EVERY STUDENT must have a real chance to reach his or her lifelong aspirations – to be competitive in tomorrow’s fast-paced and expanding global economy. Throughout America, over the past decade, there has been a growing movement among educators, national employers, and top business professionals to further focus the nation’s high school curriculum on college preparation and career development.
This February, for the first time, our state will celebrate Alabama College Application and Financial Aid Month – a new annual event developed by the Alabama Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Section, to celebrate the importance of “lifelong student achievement.” This celebration will also highlight the importance of the “college and career readiness” concept, which focuses on creating a seamless transition between students leaving high school, entering college, and moving into the workforce.
According to current research, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that approximately 90 percent of the nation’s upcoming 21st Century careers will require employees to have postsecondary education experience. Ultimately, being college and career ready means that high school graduates have the English, science, and mathematics skills needed to succeed in postsecondary learning and the real world of work.
To celebrate Alabama College Application and Financial Aid Month, special activities, official resolution and proclamation ceremonies, and other events have been planned statewide. Attending college today means much more than just pursuing a traditional four- year degree. Being college-ready means students are prepared for the entire postsecondary experience – ready to earn all types of postsecondary credentials, including associates’ and bachelor’s degrees, professional licenses, special certificates, and, ultimately, a master’s and doctoral degrees.
Reprinted from Alabama Education News, Vol. 34. No. 4. January/February 2011. for more information or to read back issues, check out the Alabama Department of Education at www.alsde.edu
Like so many Americans all across the country, Barack and I were shocked and heartbroken by the horrific act of violence committed in Arizona this past weekend. Yesterday, we had the chance to attend a memorial service and meet with some of the families of those who lost their lives, and both of us were deeply moved by their strength and resilience in the face of such unspeakable tragedy.
As parents, an event like this hits home especially hard. It makes our hearts ache for those who lost loved ones. It makes us want to hug our own families a little tighter. And it makes us think about what an event like this says about the world we live in – and the world in which our children will grow up.
In the days and weeks ahead, as we struggle with these issues ourselves, many of us will find that our children are struggling with them as well. The questions my daughters have asked are the same ones that many of your children will have – and they don’t lend themselves to easy answers. But they will provide an opportunity for us as parents to teach some valuable lessons – about the character of our country, about the values we hold dear, and about finding hope at a time when it seems far away.
We can teach our children that here in America, we embrace each other, and support each other, in times of crisis. And we can help them do that in their own small way – whether it’s by sending a letter, or saying a prayer, or just keeping the victims and their families in their thoughts.
We can teach them the value of tolerance – the practice of assuming the best, rather than the worst, about those around us. We can teach them to give others the benefit of the doubt, particularly those with whom they disagree.
We can also teach our children about the tremendous sacrifices made by the men and women who serve our country and by their families. We can explain to them that although we might not always agree with those who represent us, anyone who enters public life does so because they love their country and want to serve it.
Christina Green felt that call. She was just nine years old when she lost her life. But she was at that store that day because she was passionate about serving others. She had just been elected to her school’s student council, and she wanted to meet her Congresswoman and learn more about politics and public life.
And that’s something else we can do for our children – we can tell them about Christina and about how much she wanted to give back. We can tell them about John Roll, a judge with a reputation for fairness; about Dorothy Morris, a devoted wife to her husband, her high school sweetheart, to whom she’d been married for 55 years; about Phyllis Schneck, a great-grandmother who sewed aprons for church fundraisers; about Dorwan Stoddard, a retired construction worker who helped neighbors down on their luck; and about Gabe Zimmerman, who did community outreach for Congresswoman Giffords, working tirelessly to help folks who were struggling, and was engaged to be married next year. We can tell them about the brave men and women who risked their lives that day to save others. And we can work together to honor their legacy by following their example – by embracing our fellow citizens; by standing up for what we believe is right; and by doing our part, however we can, to serve our communities and our country.
Sincerely,
Michelle Obama
Harvard Family Research Project and the National PTA® have teamed up to bring you the second issue in our series of ground-breaking policy briefs. While the first brief, Seeing is Believing, looked at a variety of innovative practices to promote family engagement,Breaking New Ground: Data Systems Transform Family Engagement in Education narrows its focus to highlight sharing student data as a way to engage families and improve parent–teacher communication.
This brief describes how investments in student data systems are taking family engagement and student achievement to a whole new level. In addition to addressing areas where a student most needs improvement, the data can serve as a catalyst for home–school communication. Parents benefit from having information about key indicators on which they can have an impact, like student attendance, growth in learning, and achievement. The information opens the door for meaningful conversations with teachers and students so that parents can make informed decisions and take action to improve performance, school climate, graduation rates, and other important issues that affect their child’s success.
Breaking New Ground cites six case studies from across the country that reveal innovative efforts by early childhood programs and school districts to use student data systems to improve family engagement. Each profile illustrates a segment of a data pathway beginning in early childhood and continuing through students' academic careers.
The brief also includes a set of policy recommendations to help support the current trends in education that focus on twenty-first century learning and the vital role of technology.
You can download a copy of the brief here.
