Thank you for your patience as this week’s snow delayed the release of report cards until this afternoon. Please be aware that report cards are now available to be viewed through the iParent/iStudent portal.
As you review your child’s progress, you will notice a new addition to this year’s report card. In addition to grades for each course, each report card now includes an update on your child’s achievement of 21st century learning expectations.
Beginning this year, Nipmuc has introduced the teaching and assessment of 21st century learning expectations as a key part of our curriculum. Teaching 21st century skills allows us not only to ensure that our students have mastered the subject-matter and content of the curriculum, but also that they have the skills needed to apply their learning. We are excited about this initiative and how it will help us to ensure that our students are ready for life in college, careers, and the community.
Included below are screencasts, frequently asked questions, and copies of the school-wide rubrics that we use to measure student achievement.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions. I can be reached at jclements@mursd.org.
Screencast #1: Understanding 21st Century Learning at Nipmuc Regional High School
Screencast #1: Understanding 21st Century Learning Expectations at Nipmuc Regional from John Clements on Vimeo.
Screencast #2: Teaching and Measuring 21st Century Learning Expectations at Nipmuc Regional High School
Screencast #2: Instruction and Assessment of 21st Century Learning Expectations from John Clements on Vimeo.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
School-wide Rubrics:
Academic Expectation #1: Communicate
Academic Expectation #1: Problem-solving
Academic Expectation #1: Technology
By treating these as isolated "skills" to test, they become disconnected from real world application. These sorts of experiences should be part of a well taught class--that is part of what makes a good class relevant and useful. To try to isolate these as testable skills misses what these skills are really about and what it means to develop them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment and the chance to respond. I agree that teaching the skills our kids need to apply their learning shouldn't be treated in isolation. It's important, though, that we teach students how to use their learning. For that reason, teaching 21st century skills is a mandate for all accredited high schools in New England. You can view the NEASC Standards for Accreditation and this requirement here: https://cpss.neasc.org/getting-started/2011-explanation-standards/core-values-beliefs-and-learning-expectations . The NEASC standards have done a great job showing schools how to approach this responsibility.
DeleteAnother great resource to check out is Tony Wagner's "Global Achievement Gap". It shows the research behind the movement to teach more than content. It also articulates the moral imperative for schools to teach skills as a way to prepare them for life in colleges and careers.
Through this movement our teachers are doing a great job showing students that success is no longer dependent on what they know; it's how they apply what they know that counts.
Again, thanks for taking the time to read the information and comment. I appreciate the chance for the dialogue. - John Clements