Communications

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Communications Outreach Workshop Goals

• The college- and career-ready agenda requires
  strong leadership, vision and sustained effort
  over an extended period.
• The college- and career- ready agenda can and
  should provide the frame around all education
  reform efforts
• The goal of todays workshop is to provide
  states with the tools, resources and advice
  needed to design and implement a communications
  and outreach strategy to support the college- and
  career-ready policy agenda in your state.

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About the American Diploma Project

• Achieve currently is working with 35 states
  through the American Diploma Project Network to
  design and implement policies that aim to close
  the expectations gap. These states have all
  committed to
• Aligning high school standards with the demands
  of college and careers.
• Requiring students to take a college- and
  career-ready curriculum to earn a high school
  diploma.
• Building college-and career-ready measures into
  statewide high school assessment systems.
• Developing reporting and accountability systems
  that promote college and career readiness.

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What does College- and Career-Ready Mean?

• College today means much more than just pursuing
  a four- year degree at a university. Being
  college ready means being prepared for any
  postsecondary education or training experience,
  including study at two- and four-year
  institutions leading to a postsecondary
  credential (i.e. a certificate, license,
  Associates or Bachelors degree).
• Being ready for college means that a high school
  graduate has the English and mathematics
  knowledge and skills necessary to qualify for and
  succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing college
  courses without the need for remedial coursework.

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What does College- and Career-Ready Mean?

• In todays economy, a career is not just a job.
  A career provides a family-sustaining wage and
  pathways to advancement which increasingly
  requires postsecondary education and/or
  training. Few careers are now available those
  with only a high school diploma or less.
• Being ready for a career means that a high school
  graduate has the English and mathematics
  knowledge and skills needed to qualify for and
  succeed in the postsecondary job education and/or
  training necessary for their chosen career (i.e.
  technical/ vocational program, community college,
  apprenticeship or significant on-the-job
  training).

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Achieves Communications Support

• Communications and outreach are critical to the
  adoption, implementation and sustainability of
  the college- and career-ready agenda
• Achieves communications support to date
• Achieve Communications Advisory Group
• Development of Taking Root Communicating the
  College- and Career-Ready Agenda
• Website update www.achieve.org/communicationstool
  s
• Follow-up to todays workshopidentify and
  collect state plans

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State Survey ResultsTop Issues/Barriers to
Success

• Poor Economy/Budget Restraints
• Lack of focus/Lack of internal communications and
  data and information sharing
• Culture that doesnt support college and career
  readiness for all
• Part of this is being able to convince opponents
  that college-ready does equal career-ready and
  part of it is about having a clear definition of
  college and career readiness
• Ineffective case-making and communications
• How to structure/communicate about
  student/teacher supports
• Lack of access to solid national/state/local
  research and data about college and career
  readiness
• Mathematics continues to be a sticking point
• How to communicate about Common State Standards
  Initiative

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State Survey Results Top Issues/Areas of Need

• Developing a shared, comprehensive communications
  plan for internal and external supporters
• Highest yield with the lowest cost
• Other ADP network states examples and strategies
• Messaging
• Making complex policy decisions accessible to a
  broader audience (i.e. explaining graduation
  requirements, anchor assessments)
• Using research and data to support policy and
  effective messaging
• Outreach
• How to reach the masses as well as targeted
  audiences
• How to engage the media
• Tips for coalition building/wrangling

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Audience Mapping Awareness/Support Index
The audience map template was created by
CommunicationWorks, LLC and is used with their
permission
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