What was the need?
Saddleback Valley Unified School District realized that, in order to operationalize a definition of holistic readiness for all students, they would need to align their efforts and resources around a common understanding of what it means for a student to become ready for college, career, and life.
What did Saddleback Valley do to address the need?
District leaders decided to strategically use the organizing framework of the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness (Four Keys) as a means to operationalize college and career readiness at all levels: district, school (elementary, middle, and high), and classroom. Over a three-year period, they are engaging in the following activities:
- Key district staff are mapping their existing work onto the Four Keys to identify the potential impact of current efforts and then are revising decisions, supports, and resources to make sure they are providing what is needed for students to learn all the skills needed to be college and career ready.
- All elementary and secondary leadership teams participated in two full-day sessions to develop a shared understanding of the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness framework and to inventory and map onto the Four Keys the resources and supports at their school, while at the same time identifying what they do for ALL students, SOME students, and FEW students.
- Teacher leaders throughout the district will also participate in two full-day sessions to develop a shared understanding of the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness framework and to inventory and map to the Four Keys the resources and supports provided in their classrooms, while at the same time identifying what they do for ALL students, SOME students, and FEW students.
How’s it working?
While Saddleback Valley is still in the beginning stages of this work, leadership teams from all their schools have now participated in framing their supports and resources at the school level around a more holistic definition of college and career readiness. All teams have also identified one or two initiatives they will prioritize in the coming year to better support all students in gaining the skills they need to be life ready in the 21st century.
