate resources to support 21st Century Learners.-Promote 21st Century credentialing.
21ST CENTURY COMPONENTS-Promote 21st Century skills Pre K-20 as a vehicle for economic development.-Collaboratively implement a five-year plan that includes support initiatives and policy modifications.-Improve and expand WV’s technology infrastructure and supports system.-Provide content-specific technology tools to teachers. -Allocate resources for extensive professional development.-Revise WVDE curriculum and assessment protocols to include content in global awareness, financial, economic, civic and business literacy with performance measures for 21st Century skills and technological proficiency.
Attachment B
West Virginia Department of Education
Framework For High Performing School Systems
Attachment C
West Virginia Department of Education
Work Plan For 21st Century Learners
WVDE WORK PLANS 21ST CENTURY (DRAFT- 09/21/05)
Includes requirements for submitting P21 State Application (highlighted) & Nine Steps to Build 21st Century Learners
STATUS P21 LEADERSHIP STATE EXPECATIONS
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION
STAFF RESPONSIBLE
TIME LINE
Ensure high level state leadership support for participation as “P21 Leadership State”
Letters of support: Governor State Superintendent Legislative Leadership
1) Secure letters of support for submission.
2) Provide a structure for ensuring governmental leaders at all levels are educated on the meaning of 21st century skills & their importance to the future.
3) Submit budgets & secure funding at the state & local level to allow for financial support of 21st century approaches.
4) Develop a report that reviews existing technological infrastructure to ensure it is equipped to support 21st Century education & recommends necessary investments to build/maintain this infrastructure.
Karen Larry -- Superintendent’s Office
Superintendent’s Office
Superintendent’s Office
Office of Technology
OCTOBER 15, 2005
Embrace a powerful vision of public education that includes 21st century skills
1) Establish process for reviewing Board’s vision to ensure that it prepares students for work & life in a knowledge society; i.e.
Superintendent’s Office/ WVDE Board
honors core subjects & integrates learning skills & 21st century tools, context, content & assessment.
Establish a State Based Advisory Committee (Leadership Team) which serves as a central point of contact for P21 – and a vehicle for collecting proofs of concept.
(Plan Collectively & Strategically for the Future)
List & contact information for all members (See Stakeholder Identification & Review Template)1) Broad based advisory committee: representatives from education organization, business, government & civic leaders.2) Funding required for quarterly meetings & staff to support committee work.3) Continuously collaborate and ensure schools were constantly evolving (proofs of concept review).4) Use the “Mile Guide” as its planning instrument & tool for assessment.
1) Identify an active coalition of business, teacher & other educational organizations, non-profits, parents, & community organizations on behalf of 21st century education to serve on an P21 Advisory Committee.
2) Develop a plan for providing necessary educational & administrative support for the Advisory Council to meet responsibilities.
Karen Larry -- Superintendent’s Office
OCTOBER 15,2005
Align leadership, management & resources with educational goals
1) Develop a Collaborative Model for Developing 21st Century Learners Based on the WV Framework for High Performing School Systems.
2) Develop Frameworks for High Performing Elementary, Middle & High Schools & Classrooms
3) Determine policies that need to be developed or revised to support mastery
Lydia McCue, Executive Asst. Superintendent
Lydia McCue,Executive Asst. Superintendent
Div. InstructionDiv. Voc./Tech
SEPT. 15, 2005
of 21st century skills based on High School Task Force Report, Frameworks, Math Task Force Report & standards review.
4) Align High School Task Force recommendations & action steps with 21st Century Skill implementation.
5) Align Math Task Force Plan with 21st Century Skill Implementation.
Exec. Asst. Supt
Div. Voc/Tech
Div. Instruction
Assess schools & school districts to gauge current capacity for preparing students to succeed.
1) Develop a school & school system performance profile that exceeds AYP expectations & incorporates 21st century assessments.
2) Develop formative assessments that support classroom, school & district benchmarking of student progress.
3) Develop a plan for assisting schools, school district & WVDE in completing a self-assessment of their capacity for preparing students to succeed in the 21st century.
Jorea Marple, Jan BarthDivision of School Improvement
Jorea Marple, Jan BarthDivision of SchoolImprovement
Develop Priorities for 21st Century Skills
1) Develop a plan for assisting schools/districts & WVDE to determine 21st Century Skills that need to
be an area of focus & incorporation into 5 year school/district/WVDE improvement plans.
Ensure professional development strategies that develop the capacity of teachers across the state.
(Develop a professional development plan for 21st century skills.)
List objectives, tactics and metrics for implementing 21st century skills as a professional development focus.
1) Develop a plan with objectives & timelines for implementation of a strong & comprehensive program of consistent professional development to equip educators with the skills to meet the challenges to provide quality 21st century education that includes increasing knowledge in content areas & in assessment strategies.
2) Establish a 21st century skill professional development center that works with teacher education institutions & teachers organizations to incorporate 21st century education into their programs/initiatives including best ways to educate, train & evaluate professional educators (See California Standards for the Teaching Profession).
3) Develop a plan to ensure that teacher education licensing includes 21st century skills competency in teacher education
Karen Huffman, Office of Certification
Pam Cain,Division of Instructional Services
Office of Certification
Office of Certification
OCTOBER 15, 2005
program accreditation criteria.
4) Coordinate Phase II Components of Framework for School System Improvement with 21st Century Skill implementation: School System Leadership Conferences: Partners for Systemic Change; Customized Support & Leadership Development Training.
5) Incorporate into Systemic Framework documents training (Description of Practices, Learning Community Packets, & Professional Development Modules) links to 21st Century Skills
Exec. Asst. Superintendent
Exec. Asst. Supt.
November 2005
Sept. 2005
Make sure students have equitable access to 21st Century Education
1) Develop a plan with objectives/ timelines /budget requirements & recommendations for necessary policy revisions to ensure students have equitable access:
core subjects;21st century skills;highly qualified teachers;modern technology
2) Develop a
communication plan to support a public awareness campaign that builds understanding of the significant need for equitable access to a 21st century education for all children.
3) Develop a plan to utilize technology to enhance equitable access curriculum/instruction & highly qualified teachers
Office of Technology/Instruction & Certification
Undertake Standards Setting/Assessment Alignment
(Develop Assessments to Measure Student Progress in 21st Century Skills)
List objectives, tactics & metrics for aligning state standards & assessments with 21st century skills.
1) Develop a plan with objectives & timelines for reviewing existing standards to ensure they incorporate 21st century content & skills.
2) Develop a plan with objectives & timelines for integrating new standards with aligned Assessments.
3) Develop a plan for creating effective 8th grade tech. requirements & assessing mastery.
4) Develop a plan for instituting a Governor’s Credential for 21st Century Learners.
Keith Butcher, Office of InstructionBetty Jo Jordan,Division of Tech/Adult Ed.
Jan Barth, Office of Assessment
Office of Technology
OCTOBER 15, 2005
OCTOBER 15, 2005
Collaborate with Outside Partners
1) Develop and implement a plan for assisting schools/districts and the state in developing
partnerships to promote 21st century skills in schools which would include:guidelines for success- full partnerships; examples/resources; tools to facilitate/manage and self assessment tools
Communication of Proofs of Concept
Describe methods and systems to be used to capture and measure success of state initiatives.
1) Develop a position paper outlining WVDE commitment to evaluate & track progress in P21 implementation.
2) Develop an evaluation plan for tracking & documenting key learning outcomes & assessing progress in attaining 21st century learning goals.
3) Develop a communication plan for sharing results of P21 initiatives including submission to the P21 Advisory Council.
4) Develop a 21st Century Learning Certification for schools that identifies & acknowledges schools that have made significant progress towards providing a 21st century education.
Jorea Marple,Division of SchoolImprovementEdvantia
Communication Office/Office of Assessment
OCTOBER 15, 2005
Attachment D
West Virginia Department of Education
Work Plan For Construction of An RFPTo
Assess 21st Century Skills
WORK PLAN FOR CONSTRUCTION OF AN RFP TO
ASSESS 21ST CENTURY SKILLS:
I. 21st Century Assessment should measure essential knowledge in the five key 21st Century content and skill areas: Global awareness; Civic engagement; Financial, economic and business literacy; Learning skills that encompass problem solving & critical thinking, information &
communication skills, and self directional skills, and ICT Literacy
II. 21st Century Assessment tools should achieve the following objectives: Measure student mastery of 21st century skills; Diagnose where students require intervention in terms of 21st century skills; Measure the educational system’s effectiveness in teaching 21st century skills, and Permit students to demonstrate their proficiency in 21st century skills to educational
institutions and prospective employers. (High stakes assessments alone do not generate evidence of the skill sets that the business and educational communities believe will ensure success in the 21st century.)
Foster the assessment of higher order thinking skills to provide critical feedback to inform instruction & student learning
III. 21st Century Assessments should meet the following criteria: Measure student skills, knowledge, and learning at K-12 level, and align with P21’s
content and skill areas; Include integration of technology into all assessment tools; Have applicability across a wide range of instructional programs, and Have gone through or are going through a rigorous process of test validation.
IV. WVDE actions that need to occur to support effective utilization of assessment instruments that measure 21st century skills and that are designed to improve instruction and student learning in this century:
A. Establish a powerful vision of public education that supports the six key elements of 21st century learning through: Understanding of core academic content at high levels; i.e. English, reading or
language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history & geography;
Integration of learning skills into all content/skill areas; i.e. information & communication skills, thinking & problem solving skills & self directional skills;
Utilization of 21st century learning tools; i.e. computers & networking, audio, video & multi-media technologies;
Applications & experiences within 21st century context; i.e. relevance to students’ lives, bringing the world into the classroom, taking students out into the world, interaction with other students & making connections;
Instruction in emerging content areas; i.e. global awareness, financial, economic & business literacy and civic literacy and
Assessments that measure 21st century education skills.
B. Align leadership, management & resources with educational goals: Addition of 21st “extended” standards/skills (including both learning skills & new
“emerging” content skill areas) within policy;
Cross match/relationship of 21st Century Skills to High Yield Instructional Strategies; i.e. standards based instruction, higher order thinking skills, engaged learners, family & community involvement, equity ( high level performance in all sub group populations), research based learning, extended learning opportunities, advanced coursework and technological literacy.
Revision of necessary policies to support mastery of 21st century skills; i.e. all students study a second language;
Development & funding of assessments to measure 21st century skills; Investing in professional development and technology; Allocating adequate resources to ensure equitable access to 21st tools, and Developing proficiency levels for 21st century tools.
C. Develop priorities for 21st century skills: Conduct a needs analysis or self-assessment to determine gaps between realities
and 21st vision: State Level District Level School Level Classroom Level
D. Develop a professional development plan for 21st Century Skills: Determine professional development opportunities that need to be in place to
promote 21st century learning; Determine professional development opportunities needed for teachers to effectively
use instructional strategies that reflect current research, modern contexts to engage students in learning and classroom assessments that effectively measure what students are learning, and
Determine teaching certification requirements that actually represent skills necessary to teach in this century.
E. Make sure students have equitable access to 21st century education: Provide access for all students to highly qualified effective teachers, and Provide students with regular, reliable access to modern technology.
F. Begin developing assessment to measure student progress in the 21st century skills: Utilization of assessment instruments that measure 21st century skills, and Provision of instructional support for the effective utilization of assessment
instruments.
G. Collaborate with outside partners: Establish stakeholder councils of parents, community organizations, higher
education, employers & content providers to secure involvement, commitment and support to assuring all students acquire 21st century skills.
H. Plan collectively and strategically for the future: All stakeholders need to be involved in a process of assessing where they are and
where they need to go to transition to 21st century schools and classrooms.
V. 21st Century Assessments would need to measure the following “extended standards/skills”:
A. Global awareness: Skills to understand and address global issues; i.e. knowledge of other world
regions, cultures and global/international issues; Ability to learn from and work collaboratively with individuals representing diverse
cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect 7 open dialogue in
personal, work and community contexts; i.e. respect and concern for other cultures;
Study of non-English language as a tool for understanding other nations & cultures; i.e. skills in communicating languages other than English, working in global or cross-cultural environments.
B. Financial Economic, and Business Literacy: Knowing how to make appropriate personal economic choices; Understanding the role of the economy and the role of business in the economy; Skills to function as a productive contributor within an organizational setting, and Integrating oneself within and adapting continually to our nation’s evolving
economic and business environment.
C. Civic Literacy: Being an informed citizen to participate effectively in government; Exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national &
global levels; Understanding the local and global implications of civic decisions, and Applying 21st century skills to make intelligent choices as a citizen.
D. Thinking, Problem-solving, Interpersonal & Self Directional Learning Skills: Critical thinking and systems thinking; i.e. Exercising sound reasoning in
understanding and making complex choices, understanding the interconnections among systems;
Problem Identification, formulation & solution; Ability to frame, analyze and solve problems;
Creativity and intellectual curiosity; i.e. Developing, implementing communicating new ideas to others, staying open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives;
Interpersonal and collaborative skills; i.e. Demonstrating teamwork 7 leadership; adapting to varied roles and responsibilities; working productively with others; exercising empathy; respecting diverse perspectives;
Self-Direction; i.e. Monitoring one’s own understanding & learning needs, locating appropriate resources, transferring learning from one domain to another;
Accountability and adaptability; i.e. Exercising personal responsibility and flexibility in personal, workplace and community context; setting and meeting high standards and goals for one’ self & others; tolerating ambiguity, and
Social responsibility; i.e. acting responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind; demonstrating ethical behavior in personal workplace and community contexts.
E. Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Learning Skills: Information and media literacy skills; i.e. analyzing and accessing, managing,
integrating, evaluating and creating information in a variety of forms and media, and understanding the role of media in society;
Communication skills; i.e. Understanding, managing and creating effective oral, written and multi-media communication in a variety of forms and contexts, and
Interpersonal and self-directional skills; i.e. Becoming more productive in accomplishing tasks and developing interest in improving own skills.
In summary, assessment should measure whether students “know how to learn” in order “to acquire new knowledge and skills”, “connect new information to existing knowledge”, “ analyze”, “develop habits of learning”, and “work with others to use information”.
VI. Current Status of Assessments within 5 content & skills areas:
NAEP Geography Assessment – Measures geography knowledge 7 skills of fourth, eighth & twelfth graders in 3 broad categories of cognitive skills: knowing, understanding and applying;
Intermediate-Level Geography Test – created by National Council of Geography Education and encompassing 6 categories: World in Spatial Terms, Places & Regions, Physical Systems, Human Systems, Environment & Society and Use of Geography. Currently working on a high school test, and
Private & public sector interest in developing assessments in this area is very active.
B. Financial, Economic & Business Literacy: No large-scale, cross program assessments that are specifically designed to measure
student knowledge and skill in all three areas; Junior Achievement Economics Test Bank – not sure of grade level applicability by
measure 20 economic concepts; Jump$tart Assessment of Financial Literacy – Designed to be administered to 12 graders
to measure financial knowledge related to income, money management, saving and spending, and
NAEP 12th grade assessment on economic knowledge is currently being developed.
C. Civic Literacy: Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) has
developed a Civic Engagement Quiz that focuses on high school students’ civic behavior and interprets results to categorize respondents’ civic engagement level;
Databank of Civic Assessment Tools (NCLC) that assesses two broad areas: Student learning, including civics knowledge, skills & attitudes, and institutional capacity for civics education, including a school’s civic climate and investment in a civic mission;
NAEP CIVICS TEST – more traditional measure of subject content, and Nineteen states have developed their own civic skills testing, but not sure of measuring
21st century skills.
D. Thinking, Problem-solving, Interpersonal & Self Directional Learning Skills:
These higher level thinking skills are included in assessments previously mentioned to evaluate students skills in global awareness, financial, economic and business literacy and civic awareness;
Measurement of thinking skills, problem solving and interpersonal & self-directional learning skills are combined into one overarching category entitled learning skills that is independent to content areas or embedded within larger multiple content area assessments;
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) that measures content knowledge but has identified items that address thinking skills & self-regulated learning;
Rainbow Project is a college admission test in development stages that is grounded in psychological theory, measure creative & practical skills; i.e. instead of typical vocabulary words, the test requires students to determine word meaning from context, thus using analytical skill. The test also presents vignettes and require students determine most appropriate course of action.
Self-Directed Learning Inventory (Metiri Group) is a survey instrument intended to provide an assessment of self-directed learning for students in grade 5-12, and
PASS (National Science Foundation) uses a variety of measures for upper elementary, middle & high school students to assess science content knowledge as well as higher order thinking and communication skills.
Assessment of ICT Literacy: Key Stage 3 ICT Literacy Assessment (U.K’ assessment tool) for student ages 12-13 is
one of the most promising new assessments in the 5 content areas that assesses students’ ICT skills and their ability to use those skills to solve a set of complex problems involving research, communication, information management and presentation;
ICT Literacy Assessment (ETS) for higher education but in development for secondary education is designed to evaluate test takers’ abilities to use ICT to think critically and solve problems;
NETS Online Technology Assessment (developed jointly by ISTE & Microsoft) focused assessing 8th grade students” skills in the use of ICT to demonstrate achievement in analytic, production and communications skills.