April 2020 Accelerate Magazine

APRIL 2020 MAGAZINE For the second consecutive year, the Waukesha County Center for Growth collectedWorkforce Readiness Dashboards from school districts throughout the county. In 2018, the Waukesha County Center for Growth and the Waukesha County Business Alliance developed the dashboards to measure students in three categories: college, career and life readiness. The dashboards provide a broader perspective to the current tool used by the state of Wisconsin, which focuses on standardized test scores as a measurement of students' preparedness for college. While still important, those indicators aren’t necessarily representative of all the skills a high school student may need to be successful after high school. Mark Hansen, Superintendent of Elmbrook School District, who agrees with the enhanced measurement tool said, "We applaud the Waukesha County Center for Growth and the Waukesha County Business Alliance for redefining college, career and life readiness and bringing a group of leaders from business, education, and public policy together to help define what we measure and what we treasure.” In its second year, nine public school districts in Waukesha County submitted their dashboards. These dashboards showcase college readiness skills that can be used to predict student success in a two- or four-year college program. Career skills which can measure the percentage of students who had access to and took advantage of opportunities that connected classroom learning with a student’s interests and career aspirations. Lastly, the life skills metrics help evaluate a student’s growth mindset, perseverance to achieve goals, self-reliance and connection to a community. The dashboards were developed by a committee, made up of educators, business leaders, public officials and nonprofit and community leaders. “The primary beneficiaries of the Workforce Readiness Dashboards are parents and students,”Tom Fotsch, COO of EmbedTek commented. “Far too many students are being steered into a four-year college education when they are not ready or committed to the resulting career. These dashboards highlight school districts that are providing their students with broader experiences enabling the student to make better informed career choices.” Waukesha County businesses are benefiting as well. These indicators give businesses an understanding of how education is responding to the needs of the business to support tomorrow's workforce, today. In addition, students will enter the workforce with a more informed perspective on the opportunities their career provides and the various paths they can take to get there. Each school district’s dashboard for the previous full academic year will be published on the Waukesha County Center for Growth’s website at the beginning of each calendar year. • SHOWCASING COLLEGE, CAREER AND LIFE READINESS SKILLS TIM CASEY Director of Economic Development, Waukesha County Center for Growth 27