Launch of Taking Root: Strategies for Sustaining the College- and

Career-Ready Agenda

September 11, 2009

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The Sustainability ChallengeThe Sustainability Challenge

Little question that sustainability is a common challenge: Turnover of leading, elected advocates

Competing priorities

Lack of implementation planning

Sustaining the college- and career-ready agenda presents some unique challenges: Pressure intensifies once policies go into place that raise expectations for all

students – and therefore their teachers and schools

The agenda really requires a shift in culture to one that acknowledges that all students will need to meet higher expectations to be successful and that all students can meet those expectations

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Sustainability More Important Sustainability More Important Than EverThan Ever

Many states have made progress on adopting many of the college- and career-ready policies and are now turning their attention to implementation

New opportunities afforded through Race to the Top funds

By 2010, governors in 28 out of the 35 ADPN states will face reelection or will be termed out.

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Taking Root: Strategies for Taking Root: Strategies for Sustaining the College- and Sustaining the College- and Career-Ready AgendaCareer-Ready Agenda

To help states tackle these challenges and with the support of the GE Foundation, Achieve set out to uncover strategies and practices that would enable sustainable education reform – and specifically the college- and career-ready agenda.

Started by reviewing the existing research base

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Four Case Studies into Sustainable Four Case Studies into Sustainable State Education Reform State Education Reform

Indiana’s Core 40 Reforms Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 South Carolina’s Education Improvement Act

of 1984 Texas’ Standards-Based Reforms These four states were selected because

they had successfully sustained their education reforms for a decade or more.

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Taking Root: Strategies for Taking Root: Strategies for Sustaining the College- and Career-Sustaining the College- and Career-Ready AgendaReady Agenda

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Ten Strategies for Sustaining the Ten Strategies for Sustaining the College- and Career-Ready AgendaCollege- and Career-Ready Agenda

Strong and Consistent Political and Education Leadership

External Champions Pushing for Change

A Coalition of Supporters

An Open and Transparent Policy Process

Strategic Communications and Outreach

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Ten Strategies for Sustaining the Ten Strategies for Sustaining the College- and Career-Ready AgendaCollege- and Career-Ready Agenda

Investment in Implementation and Capacity-Building

Monitoring Progress and Making Mid-Course Corrections

Well-Integrated Policies that Promote P-20 Alignment

Highly Functional Quasi-Governmental Entities

Data Collection and Use

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Sustainability AuditSustainability Audit

Tool developed to help states analyze their strength on seven indicators that are strongly associated with sustainable reform.

The goal of the tool is to provide states with a a set of guiding questions and sample responses that are illustrative of strong or limited conditions in each of the seven areas.

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Sustainability AuditSustainability Audit

Breadth of Government Leadership

Intensity of Government Leadership

Strength of External Support

Level of Policy Integration

Strength of Implementation

Strength of Communications/Outreach Efforts

Favorability of Climate

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Secretary Paul Reville: Massachusetts’ Secretary Paul Reville: Massachusetts’ Lessons for Sustaining the College- Lessons for Sustaining the College- and Career-Ready Agendaand Career-Ready Agenda

Launch of Taking Root: Strategies for Sustaining the College- and

Career-Ready Agenda

September 11, 2009