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