Multiple Pathways

A Comprehensive High School Reform Strategy

Resolve 1

• Join the state-wide Coalition for Multiple Pathways and endorse a Multiple Pathway strategy to high school reform aimed at increasing high school graduation rates and preparing students for both college and career

Resolve 2

• By 2016 the District shall become the largest Multiple Pathway district in the state and ensure that …• All students graduate• All students pass the CAHSEE• All students graduate high school

both college and career ready

Resolve 3

• Strengthen and develop MP programs throughout the District so that by 2016 all entering 9th graders have the choice of enrolling in a wider representation of pathway programs within an equitable geographic region (or local district)

Resolve 4

• The Superintendent, within 120 days, shall report on the development of MP programs as they relate to the development of Small Schools and progress towards meeting the Diplomas for All goal of 100% graduation with bi-annual updates

Resolve 5

• Beginning in 2010, technical core courses in MP programs and advisory courses shall be counted toward the District’s Life Skills graduation requirement and District’s Applied Learning requirement

Resolve 6

• Relieve the perception that District high schools have different curricular tracks for students by clarifying the existing policy around student waivers for A-G coursework to ensure students are not opting out of entire A-G coursework but, rather, students and parents are requesting waivers for specific courses such as Algebra 2 in their junior or senior year

Resolve 7

• That the endorsement of Multiple Pathways as a comprehensive high school reform strategy will be reviewed and a report made to the BOE at the end of one year

Assembly Bill 2648Education Code 5337.5

• On September 30, 2008, the Governor signed AB 2648 into law. The law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop, in conjunction with the Sect’y of Ed, Community Colleges, UC, CSU, the Legislature, teachers, chamber organizations, industry reps, research centers, parents, school administrators, ROP reps and others a report that explores Multiple Pathways

Multiple Pathways Defined

1. A multiyear, comprehensive high school program of integrated academic and technical study that is organized around a broad theme, interest area, or industry sector, including, but not necessarily limited to, the industry sectors identified in the model standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 51226

Multiple Pathways Defined

2. A program that ensures that all pupils have curriculum choices that will prepare them for career entry and a full range of postsecondary options, including two- and four-year college, apprenticeship, and formal employment training

Multiple Pathways Defined3. A program that is comprised, at a

minimum, of the following components:a) An integrated core curriculum that meets

the eligibility requirements for admission to UC and CSU and is delivered through project-based learning and other engaging instructional strategies that intentionally bring real-world context and relevance to the curriculum where broad themes, interest areas, and career technical education are emphasized

Multiple Pathways Defined

b) An integrated technical core of a sequence of at least four related courses, that may reflect career technical education standards-based courses, that provide pupils with career skills, that are aligned to and underscore academic principles, and to the extent possible fulfill the academic core requirements listed in subparagraph “a.”

Multiple Pathways Defined

c) A series of work-based learning opportunities that begin with mentoring and job shadowing and evolve into intensive internships, school-based enterprises, or virtual apprenticeships.

Multiple Pathways Defined

d) Support services, including supplemental instruction in reading and mathematics, that help pupils master the advanced academic and technical content that is necessary for success in college and career

T

The beauty of a Small Learning Community is that we can try something, examine it, and change it immediately

Steps to Productive SLCs

Professional Development Time to develop, write, and implement plansLearn to collaborate with each otherKnow our students

Learn from each otherLearn from our students’ workWork closely with parentsWork with outside partners

Project Based Learning

Defining Standards-Focused PBL

• The Buck Institute defines PBL as a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks.

Attributes of Authentic Curriculum Project Based Learning

• Authenticity

• Academic Rigor

• Alignment

• Active Exploration

• Adult Relationships

• Assessment

Attributes of Authentic Curriculum Project Based Learning

Authenticity1. The project emanates from a problem or

question that has meaning to the student.2. The problem or question might actually be

tackled by an adult at work or in the community.3. The problem or question provides opportunities

to create or produce something that has personal or social value and/or is connected to service learning.

4. Authentic resources and primary documents are the base for research.

Academic Rigor1. The project leads students to acquire and apply

knowledge related to one or more content areas.2. The project scaffolds to rigor; rigor remains in the

project despite EL or SPED needs.3. The project demands a metacognitive approach.4. There are multiple pathways for students to

consider in reaching conclusions.5. Students develop higher order thinking skills and

habits of mind.6. Students use the habits of thinking of the

disciplines (thinking like a scientist, historian, economist, writer, journalist, mathematician.)

Defining Rigor: Students develop the capacity to understand content

that is:

COMPLEX AMBIGUOUS

PROVACATIVE

PERSONALLY OR EMOTIONALLY

CHALLENGING

Getting to Rigor• Some contents like

molecular biology are economics are complex, composed of interacting and over-lapping ideas (the structure of an eco-system, cellular respiration, the causes of depressions and recessions)

Getting to Rigor

• Some contents are provocative, conceptually challenging, dealing with dilemmas, engaging students in identifying problems, conducting inquiry, taking positions (think of human cloning or the themes of Richard Wright’s Native Son or Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia

Getting to Rigor• Others, like modern

poetry, primary documents, and statistics, are ambiguous, packed with multiple meanings that must be examined and sorted into patterns of significance (think a database describing U.S. immigration patterns from 1875 to 1920,or Dr. Seuss’ The Butter Battle Book.)

Getting to Rigor

• Finally, some content is personally or emotion-ally challenging (the novels of Toni Morrison or Lois Lowry, the facts of Shay’s Rebellion, or the Trail of Tears.)

• How might they personally challenge students and their sense of how the world works?

IMPLICATION

• The diversity of ways that content can become rigorous implies that using one or two strategies for instruction or assessment will not be sufficient to help students learn to demonstrate rigorous assignments. (PBL)

Integrated (Soft) Skills

1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

2. Collaboration and Leadership

3. Agility and Adaptability

4. Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

Integrated (Soft) Skills

5. Effective Oral and Written Communication

6. Accessing and Analyzing Information

7. Curiosity and Imagination

Alignment

• What concepts and standards are students learning?

• How are the concepts & standards organized?

• How will the project deepen the understanding of the standards?

• How will the project or exhibition demonstrate proficiency of the identified standards?

• How is the project aligned to grade level A-G Requirements?

Active Exploration

• Do students spend significant amounts of time doing field-based work on the project?

• Does it require students to engage in real investigation using a variety of methods, media, sources, and appropriate disciplinary practices? (scientific inquiry, historical research, investigative journalism)

Active Exploration

• Are students expected to communicate what they learn through oral presentation, in writing, and in response to questions?

• How does the use of technology extend the project?

Adult Relationships

• Students meet and observe adults with relevant expertise and experience (other than the parent or teacher)

• Students work closely with and get to know at least 1 adult

• Adults collaborate with one another and with students on the design and assessment of the project

Assessment

• There are opportunities for regular assessment of student work through a range of methods (presentation, written assignments, portfolios)

• Students reflect on their learning, using clear project criteria and rubrics that they have helped to construct

• Adults from outside the classroom (business, community organizations, colleges) are involved in the assessment and feedback of the work.

• Teachers look at the student work as reflective professionals in order to improve their practice

How Can We Align Our Pathway with A-G?

• Multiple Pathways • CTE• Theme• Interest Area• Industry Sector

Articulation & A-G Requirements• Articulation is the

connection between high school courses and lower division UC and CSU coursework

• The agreements that are made to teach the courses as described in the approved UC A-G List for LAUSD are critical for our students so that they will be prepared for university course work.

• UCOP understands that many schools are guided by reform initiatives that encourage the integration of academic and career-related content to form courses that are both rigorous and relevant. These rigorous applied academic courses may be approved by UC if teachers focus on the academic content, using the career-related content as an application and extension of the core knowledge taught in the academic area.

CTE/A-G Alignment• Very few LAUSD CTE

courses are currently approved for a-g; however many are approved in the state

• Our first order of business must be to get our courses aligned and approved

• UCOP A-G Guide lists approved courses by career path

In Closing…

Our district has clearly stated the expectations.

The only way we will reach them is to work together as a team. All of our structures, resources and delivery methods must come together for a seamless approach that will meet the needs of our students and prepare them for postsecondary education and the workforce. This will be an exciting journey!

And remember…

Everything you can imagine is

real.-Pablo Picasso