Redefining Readiness in New Ways

President's Corner

What an awesome National Conference on Education we had last month in Phoenix. From incredible keynote speakers to outstanding breakout sessions to time to network and collaborate with peers and corporate partners from across the country, this year’s national conference was clearly a smashing success.

I am already looking forward to next year’s conference, which will be held March 2-4 in New Orleans.

As I mentioned during my remarks in Phoenix, with the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, it is time for education leaders and our professional associations across this great land to stand up and champion public education. It is my hope you will join AASA and many of our partner organizations in supporting our new, research-based Redefining Ready! initiative.

You and I know students are more than just a number or a score they earn on a standardized test. Our nation’s public schools strive to provide students with rigorous academic programs, personalized and career-specific learning experiences, along with social and emotional skills that prepare our young people to be global citizens in an ever-changing world.

We are educating a generation of innovators — students who are driven by ideas and inspired by innovations. Students leave our schoolhouse doors with the academic skills that make them college and career ready but also with grit, perseverance and resiliency to tackle and achieve their goals. They have the growth mindset that empowers them to approach their future with confidence, to dream big and make those dreams a reality.

The scores of standardized tests are one of many potential indicators that demonstrate readiness for life beyond high school. However, allowing a child, a teacher or a school to be reduced to one test score diminishes the worth and value of an individual and the totality of the school experience.

Our students learn in a variety of ways. They should be able to demonstrate readiness in a variety of ways. We must look beyond a standardized test score and use multiple measures to assess and demonstrate that students are ready for life beyond high school. That is what the new, research-based Redefining Ready! initiative is all about.

You can check out the metrics by visiting www.redefiningready.org. On the website, you will be able to click on any metric, and it will show you the supporting research from respected organizations and institutions regarding that metric’s link to college and/or career readiness. If you know of additional research supporting the Redefining Ready! metrics, please e-mail RedefiningReady@d214.org.

It is imperative this initiative authentically and appropriately defines college and career readiness, and having research studies from highly respected organizations and institutions is critical to doing just that.

Consider endorsing and championing our Redefining Ready! initiative in your district and across your state. Together, let us support our high school graduates’ ability to demonstrate readiness to colleges, employers, their family, themselves and the world in which we all live. Let’s end this “one score fits all” approach that has proven stifling and unfair.

A world we cannot yet imagine lies before us, and I am confident AASA and its members will provide the innovative leadership necessary to prepare our nation’s students to be incredibly successful in our ever-changing global economy. Please consider supporting this new, research-based Redefining Ready! initiative by expressing your support via the dedicated e-mail address.

I hope you continue this conversation on Twitter using #leadexcellence and that you will share this article with your community. Together, we can Redefine Ready!