“Knowledge that’s Worth More”
The Next Challenge:
Seeking Ways to Develop “Knowledge That Is Worth More”
Two Related New Efforts to Explore:
An International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate (IBCC) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) as Programming Options for Students.
Summary: Over the next several years the LISD will explore the feasibility of adding an International Baccalaureate Career Certificate (IBCC) to the existing Career Technical Education LISD TECH Center programs and expand Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programming options between local middle and high schools and the LISD TECH Center. The goal is to provide students with knowledge that is worth more in this increasingly completive world economy.
In an increasing competitive world in which students will be seeking successful long-term careers, it is important that students be provided with skills and experiences that continue to give them a strong competitive edge. When many traditional basic skills jobs are now out-sourced across the globe practically overnight, what will be the skills that can provide students with the ability to have successful careers in this rapidly changing economy? What are the sets of skills that will continue to best serve them as content and information grows and changes? This skill set can be described is as “Knowledge That Is Worth More”. During the next year the LISD will explore the following two ways to address this need.
An International Baccalaureate Career Certificate (IBCC): This is a new concept that is currently being piloted at 10 sites across the globe for the next two years. The LISD has been encouraged to explore the possibility of being in the second round of expanded sites beginning in 2010-11. It is called the International Baccalaureate Career related Certificate (IBCC). It combines for students an International Baccalaureate (IB) High School content experience with cutting edge Career Technical Education (CTE). The components of the IBCC build upon the CTE skills and content by adding a 2nd world language requirement, a theory of knowledge course, a community volunteer experience, and a reflective project based on the student’s CTE content focus.
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) – a partnership between middle/high schools and the LISD TECH Center: The PLTW program started formally 10 years ago in New York State using project based and teamwork experiences for student to better focus on increasing knowledge and skills in the areas of science and engineering. PLTW helps to make math and science relevant for students. Project Lead the Way has expanded across the country and Michigan has a PLTW coordinator. It is laddered across middle school, high school, and career technical education centers. Students are first introduced to PLTW project based experiences in middle school and when the program is fully implemented have up foundation courses, specialization courses and a capstone CTE course. This will require content and instructional coordination between a local district middle school, a high school and the LISD TECH Center. One way to explore and learn about this coordination effort is the develop PLWT pilot programs with up to 3 local districts and the LISD TECH Center.
Over the next year additional information will be gathered, assessed and an action plan, guidelines, and timelines developed so that in the near future students can truly have training and learning experiences the provide “Knowledge That Is Worth More”.
