The Pathway to True Readiness Lies in Student-Centered Learning
For centuries, the world has looked upon Boston as an intellectual hub where quality education opens doors to promising futures for young people across our economy and society. Recently, The City of Boston — in partnership with the Boston Opportunity Agenda — lived up to that reputation by announcing a College, Career and Life Readiness Initiative to ensure that students have the knowledge, skills and experiences needed for success after graduating high school.
This Initiative, which creates a common definition of readiness and sets the metrics to help track young people’s progress, addresses an urgent issue facing public education. At the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, we estimate that roughly little over half of Massachusetts high school students graduate ready for college and career — despite a statewide graduation rate of 87.5 percent. Many students must take remedial courses that cost money, but provide no credit toward graduation, before they can even begin college-level work.
Establishing a shared understanding of readiness is a crucial step toward solving this problem. Now we face another question as we sufficiently prepare students for the future: how do we get there? A good way to start is by rethinking outdated teaching and learning practices and considering how we can better equip young people for today’s workforce. In a traditional school system, we sit students in rows where they listen to lectures and take tests as if they were moving onto a 1900s assembly line instead of a 21st century society. So it’s no surprise that when these students get to college, they’re unprepared.
Innovative approaches known as student-centered learning rethink how, when and where education happens, presenting a pathway to readiness that Boston schools should consider. Instead of taking notes during lectures, students use class time for interactive projects and thoughtful discourse. They aren’t restricted to the classroom, as young people complete internships for credit and work with community leaders to insert their voices into the school decision-making process. Rather than enduring a set amount of seat time, students move ahead after demonstrating that they fully understand content.
If Boston wants to retain its standing as an educational leader, we must transform learning from an antiquated model to one that lays better groundwork for future success. The good news is that there are models across the city that have been addressing this problem.
A great example of this approach in action is the Diploma Plus program at Charlestown High School, which allows students to advance after mastering content while teachers guide them through personalized instruction. If students fail a course, they do not need to repeat it entirely. Students spend time on material they did not yet master while moving ahead in other areas. Since its launch, dozens of Charlestown Diploma Plus students — many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds — have graduated or earned their GED and are enrolled in college because of this experience.
Another school embracing student-centered learning is Roxbury’s Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA) where students move through curriculum at their own pace, typically after failing in traditional public school settings. Some are close to graduation, but others have significant coursework to complete, enrolling with fourth or fifth grade reading and math skills. BDEA discovered that a traditional grading approach would not meet the needs of its students, and have emphasized proficiency to help students complete their GEDs, attend college, and have one of the lowest suspension rates in the state.
Boston can build upon these innovations and scale them with collaboration at every level of the district, along with proactive engagement of families and students. Most importantly, we must fully support those on whom success of this endeavor depends most — our educators.
As we continue to work toward a more prosperous and equitable future for all of our children, we applaud the City’s leadership to put readiness at the forefront of these efforts. Now that we have a common understanding of what it takes to fully prepare students for college, career and life, we must act to transform education to better serve future generations. Student-centered learning presents a pathway to readiness that is well worth taking so that all students can thrive in the educational hub we all know Boston to be.
Nick Donohue is the president & CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization in New England focused exclusively on education.
