“Prepare Students to be College and career Ready” is a measurable student achievement, quality goal for school districts. This district-level goal is often cascaded and measured across schools in a district with goals such as:
Increase percent on track to graduate all students from… to…
Increase composite percent of sophomores meeting college readiness standard on PSAT from… to…
Increase percentage of students proficient in math and reading in grades… from… to…
But, what does “college and career ready” mean for communities? It moves communities toward being “work ready.” Work Ready Communities commit to making their county, state, and region more competitive, closing the skills gap between individuals/workers and company needs by “providing a community-based framework” that:
Links workforce development to education
Aligns with the economic development needs of communities, regions and states
Matches individuals to jobs based on skill levels
When school districts focus on “college and career ready” goals, communities may find great success at being “work ready.” We saw this recently when Missouri Governor Nixon visited Clinton Technical School in the Clinton School District to help celebrate Henry County becoming the 13th county in Missouri to achieve Work Ready Community status.
Clinton Technical School (CTS) played a huge role in the accomplishment by participating in the National Career Ready Certificate assessments last spring. Over 98% of CTS students earned certification. Below, one CTS student, Grady Gatzmeyer, from Montrose School District, was recognized by Governor Nixon for earning Platinum Level on the National Career Readiness Certification assessment. Only 1% of students in Missouri participating in NCRC achieve Platinum Level.
During his visit to Clinton School District, Governor Nixon shared about the important role of education in economic development through the development of a quality workforce. By participating in Work Ready Communities initiative, Clinton School District and other “educators help close the skills gap by using tools integrated into career pathways with stackable industry-recognized credentials” (website).
Truly, last Friday was “A great day to be a Cardinal!” Join us in congratulating Dr. Craig Eaton, Superintendent; Mr. Jake Fowler, Director of CTS; and teachers, staff, and students in the Clinton School District along with partners throughout Clinton and Henry County for being designated a Work Ready Community by Governor Nixon.
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Photos and text focused on Clinton School District adapted from the district, as shared via the district’s Facebook page. Special thanks to Superintendent Dr. Craig Eaton for sharing about the governor’s visit to the district and recognizing his colleagues and students across the district for this achievement.
Visit the Work Ready Communities website for more information.
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Filed under: How to Lead…, Our Partners, Who’s Engaged? Tagged: #edtech, Clinton School District (MO), College and Career Ready, Dr. Craig Eaton, How to Lead, Quality, Student Achievement, Work Ready Community 
