Title: P16 Consortium
Topic: Multiple Topics
Program Start : January 2009
Program End : January 2019
In what can be defined as an innovative and bold move long overdue, WNY's educational leaders including but not limited to K-12 superintendents, curriculum developers, teachers, college presidents, chief academic officers, deans, chairs, professors, Erie I BOCES, the Board of Regents (Chancellor Emeritus Robert Bennett), and the Consortium leadership convened to discuss the alignment (or lack thereof) along the P-16 continuum. The goal is to fix the "leaks" along the P-16 pipeline which is critical to area school districts, colleges and universities who are looking to improve student performance and college and career readiness. Since the original Summit in October of 2011, a P-16 Steering Committee has been formed to discuss how to move forward over the next several years. Task forces have been created along three tracks, 1) Common Core Standards in Math, Science, and ELA; 2) Teacher Education Programs; and 3) P-12 and Higher Education Partnerships. Annual summits are planned to track progress and provide strategic insight and support to the work of the task forces. Clearly the feedback from all involved suggests a cautious optimism for working together on finding a collective solution that works for all stakeholders along the P-16 continuum.
The ultimate vision for this multi-year initiative is that we are all in this together. We are fortunate to have a strong representation of K-12, college, and university educators who are equally committed to "fixing the leaks" along the P-16 continuum. Through a spirit of strong collaboration and mutual respect, we all have high expectations for what our work can accomplish for WNY students, families, school districts, colleges, universities, employers, and the region as a whole.
The ultimate vision for this multi-year initiative is that we are all in this together. We are fortunate to have a strong representation of K-12, college, and university educators who are equally committed to "fixing the leaks" along the P-16 continuum. Through a spirit of strong collaboration and mutual respect, we all have high expectations for what our work can accomplish for WNY students, families, school districts, colleges, universities, employers, and the region as a whole.
P-12 Education/District Partner: All WNY P12 Districts
Department Contact Information P12, Lynn Fusco
Higher Education Partner: All WNY Colleges and Universities
Department Contact Information WNY Consortium of Higher Education, Steven Harvey
(716) 250-7500 ext. 259
Outcome 1
The Learning Standards (Common Core) Task Force strives to facilitate opportunities for P-12 and higher education to discuss, analyze, and identify today's educational goals. The Learning Standards (Common Core) task force will create an infrastructure for ongoing dialogue between secondary and post-secondary faculty, school counselors, college admissions staff and business professionals regarding what "college and career ready" means at different grade levels. Additionally, creating and/or better aligning various student outcomes, assessment principles, and mechanisms can be accomplished.
-Developing and incentivizing the work of faculty councils (with secondary and post-secondary instructors), which will subsequently interface with counselors, admissions staff and business professionals
-Encouraging college/university presidents and deans to commit to full participation, which will provide some of the incentive for post-secondary and then secondary school faculty to come into the process
-Creating a template or set of guiding principles for effectively building these elements into partnerships (in accord with the Partnerships task force). Articulating and advocating for how this infrastructure can mitigate against state and other accrediting bodies pre-defining standards and their assessment
Outcome 2
The Teacher Preparation task force is in the processes of developing measurable tactics to support their goals, while simultaneously focusing on sustainability.
-Continuing the dialog between P-12 schools and Institutions of Higher Education, surrounding relevant teacher preparation issues
-Promoting data-driven instruction and assessment by identifying best practices in P-12 and Institutions of Higher Education for training teachers
-Promote the professional assessment of teachers and teacher candidates through developing a mutual understanding of accountability measures (e.g., APPR and edTPA)
Outcome 3
The P-12 and Higher Education Partnerships task force is focused on defining and supporting the development of productive and sustainable relationships among P-12, Higher Education Institutions, Business, and Community-based organizations.
-Populating the P-16 Partnership Database with exemplars. Developing a marketing plan for the Partnership Database
-Identifying and defining criteria and guidelines for creation of successful partnerships among P-12, Higher Education, Business, and Community-Based Institutions and Organizations
-Identifying clear strategies to work with business, as well as the potential to foster the availability of internships as part of the working relationships
