Curriculum Standards Should Align College and Work Expectation

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Recommended: Current trends in college readiness

Introduction

The low percentage of high school students, who successfully transition to college without requiring developmental courses, supports the rationale for action research on K through 12 curriculum development ability to produce college ready students. The Pennsylvania Common Core clearly notes that curriculum standards should align college and work expectation. Unfortunately, the inability to meet the demands continue at the forefront. As a result, I chose to approach this research from Problem Based Learning Theory (PBL). PBL focuses on the investigation and resolution of messy, real-world problems – Curriculum Development (http://www.learning-theories.com/problem-based-learning-pbl.html). Comparison data from the K through 12 and Community College serves as guiding questions establishing what is missing from helping students meet academic demands.

Through interviews and research, supporting data was gathered from Northeastern School District’s Superintendent Shawn Minnich, Ed.D, who provided the current state of curriculum development for Northeastern School District (NESD). In addition, Kelley Engle, Ph.D., Campus Associate Dean - Curriculum Developer for Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) addressed the college’s assessment needs and programs in place. Respectively, both parties outline the curriculum’s current challenges and ever evolving changing paradigm to meet workforce demands.

Conversations

The initial guiding question from the Curriculum Needs assessment required administrators to answer the following: Does their district have a curriculum coordinator in charge? In response, “The assistant superintendent and I split the duties of overseeing the curriculum. The district had an Assistant Supe...

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... 2014 from http://www.pdesas.org/ Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2013). Accommodations Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.whsd.org/uploaded/documents/district/profdev/2014_Accommodations_Guidelines.pdf

Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2008). Accommodations and Adaptations for Students with Disabilities in an Inclusive Setting and Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners Program Guide. Retrieved from http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/chapter_49/8627/program_framework_guidelines/683300

Problem Base Learning Theory. Retrieved 2014 from http://www.learning-theories.com/problem-based-learning-pbl.html)

Resmovits, Joy. (2014, April 30). John Kline Takes Arne Duncan To Task Over Special Education Funding. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/29/john-kline-takes-arne-dun_n_5234387.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

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