Are U.S. schools being held accountable for the most important outcomes? Is AYP the best metric to measure school success, or more on point, do AYP assessments measure life success?
Do we have an obligation to educate the whole child or should we continue to put all our eggs in one basket in order to do well on statewide tests? What vision drives your school system? Does your school improvement plan go beyond your NECAP results? Are your high school seniors prepared for the 21st century? Will your freshman and sophomores give you their best efforts next year or have they already dropped out psychologically?

I encourage you to consider this ASCD advocacy statement that is part of the Whole Child initiative currently under review in congress:

“The 21st Century Imperative"

Most schools continue to use a model that was designed to prepare students for life in the middle of the 20th century. Ensuring students have a strong foundation in reading, writing, math, and other core subjects is as important as ever, yet these skills alone are insufficient for success in the 21st century. We know children must learn to think both critically and creatively, evaluate massive amounts of information, solve complex problems, and communicate well to meet the demands ahead of them. However, these are the same skills that will ensure we transform the conditions of learning today. This is the 21st century imperative”.

From its inception, the Whole Child Initiative has advocated for action at the local, state, and federal levels to advance a whole child approach to learning. Since Wednesday, whole child supporters have sent more than 300 letters to members of Congress asking for their support of the Secondary School Innovation Fund Act, introduced this month by 2008 Whole Child Leadership Award winners Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA). This legislation is closely aligned with the Whole Child Initiative, and ASCD helped craft the original version of the bill, known as the GRADUATES Act. This new legislation would provide competitive grants to middle and high schools and school districts to provide high-quality research and evaluation, expand the success of emerging models, and support successful strategies, including

• Multiple pathways to graduation, early college high schools and dual enrollment, and early warning intervention systems.
• Personalization, improved transitions and alignment, expanded learning time, postsecondary and work-based learning opportunities, and a rigorous curriculum aligned with postsecondary education and the workforce.

More than one million students drop out of high school each year, jeopardizing their futures and costing our economy billions of dollars in lost wages. This legislation will help stem the flow of high school dropouts by implementing scalable innovation that benefits all students.

This is provocative language for sure. It certainly begs the question, what are you and your colleagues doing to help prepare students for the 21st century? As you look forward to the next school year and start to make plans for the future what are you planning on doing to transform your high schools for the 21st century? What is your personal commitment to the Whole Child concept? What role can LAPDA play to help you step up to this daunting challenge? Please give us a call or send us an e-mail to let us know how we can help!