Skills for the Future Pilot Launches in NC
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is proud to announce the official launch of Skills for the Future: Implementing NC’s Portrait of a Graduate to Cultivate and Measure Durable Skills for Student Success in Work and Society, a pioneering initiative designed in partnership with Battelle for Kids/ AASA, ETS and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to help students master the essential skills they need to thrive beyond high school. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education through the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program, this multi-year effort marks a significant step toward modernizing assessments and aligning instruction with North Carolina’s Portrait of a Graduate (PoG).
 |
|
State Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green shares video celebrating the launch of the Skills for the Future Pilot. |
Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mooresville Graded School District, Edgecombe County Public Schools, and Caldwell County Schools Kickoff Cohort 1
Throughout September, 84 educators from these partner districts joined together for professional development sessions to kick off the start of Cohort 1 in their districts.
Classroom Educators, School Support Staff, and School and District leaders participated in professional development led by Battelle for Kids / AASA, ETS, and NCDPI. Educators learned how they could use the Portrait of a Graduate materials to support building the skill of collaboration with high school students.
Participants explored the ETS Mastery Transcript Consortium Platform designed for NC which allows students to upload artifacts demonstrating their durable skill development with both in-school and out of school activities. Educators provide feedback for students on how to continue improving through the platform. One goal of the initiative is to pilot a Future Ready Transcript which will show durable skill development to support student's post secondary plans.
A Caldwell County Schools Educator shared what they liked the most from the kickoff event:
"(I liked) all of the different resources and the opportunity to collaborate. It’s kind of exciting to be on the ground floor of
this project! Looking forward to working with our leadership on developing NC’s Portrait of a Graduate."
 |
|
Educator Spotlight - Emily Phillips from Mooresville Graded School District
There are so many great examples of educators returning from the Kickoff Events inspired to begin implementing intentional durable skill activities with their students.
Emily Phillips took the Portrait of a Graduate Performance Task "Inspiring Awareness- Teen Issue PSA" and with the help of a PLC member, broke it into smaller activities they completed with their English IV students. This is one of several free resources available to support durable skill implementation on the NCDPI Portrait of a Graduate Website.
Emily shared, "I've been modifying the assignments slightly to manage the pacing and submission. Rather than give my students the workbook, I am assigning specific tasks for them to complete each day and submit through Canvas. Ultimately, after the PSA project, I want to create a template to use to adapt other assignments I've used in the past to fit this framework.”
After completing the project, Emily invited colleagues to come and view the presentations. There were many teachers and staff members who took time to come and see the presentations and give the students feedback! Join us in celebrating Emily's great work!
|
Futures CoLab brings together Educators, Parents/Caregivers, and Community/Business Partners
The Futures CoLab, an interactive conversation about how durable skill development can be supported by the broader school community, was led by Battelle for Kids / AASA as part of each Kickoff event. 148 Key stakeholders joined in these powerful conversations which led to some inspirational moments.
Community building is one of the goals of the pilot, helping districts expand their Community Partnerships with ongoing networking events. When key stakeholders come together to discuss supporting students as they grow their durable skills for post-secondary opportunities, students benefit from a comprehensive network of support both in and out of school.
At the Edgecombe County Public Schools' Futures CoLab a community partner shared their excitement that the Skills for the Future Pilot will be:
"...teaching them durable skills and teaching them how to communicate and how to prepare for realistic jobs. We have to teach them that there are other options and we're preparing you for that."
NCDPI Skills for the Future Website
|
