“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.”
President Abraham Lincoln
Preparation is imperative for success in any endeavor, whether the activity is chopping down a tree, taking a trip, or cooking dinner, and it is especially critical for those activities and events that have significant meaning for people and their futures. Success in college or a career is one such life experience that is dependent on sufficient preparation. What students learn in school and while they grow from children to young adults makes a world of difference in their ability to find employment directly out of high school or succeed in college and later find a job. While many pundits and policy makers are focused on outcomes in community colleges and higher education in general, higher education faculty know that inputs to the systems matter. In response to the quality of high school graduates, new emphasis in the nation has been placed on raising expectations and standards for students in K-12 with the adoption and implementation of the Common Core State Standards. California is part of a consortium of 46 states that has decided to voluntarily adopt new standards for students in K-12 that have an emphasis on college and career readiness, including assessment of that readiness. Higher education faculty in California should define college and career readiness, and community college faculty are positioned to have excellent contributions to the definition because of our career technical programs and emphasis on general education where students are initially exposed to college level work.
Unfortunately, faculty in higher education have been mostly absent from the development of standards of college and career readiness. Governors, legislators, and state boards of education across the country adopted the primary and secondary school standards and eagerly look forward to implementation of them with minimal, if any, contributions from college or university faculty. This fact is true for California as well. Given the speed at which the new K-12 standards will be implemented, the time is now to define college and career readiness and help K-12 partners successfully learn, teach, and assess what readiness looks like.
If someone asked you to describe the skills and habits that are expected for college or career success, what would you say? Without actually surveying
Key Content Knowledge (writing, simple research, core/GE subject area knowledge)
Key Cognitive Strategies (inquisitiveness, reasoning, intellectual openness, precision and accuracy)
Key Learning Skills and Techniques (self-control, note taking, time management)
Key Transition Knowledge and Skills (understanding college or work as a system, interpersonal and social skills, culture of college)
CSU faculty also agree that “a-g” courses prepare students for university level work. Yet, even UC and CSU faculty go beyond course taking behaviors, GPA, and AP credits. Both systems require students to write admissions essays where they learn of student motivation, interest, and determination to accomplish goals. Those students communicating high levels of commitment to education and perseverance toward goals are more likely to be admitted.
Another resource for higher education faculty to consider is the work done by Arthur L. Costa regarding habits of mind for effective participation in the workplace and beyond. Costa’s recommended habits of mind are popular today and can be used for college students and employees alike.
The 16 Habits of mind5
Persisting
Communicating with clarity and precision
Managing impulsivity
Gathering data through all senses
Listening with understanding and empathy
Creating, imagining, innovating
Thinking flexibly
Responding with wonderment and awe
Metacognition
Taking responsible risks
Striving for greater accuracy and precision
Finding humor
Questioning and problem posing
Thinking interdependently
Applying past knowledge to new situations
Remaining open to continuous learning
Explanation:
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