Readiness
Metrics
National Redefining Ready
Ensuring that all graduates are career, college, and life ready is both a tremendous responsibility and an immense opportunity for public schools. Traditionally, readiness has been measured via standardized test scores but standardized tests are limited to the core subject areas and therefore do not alone assess the true potential of students. Today’s educators across all subjects areas are preparing students for careers that do not exist, developing student potential in critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration. Accurately measuring students by a single test score is simply not possible.
Redefining Ready! is a national initiative launched by the AASA (The School Superintendents Association) to introduce research-based metrics to more appropriately assess that students are college, career, and life ready. Schools provide students with rigorous academic programs, personalized and career-specific learning experiences, along with social and emotional skills that prepare them to be global citizens in an ever-changing world. The new readiness indicators more accurately reflect the educational landscape of the 21st century, and because students learn in a variety of ways, they should be able to demonstrate their readiness in a variety of ways.
College Readiness Metrics
Students are College Ready if they meet either the academic indicators OR standardized testing benchmarks listed below. Click here to download a summary of the indicators.
Academic Indicators
GPA 2.8 out of 4.0 and one or more of the following academic indicators:
◻ Advanced Placement Exam (3+)
◻ Advanced Placement Course (A, B or C)
◻ Dual Credit College English and/or Math (A, B or C)
◻ College Developmental/Remedial English and/or Math (A, B or C)
◻ Algebra II (A, B or C)
◻ International Baccalaureate Exam (4+)
Standardized Testing Benchmarks (minimum score)
◻ SAT Exam: Math (530) | Reading and Writing (480)
◻ ACT Exam: English (18) | Reading (22) | Science (23) | Math (22)
◻ College Readiness Placement Assessment (determined by post-secondary institution)
Additional Factors that Contribute to College Success
Earning As, Bs, Cs; FAFSA Completion; Enrollment in career pathway course sequence; College Academic Advising; Participation in College Bound Bridge Programs; Senior year math class; Completion of a math class after Algebra II
Career Readiness Metrics
Students are Career Ready if they have identified a career interest and meet two of the behavioral and experiential benchmarks listed below. In addition, students entering the military upon graduation must meet the passing scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for each branch of the military. Click here to download a summary of the indicators.
Career Cluster Identified and two or more of the following benchmarks:
◻ 90% Attendance
◻ 25 hours of Community Service
◻ Workplace Learning Experience
◻ Industry Credential
◻ Dual Credit Career Pathway Course
◻ Two or more organized Co-Curricular activities
Life Ready Metrics
Being LIFE READY means students leave high school with the grit and perseverance to tackle and achieve their goals by demonstrating personal actualization skills of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision making, and relationship skills.
Students who are LIFE READY possess the growth mindset that empowers them to approach their future with confidence, to dream big, and to achieve big.
Our nation’s schools provide social and emotional support and experiences to equip students with life skills to succeed in the present and in the future.
While little research exists in the LIFE READY realm, AASA, and the Redefining Ready! campaign are currently studying how to best measure these life ready skills.
Research Behind the Readiness Indicators
Below you will find slide decks on the work being done around Redefining Readiness in the state of Wisconsin. Our work has focused on readiness metrics based on research for student readiness at each level; elementary, middle, and high school.
