Cap4k: What does it mean for education in Colorado?

-Adam Lowrance
How does doing away with the CSAP sound? How about improving student success through clear definitions of what comprises success, and developing assessment instruments that are in line with higher education and workforce needs? That is my sexy trailer for the Preschool to Postsecondary Education Alignment Act, known as the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K). CAP4K legislation was passed in May of 2008. Below I will attempt to summarize the central tenets.

The bill was conceived in a bed of threshold-exceeding awareness of Colorado’s lacking educational system. In the words of the bill,
Colorado continues to see a widening of the achievement gap, unacceptably high dropout rates throughout the state, unacceptably low numbers of high school graduates who continue into and successfully complete higher education, and an unacceptably high need for remediation among those students who do continue into higher education.

In an effort to improve current conditions, the State Board will ensure that preschool through secondary education standards include standards in reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, geography, visual & performing arts, physical education, world languages, English language competency, economics, and civics. *For full list of grade 9-12 standards, see below. Individual assessment scores will not be used punitively against students. Rather, scores will be compounded to provide baseline for assessment of populations and regions. Review of assessment measures will begin in 2015 and take place every 6 years.
In addition to subject matter retention, assessment will require students to demonstrate “creativity and innovation skills; critical-thinking and problem-solving skills; communication and collaboration skills; social and cultural awareness; civic engagement; initiative and self-direction; flexibility; productivity and accountability; character and leadership; information technology application skills; and other skills critical to preparing students for the twenty-first-century workforce and for active citizenship; and ensure that the standards are comparable in scope, relevance, and rigor to the highest national and international standards that have been implemented successfully.”

I find it interesting after proposing the idea of college-endoresment diplomas in a previous blog entry, a variation on that theme exists in the CAP4K legislation:
notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, a student who graduates with a high school diploma that includes a postsecondary and workforce readiness endorsement based on criteria adopted by the state board and approved by the commission and the governing boards of the state institutions of higher education pursuant to section 22-7-1009, c.r.s., shall be guaranteed: to meet minimum academic qualifications for admission to, and to be eligible, subject to additional institutional review of other admission and placement qualifications, for placement into credit-bearing courses at, all open, modified open, or moderately selective public institutions of higher education in Colorado; and to receive priority consideration, in conjunction with additional admissions criteria, and to be eligible, subject to additional institutional review of other admission and placement qualifications, for placement into credit-bearing courses, at all other public institutions of higher education in Colorado.

CAP4K legislation may have passed in May of 2008, but we may have to wait until the first review of assessment in 2015 to begin to measure the efficacy of this budding effort.

*To be designated as postsecondary and workforce ready, secondary students shall demonstrate that the following content knowledge and learning and behavior skills have been achieved without the need for remedial instruction or training. This demonstration includes the completion of increasingly challenging, engaging, and coherent academic work and experiences, and the achievement of proficiency shown by a body of evidence including postsecondary and workforce readiness assessments and other relevant materials that document a student’s postsecondary and workforce readiness.

I. Content Knowledge
Literacy
Read fiction and non-fiction, understanding conclusions reached and points of view expressed
Write clearly and coherently for a variety of purposes and audiences
Use logic and rhetoric to analyze and critique ideas
Access and use primary and secondary sources to explain questions being researched
Employ standard English language properly and fluently in reading, writing, listening, and speaking

Mathematical Sciences
Think critically, analyze evidence, read graphs, understand logical arguments, detect logical fallacies, test conjectures, evaluate risks, and appreciate the role mathematics plays in the modern world, i.e., be quantitatively literate
Understand and apply algebraic and geometric concepts and techniques
Use concepts and techniques of probability and statistics
Apply knowledge of mathematics to problem solve, analyze issues, and make critical decisions that arise in everyday life.

Social Studies and Social Sciences
Identify and describe historical, social, cultural, political, geographical, and economic concepts
Interpret sources, and evaluate evidence and competing ideas
Build conceptual frameworks based on an understanding of themes and the overall flow of events
Understand how government works in the United States and in other countries, the varying roles individuals may play in society, and the nature of civic responsibility
Interpret information from a global and multicultural perspective

The Arts and Humanities
Understand and appreciate how the arts and humanities (expressions of culture and identity through language, movement, sound, and visual representation) contribute to and shape culture and our understanding of culture
Understand how the arts and literature are used as instruments of social and political thought
Identify leading innovators in the arts and humanities and the contributions they have made to their respective art forms

II. Learning and Behavior Skills

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Apply logical reasoning and analytical skills
Conduct research using acceptable research methods
Understand different research approaches
Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data and research
Evaluate the credibility and relevance of information, ideas, and arguments
Discern bias, pose questions, marshal evidence, and present solutions

Find and Use Information/Information Technology
Select, integrate, and apply appropriate technology to access and evaluate new information
Understand the ethical uses of information
Provide citations for resources

Creativity and Innovation
Demonstrate intellectual curiosity
Generate, evaluate, and implement new ideas and novel approaches
Develop new connections where none previously existed

Global and Cultural Awareness
Appreciate the arts, culture, and humanities
Interact effectively with and respect the diversity of different individuals, groups, and cultures
Recognize the interdependent nature of our world
Understand how communicating in another language can improve learning in other disciplines and expand professional, personal, and social opportunities

Civic Responsibility
Recognize the value of civic engagement and its role in a healthy democracy and civil society
Be involved in the community and participate in its political life
Balance personal freedom with the interests of a community

Work Ethic
Plan and prioritize goals
Manage time effectively
Take initiative, and follow through
Learn from instruction and criticism
Take responsibility for completion of work
Act with maturity, civility, and politeness
Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability

Personal Responsibility
Balance self-advocacy with the consideration of others
Possess financial literacy and awareness of consumer economics
Behave honestly and ethically
Take responsibility for actions
Understand the relevance of learning to postsecondary and workforce readiness
Demonstrate awareness of and evaluate career options
Attend to personal health and wellness

Communication
Read, write, listen and speak effectively
Construct clear, coherent, and persuasive arguments
Communicate and interact effectively with people who have different primary languages

Collaboration
Work effectively with others
Acknowledge authority and take direction
Cooperate for a common purpose
Use teamwork and leadership skills effectively

http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/cap4k/cap4k.html