reer ready student and demonstrate the gaps within student abilities. Closing these gaps truly is a moral and economic imperative of our nation’s schools.


Defining college and career ready The research on college and career readi-


ness has been clearly articulated. The culmi- nation of this work can be translated into the four attributes of a college and career ready student as depicted in the diagram at right. A school needs only to assess its students’ abilities and performance using these attri- butes to identify the extent to which student cohorts are prepared for college and ready for the workforce, and in doing so assess the effectiveness of its student support systems. In looking back at the two classroom


observations, the student gaps become ex- ceptionally clear based upon students’ aca- demic behavior and ability to use academic language and higher order skills to solve a problem. In the first classroom students would be able to apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems, whereas in the second classroom students would struggle. These gaps become even more problem-


atic as students enter into postsecondary education and the workforce. The American Management Association, based on a poll of business executives across the United States, stated that without the ability to effectively communicate, engage in critical thinking, and collaborate to solve problems innova- tively and with creativity, high school gradu- ates are unemployable – or at best employees with no potential for upward mobility in the organization. Clarifying why the gaps exist and how to intervene early to further develop these essential skills is vital for the academic and career success of our students.


Defining the gaps One only needs to observe a few things


in a classroom to understand how these student gaps emerge. The clarity and rigor of the student learning task, frequency of student speaking and writing, structured student interactions for practicing of skills, and the engagement and responsiveness of students during checking for understanding opportunities all provide a clear lens into the minds and learning of students.


As clarified by Richard Elmore in the


book Instructional Rounds (2009), task pre- dicts performance. Therefore, what matters is this: how students are engaged in clear and rigorous learning tasks that require structured student interactions promoting frequent student speaking and writing and responsiveness during checking for under-


can be traced to an early age, but the extent to which school practices and systems provide students with the support needed to attain these leading indicators may not be as clear. What are integrated systems of support


and why do our students need them? The integrated systems concept began with the Response to Intervention movement that


n Academic behaviors


Four attributes of college and career ready students n Higher-order skills


Students possess the ability to organize their aca- demic work, engage in self-assessment of progress toward course outcomes, manage their time effectively, and complete or refine assignments with preci- sion and accuracy.


n Real-world application


Students possess the ability to successfully complete problems connected to real-world scenarios that require conceptual applica- tion of content knowledge, collaborative group work and use of various forms of media.


College and career ready students possess the ability to solve real-world problems through the conceptual application of key content knowledge using higher order skills.


Students possess the ability to solve problems using critical thinking, reasoning and interpretation of research and results that is com- municated in a manner that conveys clear understanding of various solutions.


n Academic language


Students possess the ability to dem- onstrate mastery of content area skills and concepts through the appropriate use of academic


language (reading, writing and speaking) as defined by the level of rigor within the standard.


standing opportunities. Without this, stu- dents don’t develop understanding of fun- damental concepts, mastery of academic vocabulary, critical thinking skills or aca- demic behaviors required for completion of a rigorous course of study. In The Forgotten Middle (2008), ACT


determined that maximizing student readi- ness for college and career by high school graduation requires a focus on the role of upper elementary and middle school. The research indicates that eighth grade aca- demic achievement and being on target for college and career readiness in eighth grade have the greatest impact on students’ ability to become college and career ready by the end of high school. Why is this so? Primarily because upon


entry into high school, students are enrolled in course sequences based on their academic preparedness. And once the march toward graduation credits begins, students are sorted and shuffled based on their academic abilities. Leading indicators of a prepared student


originated from the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This concept proposed that systems for student academic and behavior support were needed to ensure all students could reach their full potential.


Changing our systems of support With the emphasis in education chang-


ing to that of college and career readiness, it makes sense that our integrated systems of support also change. So rather than having a concept based upon early identification and student support to reduce entry into special education, the redefined model should em- phasize the development of college and ca- reer ready attributes. The systems that most impact student


academic and career success include: early identification and support of at-risk stu- dents, data-driven instructional cycles, cur- ricular pathways and personalized gradua- tion plans. As schools and districts become more focused on college and career readi- ness, these systems will be of great benefit


May/June 2012 13


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