Creating Career PathwaysCreating Career Pathwaysfor a Flat Worldfor a Flat WorldBy Hans MeederBy Hans MeederPresented to the NTPN ConferencePresented to the NTPN ConferenceSeptember 2005September 2005

hansmeeder@comcast.nethansmeeder@comcast.net

Key Points for Discussion

• The Economic Imperatives The Economic Imperatives

• Key Dynamics in School ReformKey Dynamics in School Reform

• Perspectives and OpportunitiesPerspectives and Opportunities

Economic Imperative #1The Shifting Global Landscape

The World is FlatThe World is FlatA brief History of the 21st CenturyA brief History of the 21st Centuryby Thomas L. Friedmanby Thomas L. Friedman

Globalization • Version 1.0. 1492 (Columbus) - 1800.

– Key factors-- muscle, horsepower, windpower, steamower

– Agent of change -- Countries and governments

• Version 2.0. 1800 to 2000 – slowed by Great Depression and World Wars I and II– key factors: falling transportation costs, and later, by

falling telecommunications costs – telegraph, telephones, the PC, satellites, fiber-optic cable, and early version of the Internet.

Source: The World is Flat, Source: The World is Flat, A brief History of the 21st CenturyA brief History of the 21st Centuryby Thomas L. Friedmanby Thomas L. Friedman

Globalization

• Version 3.0. 2000 to present– Key factors-- power for individuals to collaborate

and compete globally. Software, applications, global fiber-optic network

– Agent of change -- Individuals, much more diverse --- non-Western, non-white

Source: The World is Flat, Source: The World is Flat, A brief History of the 21st CenturyA brief History of the 21st Centuryby Thomas L. Friedmanby Thomas L. Friedman

Friedman’s ten flattening forces

1. Fall of the Berlin WallThe events of November 9, 1989, tilted the worldwide balance of power toward democracies and free markets.

2. Netscape IPOThe August 9, 1995, offering sparked massive investment in fiber-optic cables.

3. Work flow software The rise of apps from PayPal to VPNs enabled faster, closer coordination among far-flung employees.

4. Open-sourcing Self-organizing communities, à la Linux, launched a collaborative revolution.

5. Outsourcing Migrating business functions to India saved money and a third world economy.

Source: The World is Flat, Source: The World is Flat, A brief History of the 21st CenturyA brief History of the 21st Centuryby Thomas L. Friedman & by Thomas L. Friedman & Wired Magazine, May 2005

Friedman’s ten flattening forces

6. Offshoring Contract manufacturing elevated China to economic prominence.

7. Supply-chaining Robust networks of suppliers, retailers, and customers increased business efficiency. See Wal-Mart.

8. Insourcing Logistics giants took control of customer supply chains, helping mom-and-pop shops go global. See UPS and FedEx.

9. In-forming Power searching allowed everyone to use the Internet as a "personal supply chain of knowledge." See Google.

10. Wireless Like "steroids," wireless technologies pumped up collaboration, making it mobile and personal.

Source: The World is Flat, Source: The World is Flat, A brief History of the 21st CenturyA brief History of the 21st Centuryby Thomas L. Friedman & by Thomas L. Friedman & Wired Magazine, May 2005

Percentage of population with a postsecondary credentialPercentage of population with a postsecondary credential

31

4043

51

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

U.S.Canada IrelandJapan Korea

55-64 45-54

35-44

25-34

Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2003

The International Education RaceThe International Education Race

+92%9.44.9India

+258%13.63.8China

+15%15.713.7U.S.

% Change20001990

Students Enrolled in PostsecondaryStudents Enrolled in Postsecondary(in thousands)

UNESCO, 2003

The International Education RaceThe International Education Race

Four Year Degrees?Four Year Degrees?

On average, workers with associate degrees earn less than those with bachelor’s degrees, but 83 percent of workers with associate degrees earn the same as workers with bachelor’s degrees.

Carnevale and Desrochers, Standards for What?, 2003.

High Growth, High Demand Careers (DOL)

• Advanced Manufacturing• Aerospace• Automotive• Biotechnology• Construction • Energy• Financial Services

• Global Information Systems (GIS)

• Healthcare• Hospitality• Information Technology• Retail• Transportation & Logistics

Economic Imperative #2The DemographicChallenge

Demand for a Skilled Workforce

Variable 1: 46 million baby boomers with some college, nearing retirement

Variable 2: 49 new workforce entrants with some college.

Variable 3: Net gain of 3 million in workforce with some college.

Variable 4: 15 million jobs by 2020 requiring college educated workers.

Variable 5: Net shortage of 12 million U.S. skilled workers by 2020.

Variable 6: Impact of “Flat World” ---digitization, offshoring, and outsourcing.

Source: Carvnevale and Desrochers, “The Missing Middle: Aligning Education and the Knowledge Economy”

Economic Imperative #3Indicators of an Outmoded Preparation System

The Changing U.S. WorkforceThe Changing U.S. Workforce

UnskilledUnskilled

60%60%

SkilledSkilled

20%20%

Professional

20%

SkilledSkilled

65%65%

UnskilledUnskilled

15%15%

Professional

20%

1950 1997

National Summit on 21st Century Skills for 21st Century Jobs

Fastest Growing Jobs Require Some Education Beyond High School

15

14

11

8

11

32

23

19

24

18

23

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Percent of Employment Growth

First-professional degree

Doctoral degree

Master's degree

Bachelor's or higher + work exp

Bachelor's degree

Associate degree

Work experience

Long-term OJT

Moderate-term OJT

Short-term OJT

Total

High School Achievment -- FLAT

African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Read at Same Levels as White 13 Year Olds

Source: Source: NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables (online)

0%

100%

150 200 250 300 350

White 8th Graders African American 12th Graders

Latino 12th Graders

An obsolete system?

“American high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I mean that our high schools, even when they are working exactly as designed, cannot teach our kids what they need to know today. Training the workforce of tomorrow with high schools of today is like trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50-year-old mainframe. It’s the wrong tool for the times.”

-- Bill Gates, Founder and Chairman, Microsoft Corp.

Belief in fixed intelligence and low expectations, racial and ethnic prejudices

Belief in a static economy and slow-changing workforce demands

Two Major Miscalculations from the old high school model

The Demand for High Expectations

American Diploma Project

“Successful preparation for both postsecondary education and employment requires learning the same rigorous English and mathematics content and skills. No longer do students planning to go to work after high school need a different and less rigorous curriculum than those planning to go to college.”

NGA Action Agenda, 2005

1. Restore value to the high school diploma Recommendations included aligning high school academic standards with college and workplace expectations, upgrading high school coursework, and creating college- and work-ready tests.

2. Redesign high schoolsRecommendations included reorganizing low-performing high schools first, expanding high school options in all communities and providing support to low-performing students.

3. Give high school students the excellent teachers and principals they need Recommendations included improving teacher knowledge and skills, providing incentives to recruit and keep teachers where they are needed most, and developing and supporting strong principal leadership.

4. Set goals, measure progress, and hold high schools and colleges accountableRecommendations included setting goals and measuring progress, strengthening high school and postsecondary accountability, and intervening in low-performing schools.

5. Streamline and improve education governanceRecommendations included creating a common K–12 and postsecondary agenda and improving coordination across the two sectors.

July 2005. 10 Honors Grant States Announced:Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Virginia

NGA Action Agenda, 2005

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas

American Diploma Project Network22 States as of September 2005

ADP Network Priorities

1. Raise high school standards to the level of what is actually required to succeed in college or in the workforce.

2. Require all students to take rigorous college and work-ready curriculum.

3. Develop tests of college and work readiness that all students will take in high school.

4. Hold high schools accountable for graduating all students ready for college and work, and hold colleges accountable for the success of the students they admit.

The National High School Alliance

Common Elements in H.S. Reform

• Rigorous curriculum (high expectations for all by offering a core curriculum)

• Relevance (career academies, experiential learning, thematically focused schools)

• Relationships (support for students)

Source: Monica Martinez, 2004, Institute for Educational Leadership Presentation: “Reviewing National High School Improvement Strategies, Models, Characteristics and Potential”

America's Most Successful High Schools - What Makes Them Workby Dr. Willard R. Daggett

• Focusing instruction around students' interests, learning styles, and aptitudes through a variety of small learning community approaches, most commonly academies.

• An unrelenting commitment by administrators and teachers to excellence for all students with a particular emphasis on literacy across the curriculum.

• A laser-like focus on data at the classroom level to make daily instructional decisions for individual students

• An extraordinary commitment of resources and attention to 9th grade students.

• A rigorous and relevant 12th grade year.

• High-quality curriculum and instruction that focuses on rigor, relevance, relationships, and reflective thought;

• Solid and dedicated leadership;

• Relationships driven by guiding principles;

• Sustained and supported professional development

America's Most Successful High Schools (cont’d)

Perspectives and Opportunities for Career Pathways

• Engage political and community leaders – Engage business and community partners by strengthening their

understanding of “Flat World” trends and the critical role of education in addressing U.S. competitiveness.

– Promote rigorous Career Pathways, particularly in engineering and science, as key to economic competitiveness.

– Get a seat at the table in high school reform discussions and K-16 efforts.

• Address the “Ambition Gap”– Help students gain global understanding of economic competition.– Require/encourage every student to engage in career development

activities, linking career opportunities with planning for college education and training.

– Give parents direct access to career awareness information.

Perspectives and Opportunities

• Re-align Program Expectations to Flat World realities– Create joint curriculum planning that involves secondary and

postsecondary faculty and business partners.– Ensure that programs align with industry standards and high

level academic standards.– Make college/work readiness the goal for every student.– Include global awareness and economics units in all career

strands and/or other academic programs.– Include entrepreneurship -- not as stand-alone program -- but

within every Career Pathway.

Perspectives and Opportunities

• How is the “Ambition-quotient” distributed among our students? – % who are internally motivated for achievement?

– % who are externally motivated to meet minimum expectations?

– % who are disengaged and not exerting effort?

• Who are the key influencers and idea people?– In the business sector, in the education system, in community

organizations?

– To what degree do these influencers understand the link between Flat World trends and education?

– To what extent do they see the value in career-themed education?

• What is one next step we can take in addressing the Ambition Gap and/or Engaging Community Influencers?

Discussion Questions

“I got you the iPod that I promised you, and for your convenience, I’ve welded it to the lawn mower.”

Creating Career PathwaysCreating Career Pathwaysfor a Flat Worldfor a Flat WorldBy Hans MeederBy Hans MeederPresented to the NTPN ConferencePresented to the NTPN ConferenceSeptember 2005September 2005

hansmeeder@comcast.nethansmeeder@comcast.net