1 new 1ech neLwork !

une 17, 2013

!"#$%#$& (#& )$* !"#$%#$& +,)--
.

!"#$ &$ !'(( )#*+ $, -."'+/+ 0,((+1+ #23 0#4++4 5+#3'2+66 7,4 -((

1he lncreased focus on college and career readlness, comblned wlLh Lhe complexlLy of Lhe challenges assoclaLed wlLh Lhe
Loplc, have led Lo a rapldly expandlng college and career readlness communlLy, rlch wlLh resources yeL repleLe wlLh confuslon."

- naLlonal Plgh School CenLer
l


1he real lssue ls wheLher a declslon of Lhls naLure should be lefL solely or prlmarlly Lo Lhe sLudenLs ln Lhe flrsL place and
wheLher Lhe adulLs really know enough abouL sLudenL poLenLlal and capablllLles Lo make such cholces."

- uavld Conley
ll


A decade ago, few people menLloned College and Career 8eadlness, Loday, lL pops up everywhere. lL ls, dare l say,
an educaLlonal buzzword. 8uzzwords Lend Lo llve ln a dangerous space LhaL lnvlLes one of Lwo exLreme reacLlons
from educaLors - uncrlLlcal alleglance or unwarranLed cynlclsm. unforLunaLely, boLh reacLlons dlmlnlsh Lhe
meanlng and slgnlflcance of Lhe ldea.
College and career readlness has a very speclflc meanlng ln Lhe new 1ech neLwork (n1n). WhaL n1n means when
we say college and career readlness ls LhaL every graduaLe of a new 1ech school leaves #8#4+, +('1'9(+, and
:4+:#4+3 Lo pursue posL-secondary educaLlon or Lralnlng. Powever, wheLher or noL Lhe goal of college and career
readlness for all sLudenLs ls ;+#2'217<( flows from Lhe way we seL abouL Lhe work of achlevlng LhaL goal, noL lLs
deflnlLlon.
As parL of Lhe new 1ech neLwork you wlll have many opporLunlLles Lo learn abouL all of Lhe deLalls around college
and career readlness and how Lhe new 1ech model allgns wlLh LhaL end. Powever, Lhe goal of Lhls arLlcle ls noL Lo
deLall Lhe research behlnd Lhe ldea or auLhorlLaLlvely deflne lL. My alm ls Lo arLlculaLe some foundaLlonal ldeas
LhaL lnform how we (Lhe new 1ech neLwork) go abouL Lhe work. My focus ls on whaL lL wlll Lake Lo achleve college
and career readlness for each of our sLudenLs.
8efore we can geL Lo LhaL, we need Lo acknowledge Lwo Lhlngs abouL Lhe goal of college and career readlness for
all.
llrsL, '$ '6 #2 #<3#.',<6 1,#(. 1he Amerlcan hlgh school was noL orlglnally deslgned Lo educaLe all sLudenLs Lo Lhls
level. ?eL, Lhe maln reason for lLs audaclLy ls LhaL lL has never been accompllshed before. AL Lhls momenL, lL ls an
asplraLlonal goal more Lhan an operaLlonal one. 8efore Loo much pesslmlsm creeps ln, remember LhaL we pursue
blg goals because Lhey are worLhy of our besL energy and aLLenLlon, noL because we already know how Lo achleve
Lhem.
Second, '$ '6 #."'+/#9(+. Whlle accompllshlng lL wlll requlre an ongolng efforL Lo re-lmaglne Leachlng and learnlng,
lL ls lmporLanL Lo remember LhaL hlgh school graduaLlon, college enLrance, and college perslsLence raLes for new
1ech schools ouLpace naLlonal averages by a slgnlflcanL margln.
lll
We (Lhe enLlre neLwork, lncludlng you) already
know an lmmense amounL abouL how Lo engage sLudenLs and creaLe schools where deep learnlng occurs. College
and career readlness for every sLudenL ln Lhe new 1ech neLwork ls wlLhln our collecLlve reach.

1
Many Lhanks go Lo my colleagues 8lck Lear, !ulla Lesley, urew Schrader, and Lrlca Snyder for Lhelr slgnlflcanL conLrlbuLlons Lo
Lhls essay.
2 new 1ech neLwork !une 17, 2013

1haL does noL mean lL wlll be easy. Achlevlng college and career readlness for all sLudenLs wlll requlre more from
us Lhan updaLlng Lhe mlsslon sLaLemenL on a webslLe. lL wlll requlre more Lhan slmply lmplemenLlng a program
someone else has devlsed. WheLher or noL we achleve Lhe goal of college and career readlness for all ls drlven as
much by our (Lhe adulLs) capaclLy Lo learn as lL ls by Lhe capaclLles of our sLudenLs. 1herefore, we wlll have Lo geL
serlous abouL learnlng, organlzlng all of our work around lL. 1o Lhls end Lhere are Lhree Lhlngs you musL do.
AdopL a CrowLh MlndseL
Lngage ln AdapLlve Leadershlp
8ecome a Learnlng CrganlzaLlon

=4,8$" >'236+$
Pow many of you have ever LhoughL someLhlng llke Lhe followlng abouL a sLudenL?
!ose ls smarL enough, he [usL needs Lo learn how Lo sLudy.
lf !ane would [usL do her homework.
lf AnLolne would [usL pay aLLenLlon and Lake noLes ln class.

Cne of our maln sLraLegles ln schools for helplng sLruggllng sLudenLs ls Lo Lry and geL Lhem Lo behave llke klds who
are already successful ln school. lf we could [usL geL Lhem Lo slL quleLly, pay aLLenLlon, Lake noLes, ralse Lhelr hand
when Lhey have a quesLlon, do Lhelr homework, sLudy for LesLs, eLc., we are sure Lhey could do [usL as well as Lhelr
already successful classmaLes. So we seL abouL Lrylng Lo Leach all of Lhe skllls assoclaLed wlLh organlzlng a blnder,
Laklng noLes, sLudylng for LesLs and so on. Powever, recenL and compelllng psychologlcal research calls Lhls
sLraLegy lnLo quesLlon. SLudy skllls and learnlng skllls are lnerL unLll powered by an acLlve lngredlenL.lf you LargeL
LhaL bellef you can see more beneflL Lhan you have any reason Lo hope for."
lv


WhaL ls LhaL bellef? LnLer Carol uweck and mlndseL. Per research demonsLraLes LhaL Lhe blggesL deLermlnanL of
our capaclLy for learnlng and growLh may be our own mlndseL. uweck asserLs LhaL Lhere are Lwo baslc mlndseLs -
Lhe flxed mlndseL and Lhe growLh mlndseL.

1he flxed mlndseL ls one LhaL vlrLually all of us have encounLered aL some polnL. 1he baslc bellef LhaL anlmaLes Lhe
flxed mlndseL ls LhaL our ablllLles are flxed - elLher you are or you are noL. LlLher you are good aL muslc or you
aren'L. LlLher you are good aL maLh or you aren'L. LlLher you are smarL or you aren'L. And lf !ose belleves he ls
noL smarL, Lhere ls really no polnL ln sLudylng anyway. A flxed mlndseL ls Lhe provlnce of lnnaLe LalenL and llmlLed
poLenLlal. 1hus, Lhe flxed mlndseL llmlLs learnlng and growLh because lL prompLs us Lo avold any sorL of challenge
LhaL mlghL reveal our own percelved lack of ablllLy.

AlLernaLlvely, Lhe growLh mlndseL ls Lhe baslc bellef LhaL your baslc quallLles are Lhlngs you can culLlvaLe Lhrough
your efforLs."
v
Muslc or maLh or lnLelllgence are noL Lhlngs aL whlch you are slmply good or bad - Lhey are all
Lhlngs where one's capaclLy can develop subsLanLlally Lhrough lnLenLlonal efforL, sLudy, and pracLlce. 1he growLh
mlndseL makes you crave challenge and see fallure as an opporLunlLy for new learnlng and growLh. Powever,
wheLher or noL one lnvesLs Lhe efforL ls dlcLaLed by bellef, noL sklll.

1be most Jtomotlc ptoof comes ftom o.stoJy by uweck ooJ llso 5otlcb 8lockwell of low?#."'+/'21
6+/+2$" 14#3+46@ -(( 6$<3+2$6 :#4$'.':#$+3 '2 6+66',26 ,2 6$<3A 6*'((6B $"+ 94#'2 #23 $"+ ('*+C '2 #33'$',2B ,2+
14,<: #$$+23+3 # 2+<$4#( 6+66',2 ,2 ;+;,4A 8"'(+ $"+ ,$"+4 (+#42+3 $"#$ '2$+(('1+2.+B ('*+ # ;<6.(+B
14,86 6$4,21+4 $"4,<1" +D+4.'6+@ )4#'2'21 6$<3+2$6 $, #3,:$ # 14,8$" ;'23?6+$ #9,<$ '2$+(('1+2.+ "#3 #
.#$#(A$'. +77+.$ ,2 ;,$'/#$',2 #23 ;#$" 14#3+6C 6$<3+2$6 '2 $"+ .,2$4,( 14,<: 6",8+3 2, ';:4,/+;+2$
3+6:'$+ #(( $"+ ,$"+4 '2$+4/+2$',26@
/'


3 new 1ech neLwork !une 17, 2013

ln shorL, uweck's research has a parLlcularly lnsplrlng lesson for us as educaLors who are worklng Lo Lake Lhe
challenge of college and career readlness serlously - "<;#2 .#:#.'$A '6 ;,4+ ;#((+#9(+ $"#2 8+ +/+4 3#4+3 34+#;.
1he research on growLh mlndseL also comes wlLh a cauLlonary Lale - ,<4 :,$+2$'#(B '23'/'3<#((A #23 .,((+.$'/+(AB '6
#(#4;'21(A +#6A $, <23+4;'2+. lL Lakes no coordlnaLed efforL. lL Lakes no consplracy. All lL requlres ls a lack of
bellef LhaL we can learn, grow, and lmprove. 1haL one bellef - Lhe flxed mlndseL - has such a profound lnfluence
on all of our subsequenL behavlor LhaL our acLual poLenLlal becomes lrrelevanL and unfulfllled. 1eachlng !ose Lo
sLudy wlll never maLLer unLll he belleves LhaL hls poLenLlal ls noL someLhlng LhaL llmlLs hlm, lL ls someLhlng LhaL he
can acLually change.

1hls research ls noL only abouL our sLudenLs. 1he ldea of mlndseL ls every blL as relevanL for adulLs. lf you have a
flxed mlndseL abouL whaL your sLudenLs mlghL be able Lo accompllsh - or your own ablllLy Lo change your pracLlce
- lL has already lmpacLed Lhe way you engaged learnlng abouL new 1ech neLwork, pro[ecL-based learnlng, and
college and career readlness (or anyLhlng else for LhaL maLLer).

-3#:$'/+ E+#3+46"':

ln hls work on leadershlp and change, 8on PelfeLz makes an lmporLanL dlsLlncLlon beLween Lwo Lypes of challenges
- Lechnlcal versus adapLlve.
vll
1echnlcal problems requlre learnlng new skllls and can be exLremely complex, buL
Lhe knowledge requlred Lo solve Lhe problem already exlsLs. lor example, as a young woman my wlfe needed
hearL surgery Lo correcL a serlous arrhyLhmla. Whlle Lhe procedure was very complex and requlred a hlgh degree
of sklll, a proven procedure for Lhe surgery already exlsLed.

When lndlvlduals and organlzaLlons confronL an adapLlve challenge, Lhey face a dllemma where Lhe capaclLy Lo
solve lL does noL presenLly exlsL. ConsequenLly, confronLlng adapLlve challenges requlres experlmenLaLlon and
acLlve problem-solvlng, noL [usL Lralnlng around exlsLlng soluLlons. AdapLlve challenges requlre LhaL we generaLe
Lhe knowledge Lo solve Lhe problem whlle worklng on lL.

1he goal of college and career readlness (CC8) for all sLudenLs represenLs [usL such a challenge. Whlle many
organlzaLlons around Lhe counLry are worklng on lssues relaLed Lo college and career readlness, no one has flgured
ouL how Lo rellably achleve such ouLcomes for all sLudenLs. 1here ls no esLabllshed, proven reclpe for achlevlng
LhaL end. Pence, pursulng CC8 demands LhaL we lmplemenL pracLlces and Lools LhaL have demonsLraLed promlse
whlle slmulLaneously worklng Lo generaLe new soluLlons LhaL wlll furLher narrow Lhe gap beLween our asplraLlons
and our reallLy.

AdapLlve challenges also force us Lo reconslder our values and prlorlLles ln relaLlon Lo our work, lndlvldually and
organlzaLlonally. As we experlmenL wlLh and explore new posslblllLles, we lnevlLably bump up agalnsL Lhe
assumpLlons and values of Lhe currenL sysLem. lf we allow Lhose assumpLlons and values Lo go unquesLloned we
qulckly fall back lnLo exlsLlng norms, paLLerns and rouLlnes around Lhe work of Leachlng and learnlng. 1hls ls whaL
happens when a school dlsLrlcL lnvesLs large sums of money ln Lralnlng around a new lnsLrucLlonal lnlLlaLlve only Lo
see llLLle or no change ln Leachlng pracLlce or sLudenL learnlng. 1hey LreaLed an adapLlve challenge as lf lL were a
Lechnlcal problem. AdapLlve challenges can only be addressed Lhrough changes ln people's prlorlLles, bellefs,
values, and loyalLles."
vlll


MosL of Lhe lmporLanL challenges we face come wlLh boLh Lechnlcal and adapLlve elemenLs. Accordlngly, we musL
be able Lo recognlze adapLlve challenges and subsequenLly do Lhe adapLlve work. 1haL work requlres a wllllngness
Lo engage ln Lough conversaLlons LhaL cuL rlghL Lo Lhe hearL of our bellefs abouL Leachlng, learnlng, sLudenLs, and
schools. lew among us volunLeer for opporLunlLles Lo lnLerrogaLe our values. lor Lhls reason, adapLlve leadershlp
- Lhe pracLlce of moblllzlng people Lo Lackle adapLlve challenges and Lhrlve - ls a requlremenL for Lhe [ourney
Lowards college and career readlness.

4 new 1ech neLwork !une 17, 2013

F+.,;'21 # E+#42'21 G41#2'H#$',2
I


AdapLlve challenges always requlre some Lrlal and error Lype of experlmenLaLlon because Lhey lack exlsLlng
soluLlons and we presenLly lack Lhe capaclLy Lo solve Lhose challenges. lf Lhe goal of college and career readlness
for all represenLs an adapLlve challenge, achlevlng lL wlll requlre creaLlng knowledge and soluLlons LhaL do noL
presenLly exlsL. lf we are Lo achleve Lhe goal of college and career readlness for all, schools musL become places
capable of generaLlng knowledge, noL merely dlssemlnaLlng lL. 1hey musL become learnlng organlzaLlons.

eLer Senge deflnes learnlng organlzaLlons as places LhaL .conLlnually expand Lhelr capaclLy Lo creaLe Lhe resulLs
Lhey Lruly deslre."
lx
1hls deflnlLlon lmplles and assumes Lhe lmporLance of a growLh mlndseL. Powever, Lhe
research on growLh mlndseL focuses on Lhe learnlng and growLh of lndlvlduals. 8ecomlng a learnlng organlzaLlon ls
abouL Lhe capaclLy of Lhe school Lo learn and perform collecLlvely.

lndlvldual learnlng ls undoubLedly lmporLanL. A school where every lndlvldual on Lhe sLaff cares deeply abouL
learnlng and acLlvely pursues lL ls a conslderable asseL as we chase down Lhe goal of college and career readlness.
Powever, lndlvldual learnlng and performance do noL necessarlly LranslaLe lnLo beLLer organlzaLlonal performance.
lL ls enLlrely posslble and dlsappolnLlngly common Lo have a medlocre school full of good Leachers.

1o become a learnlng organlzaLlon, we musL fashlon Lhe work of schools ln such a way LhaL lL enables collecLlve
learnlng ln pursulL of a common purpose. When done well, every lnLeracLlon, every pracLlce, and every sLrucLure
ln Lhe school ls organlzed around learnlng (noL accounLablllLy). Schools LhaL are learnlng organlzaLlons have Lhe
capaclLy Lo learn Lhelr way ouL of problems Lhey dld noL anLlclpaLe, conLlnuously achlevlng Lhe sLudenL ouLcomes
Lhey care abouL ln Lhe mldsL of Lrylng and volaLlle clrcumsLances. A learnlng organlzaLlon ls a place where people
are conLlnually dlscoverlng how Lhey creaLe Lhelr reallLy. And how Lhey can change lL."
x


CperaLlng as a learnlng organlzaLlon asks LhaL we lndlvldually and collecLlvely adopL a growLh mlndseL and a
wllllngness Lo engage ln adapLlve work. 1he learnlng organlzaLlon concepL slmulLaneously reveals Lhe llmlLs of our
lndlvldual capaclLles and lllumlnaLes Lhe necesslLy of serlous collaboraLlon ln schools. lL goes sLralghL Lo Lhe core of
how your school funcLlons and performs as a Leam. WheLher we llke lL or noL, our faLe ls bound up wlLh Lhe
person ln Lhe classroom nexL Lo us. We need Lo acknowledge, noL avold, LhaL reallLy ln Lhe way we seL abouL
organlzlng Lhe work of Leachlng and learnlng.

ulLlmaLely, Lhe ablllLy of your school and our neLwork Lo become learnlng organlzaLlons - places LhaL conLlnually
lncrease Lhelr capaclLy Lo achleve Lhe ouLcomes we care abouL - wlll deLermlne wheLher or noL we achleve college
and career readlness for all of our sLudenLs.
5+?&;#1'2'21 )+#."'21 #23 E+#42'21

l have Lrled Lo ouLllne some of Lhe ldeas and dlsposlLlons LhaL new 1ech neLwork belleves are necessary Lo be a
successful neLwork school, sLrlvlng for college and career readlness wlLh lLs sLudenLs. AL Lhls Llme l wanL Lo draw
your aLLenLlon Lo Lhe lasL word ln our name - J+$8,4*. 1haL word has lmporLanL lmpllcaLlons for whaL lL means Lo
be a new 1ech school.

lf you have spenL any Llme on our webslLe, vlslLed one of our schools, or aLLended one of our evenLs, you have
probably encounLered Lhe phrase 8e-lmaglnlng 1eachlng and Learnlng." Cur Lag llne ls wrlLLen ln Lhe presenL
Lense. 1haL ls noL an accldenL.

2
n1n has a learnlng organlzaLlon framework Lo help you Lhlnk abouL how Lo operaLlonallze Lhe ldea ln your school. ?ou wlll
encounLer and learn abouL Lhe deLalls of LhaL framework Lhrough varlous conversaLlons and evenLs ln Lhe new 1ech neLwork.
Powever, Lhe goal of Lhls secLlon ls slmply Lo esLabllsh Lhe lmporLance of Lhe ldea ln relaLlon Lo Lhe goal of college and career
readlness.
3 new 1ech neLwork !une 17, 2013

8elng a parL of Lhe new 1ech neLwork ls abouL more Lhan lmplemenLlng Lhe model. lease do noL mlsundersLand:
Lhe model ls lncredlbly lmporLanL. lL represenLs Lhe besL Lhlnklng and pracLlces of our enLlre neLwork wlLh regard
Lo how we can achleve college and career readlness for all of our sLudenLs. 8uL keep ln mlnd LhaL some aspecLs of
our model LhaL you wlll learn abouL were aL one Llme slmply good ldeas LhaL came from good people Lrylng Lo
solve a problem ln one of our schools - emerglng pracLlces, ln oLher words. Cur model conLlnuously evolves Lo
reflecL Lhe besL learnlng and Lhlnklng happenlng across all of our schools. 1hls ls how we llve ouL our bellefs
around havlng a growLh mlndseL, pracLlclng adapLlve leadershlp, and belng a learnlng organlzaLlon.

8e-lmaglnlng Leachlng and learnlng ls more Lhan [usL a nlce slogan - lL ls a moral lmperaLlve LhaL flows from belng
a neLwork commlLLed Lo college and career readlness for all sLudenLs. 8ecomlng a parL of Lhe new 1ech neLwork
represenLs your accepLance of an lnvlLaLlon Lo parLlclpaLe ln Lhe re-lmaglnlng of Leachlng and learnlng.

)"'2*'21 K;#((

AL n1n, Lhlnklng abouL blg goals and blg ldeas ls Lled lnLlmaLely Lo Lhlnklng small. AdmlLLedly, l love blg ldeas and
Lhe conversaLlons Lhey generaLe. l also know LhaL Lhey can be off-puLLlng for some. AdapLlve leadershlp" and
learnlng organlzaLlon" can sound llke Lerms LhaL mlghL show up on one of Lhose mlsslon posLers ouLslde Lhe maln
offlce LhaL everyone lgnores. College and career readlness can sound llke an asserLlon LhaL everyone has Lo go Lo
Parvard Lo have a meanlngful llfe.

l am sympaLheLlc Lo Lhose concerns, parLlcularly Lhe laLLer. My moLher, a anamanlan lmmlgranL, never
compleLed Lhe Lhlrd grade. lor a subsLanLlal porLlon of my llfe she worked aL Mcuonald's, happlly greeLlng people
and refllllng Lhelr coffee ln Lhe dlnlng room. l know she had a meanlngful llfe, my slsLer and l are Lhe evldence. l
also know LhaL she Look LhaL [ob because lL was Lhe only work avallable Lo a person wlLh her educaLlon ln our
communlLy.

AL lLs core, college and career readlness ls noL abouL blg ldeas and blg goals. lL ls abouL Lhlnklng small. lL ls abouL
Lhe lndlvlduals whose llves are alLered by Lhe schools we creaLe. lL ls abouL recognlzlng LhaL Lhe cholces we make
as adulLs and educaLors work Lo llmlL or expand Lhe opLlons avallable Lo Lhe sLudenLs we care abouL. lL ls a
commlLmenL Lo maklng sure LhaL our schools are noL places LhaL arLlflclally or premaLurely Lake opLlons way from
young people. AfLer all, chooslng from Lhe only opLlon avallable Lo you ls noL acLually maklng a cholce. lL ls slmply
acqulesclng Lo reallLy.

uo all klds need Lo go Lo college? CerLalnly noL. 8uL LhaL cholce should noL be up Lo you or me. Cur [ob ls noL Lo
make LhaL declslon for Lhem. Cur [ob ls Lo develop Lhelr capaclLles, empowerlng Lhem Lo make Lhe declslon for
Lhemselves.

-!lm May













6 new 1ech neLwork !une 17, 2013

LndnoLes

l
What is college and career readiness? (2013). From http://www.betterhighschools.org/CCR/overview.asp
ii
Conley, D. T. (2010). College and career readiness: Helping all students succeed beyond high school. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
iii
Student outcomes report 2013: Re-imagining teaching and learning. (2013). Napa, CA: New Tech Network.

iv
Krakovsky, M. (2007). The Effort Effect. Stanford Magazine, (March/April 2007). Retrieved from
http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=32124
v
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.
vi
Krakovsky, M. (2007). The Effort Effect. Stanford Magazine, (March/April 2007). Retrieved from
http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=32124
vii
Heifetz, R. A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press.
viii
Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your
organization and the world. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
ix
Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday.
x
Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday.