Engage the “customers” in the design and evaluation process
James Fitzgerald, the new CEO of the Yadkin Valley Career Academy greeted his faculty as they arrived for their first official function. Mr. Fitzgerald promised his faculty a unique teaching experience, but that had not fully prepared them for a brainstorming session on their first official day. Each of the teachers was assigned to a table. As introductions were made around the table, the teachers met leaders from local industry and higher education.
They quickly learned that the Yadkin Valley Career Academy is the cornerstone of an exciting economic development strategy. The mission of the school is to produce graduates that delight current employers from across the region and recruits companies to locate in Davidson and Davie Counties in NC.
While developing the vision for Valley Academy, the partners in this initiative discovered a startling situation. Student outcomes reported by the Department of Public Instruction showed that results on state assessments were improving along with graduation rates. Those findings were in direct conflict with the finding of a quantitative survey of CEOs from industry and higher education. The TriSTEM survey revealed high levels of dissatisfaction with the quality of high school graduates from across the Piedmont Triad Region.
The regional survey findings are consistent with the results of a national survey of business CEOs. Dr. Tony Wagner surveyed over 150 CEO from the largest companies nationally. The CEO voiced disappointment with the quality of the graduates. The diagnostic information from the studies revealed that the outcomes that state departments of education are measuring are not the skills, knowledge and attributes that the business leaders value.
Both surveys indicated that the CEOs of industry and higher education found that the majority of high school graduates were not prepared for either college or career. The knowledge and attributes being measured by the Department of Education are not highly valued by industry or higher education. More importantly, the knowledge, skills and attributes that industry and higher education value are generally not being taught.
A Unique Perspective
As the participants were prepared for the brainstorming session, they were asked to reframe how they look at the school system. To frame their first challenge, the teams were asked to think about the school as a “producer of graduates.” Then they were asked to think about industry and higher education as the “customers” for the graduates. The teams were challenged to redesign the model so that it is responsive to the wants and needs of the “customers.” The teams quickly reached consensus that the curriculum and instructional design needed to respond to the wants and needs of the customers. They also agreed that instilling Tony Wagner’s Seven Survival Skills in the graduates is critically important.
The teams were then challenged to create an environment where the Seven Survival Skills can develop and flourish. They were warned that there are natural impediments to each of the Seven Survival Skills that are deeply entrenched in the school systems across the country. Mindful of that, they began their design process.
While the entire faculty understood that Problem Based Learning (PBL) would be used extensively, they discovered that an interdisciplinary approach to PBL is needed to meet the needs of industry. Students need to be able to apply everything they are learning to solve problems. The industry executives shared the importance of having students working in teams to solve real problems and innovative solutions. The graduates need the ability to draw on the knowledge they have acquired and apply it when, where and how it is needed. The emphasis that industry places on working in teams was surprising to the teachers. The industry executives explained that the success of the enterprise depends on having teams that are nimble problem solvers that identify innovative solutions that improve quality, productivity and cost efficiency.
Then the tables were turned. The “customers” were challenged to define how they would evaluate the school, the student teams and individual students to ensure a favorable outcome when the students graduate. The teams developed strategies for both macro and micro analysis. An excellent discussion followed. Evaluating student team performance as they develop solutions to interdisciplinary problems that span 4 subjects presented an interesting challenge. They agreed that the teams and individual student need the ability to correctly assess problems and apply knowledge when, where and how it is needed. The “customers” indicated that they would help monitor the classroom environment, student teams and individual student’s ability to apply Wagner’s Seven Survival Skills. After 2 ½ hours, the walls were covered with a wealth of ideas on how to begin the process.
Their last assignment of the morning was to assess our first effort to collaborate to create exceptional student outcomes. The teams all reported being pleased with the outcome of the morning and the opportunities to gain critical insights from their counterparts. They agreed that reconvening quarterly would be valuable. They spent their lunch discussing other opportunities for collaboration including job shadowing, internships, teacher intern and externships, and collaborating on the development of real-world problems from industry.
The faculty and staff of Valley Academy spent the morning modeling the behavior that they expect from their students. They did an admirable job tackling some of the greatest challenges facing our educational system. They have a huge advantage as they begin. With the help of their business and higher education partners, they are beginning with the end in mind. They know they are focused on the issues that are critically important to their customers. They are committed to an ongoing dialog and refinement process. With all of those things in their favor, their odds of a successful outcome that delights their customers is high. It was a very good beginning.
[…] The faculty’s very first day at work involved a brainstorming session with leaders from busine…. During that session the faculty learned the importance of instilling 21st Century Job Skills. It is one thing to talk about the importance of critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and innovation skills in the abstract. It is quite another thing to visit companies who are thriving because their employees use all of those skills and more in the normal course of business. […]