Blueprint developed to improve Model Academic Standards
From the Department of Public Instruction
| The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts, and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change. 21st Century Skills Leadership States include: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia. |
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State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster received final recommendations for revising and
then implementing Model Academic Standards in English language arts and mathematics Wednesday
during the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Best Practices Forum held in Madison (June 11-12, 2008).
The recommendations represent the work of leadership and design teams made up of educators,
legislators, parents, and business representatives who examined academic standards with an eye for
increasing the rigor and relevance of what students should know and be able to do in English language
arts and mathematics. Wisconsin’s unique effort sought critique and guidance from two national groups
to ensure that the standards revisions align with workplace and postsecondary expectations. The
Partnership for 21st Century Skills—comprised of 37 members, including technology, media, and other
companies plus education organizations—focuses on infusing broad learning, thinking, and life skills
across all subject areas. The American Diploma Project of Achieve Inc., created by the nation’s governors
and business leaders, assists states in aligning their high school standards with national expectations.
“It is time for Wisconsin to revisit the model academic standards for English language arts and
mathematics it adopted 10 years ago,” Burmaster said. “These recommendations provide a blueprint for
making revisions to our standards that will improve the transition of our students from high school to
postsecondary education, work, and citizenship.”
Revisions to Wisconsin’s standards will target higher achievement by students. For mathematics,
the recommendations call for encouraging students to study mathematics continuously through 12th grade
and identifying core concepts requiring students’ deeper understanding. For English language arts, the
recommendations call for broader use of technology to access, evaluate, and present information while
improving students’ skills at analysis and written and oral communication.
In addition to revising Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards in English language arts and
mathematics, the recommendations call for
- Identifying essential standards for classroom instruction and assessment, and
developing grade-level expectations; - Integrating 21st century skills and cross-curricular connections among disciplines;
- Aligning assessments with standards and developing a meaningful system of
accountability that is comprehensive, varied, and authentic; - Facilitating high school students’ transition to postsecondary, credit-bearing
coursework; - Providing professional development and creating a portal of resources for
teachers and those planning curriculum; and - Involving postsecondary teacher education and content faculty with PK-12
educators in exploring the implications of revised standards.
“We started this project by listening to the business community, asking for input on the skills
they would like to see in tomorrow’s workforce. The combination of American Diploma Project and
Partnership for 21st Century Skills viewpoints for this review of our current standards helped us examine
the sequence and depth of content of our standards as well as the real-world application of that content,”
Burmaster noted. “Our goal is to increase the rigor and relevance of education for our students to pave
the way for their success in our increasingly interconnected world.”
Posted June 12, 2008