Education is Preparation
• Weymouth High School is doing an admirable job preparing our students for the MCAS and post secondary education.
• In a world that is changing faster than the technology that fuels it, is this enough?
• Is an educational system with its roots in the 19th century preparing our students for life in the 21st century?
In the workplace, too few of our students . . . • can make coherent oral presentations or
produce fluent written communication.• can solve complex problems using either
creativity or technology.• can work collaboratively. • understand the US in the context of global
affairs.
• have the motivation and work ethic needed for success.
Sources: Are They Really Ready to Work? 2006, Conference Board and P21Statement from Secretary Reville on 21st Century Skills Task Force Report
In the workplace, too few of our students . . . • can make coherent oral presentations or
produce fluent written communication.• can solve complex problems using either
creativity or technology.• can work collaboratively. • understand the US in the context of global
affairs.
• have the motivation and work ethic needed for success.
Sources: Are They Really Ready to Work? 2006, Conference Board and P21Statement from Secretary Reville on 21st Century Skills Task Force Report
If education is preparation, then we need to ensure our students have the 21st century skills they need for success.
If education is preparation, then we need to ensure our students have the 21st century skills they need for success.
If education is preparation, then we need to ensure our students are prepared for success today and tomorrow.
How do we DO that?
• How do we synthesize the research and define this catch-all term of 21st century skills?
• How do we embed those skills into the curriculum?
• How do we redesign an aging educational model to perpetuate this cultural change?
Design 21 is a faculty lead and staffed initiative to carry out a redesign of the high school’s curriculum and structure based upon
21st century skills.
Faculty Involvement
60 Faculty
Members
Addendum 1
Our Charge
• By the 2009-2010 school year
– Embed 21st century skills in the Core Academies
– Create the 10th Grade Academy
– Create the structure of the Career Academies
• By the 2010-2011 school year
– Embed 21st century skills across the curriculum
– Finalize the curriculum for the 11th grade Career Academy courses
• By the 2011-2012 school year
– Finalize the curriculum for the 12th grade Career Academy courses
Career Academies Timetable Spring 09
Essential Questions Tangible Outcomes
Determining Direction
March and April
Meeting 1:Full meeting with breakout sessions.
1. What 21st Century skills should 10th graders master upon exiting the core academies?
2. What 21st Century skills should all the Career Academies continue to develop?
3. What are the core 21st century skills at WHS?
1. WHS Expectations2. Rough draft of a WHS
Skill Progression Chart
Meeting 2 1. What sets your academy apart from the rest? 2. Which 21st century skills will your Career
Academy specifically develop?3. What is the mission of your academy?
1. Refinement of the WHS Skill Progression Chart
2. Rough draft of your Career Academy mission
Meeting 3 1. What careers connect to your academy? 2. How can WHS students meaningfully interact
with that career while in high school?
1. Preliminary selection of career pathways within your career academy
Learning From Others
April and May
Meeting 4 Research 1. Executive summaries of the best ideas and biggest problems unearthed by your research
2. Selection of Career Pathways3. Proposal for the academy
structure and policies at WHS
Meeting 5 Research
Meeting 6 Research
Building the Academies
May & June
Meeting 7Full meeting with breakout
sessions.
1. Does the Leadership Team’s amalgamation of the proposals work?
1. Initial proposal to the full Faculty for the academy structure and policies at WHS.
Meeting 8 1. Are we being true to the direction we charted in March?2. What is your Design Team’s timetable for the remaining
work?
1. Design Team action plan for Fall 09
Addendum 2
Design 21 Guiding Principle
Design 21 will embed core 21st century skills across the curriculum to prepare students for post-secondary education, career, and active citizenship
Addendum 3
Core 21st Century Skills
What are Career Academies?
• Smaller learning communities which will tie an interdisciplinary curriculum to real world opportunities and community service.
• They are a grouping of students with similar career/post secondary interests.
• They provide a recommended course of study for the student.
Graduation Requirements Space in a Student'sSchedule
Weymouth High School
What are Career Academies?
Graduation Requirements Space in a Student'sSchedule
Weymouth High School
Cohesion, Direction and Skills
Math and Science
Academy
21s
t Ce
ntu
ry
Sk
ills
Current WHS Structure
12th Grade
11th Grade
10th Grade
9th Grade AcademyCTEAcademy
CTEAcademy
CTEAcademy
CTEAcademy
Proposed WHS Structure
10th Grade Academy
9th Grade AcademyCTE
Academy
Fine ArtsAcademy
Global LanguagesAcademy
HumanitiesAcademy
Math &Science
Academy
CTEAcademy
CTEAcademy
Business &Entrepreneurial
Academy
Artist Rendering:Humanities Academy
Proposed Pathways• Communication/Journalism• Education• Psychology/Social Work• Politics/Public Service• Law/Criminal Justice• Liberal Arts
Proposed Requirements (5 credits) (In addition to WHS Graduation Requirements)• 1.5 credits in ELA and 2.5 in Social Studies• Humanities Academy Capstone Course (.5 credits)• Internship/Community Service Course (.5 credits)
Graduation Requirements Space in a Student'sSchedule
Weymouth High School
Law and Criminal Justice Pathway:Sample Schedule
11th Grade Semester 1 Semester 2
Period 1 English III (Currently British literature)
Period 2 U.S. History II
Period 3 Math (Algebra II)
Period 4 Science
Period 5 PE Writing Lab Unified Arts
Period 6 ***
Period 7 Legal Studies I Legal Studies II
12th Grade Semester 1 Semester 2
Period 1 Theories of Violence in American Culture
Literature of the Utopias
Period 2 PE Writing Lab Unified Arts
Period 3 Psychology Sociology
Period 4 Semantics Public Speaking
Period 5 **
Period 6 Civic and Cultural Literacy I Comedy
Period 7 Capstone Project Internship / Community Service
Education:Sample Schedule
11th Grade Semester 1 Semester 2
Period 1 English III
Period 2 US II
Period 3 Math
Period 4 Anatomy and Physiology
Period 5 PE ** Unified Arts
Period 6 ** **
Period 7 Civic and Cultural Literacy I Civic and Cultural Literacy II
12th Grade Semester 1 Semester 2
Period 1 Public Speaking Children’s Literature
Period 2 PE ** Basic Web Design
Period 3 Psychology Sociology
Period 4 Theories of Violence in American Culture
World Religions
Period 5 (Sign Language I or II) (Sign Language I or II)
Period 6 Literature of Diversity Semantics
Period 7 Capstone Research Project Community Service Learning
Imagine . . .
• a student receiving coherent sequential skill instruction across the curriculum for four years.
• that skill instruction is geared to ensure the student’s success today and tomorrow.
• a curriculum which builds upon our strength as a high school (our course offerings) and creates Career Academies.
• a student in a Career Academy who can tie of his/her classes into a coherent course of study with real world application opportunities in the form of internships/community service.
Realize . . .
• a student receiving coherent sequential skill instruction across the curriculum for four years.
• that skill instruction is geared to ensure the student’s success today and tomorrow.
• a curriculum which builds upon our strength as a high school (our course offerings) and creates Career Academies.
• a student in a Career Academy who can tie of his/her classes into a coherent course of study with real world application opportunities in the form of internships/community service.
Design 21
With your continued support, we can put Weymouth at the very forefront of those schools leading the charge of innovation across the nation.
Design 21
With your continued support, we can prepare students to lead the charge of innovation across our nation.