Dive Brief:

• Dr. Genevra Walters, superintendent of Illinois' Kankakee School District, found success implementing a college and career readiness mindset and Common Core-aligned curriculum for all students from K-8.
• Students at the school also experience a “career wheel,” which exposes different grades to new career options every year, allowing them to learn which areas they’re most interested in.
• A curriculum supplement called Defined STEM is also utilized to help with general ed (referred to as “college and career”) and the career wheel, on top of the execution of “four hands-on, cross-curricular projects to further experience what it takes to work in a specific career,” Walters wrote in eSchool News.

Dive Insight:

Despite the spreading trend of rejecting Common Core, Walters says the standards have helped. Walters says she started the program after noticing a significant achievement gap between gen ed students and those identified as gifted and talented. Her approach avoids a sole focus on STEM, however. By giving students options through the career wheel, kids are encouraged to think broadly about what they like to do as well as what they’re good at.

Hands-on learning is key, Walters says. “The format changes the students’ mindset: They learn to think like an engineer, designer, doctor, or whatever position is relevant to the task,” she wrote. “The hands-on projects also allow students to explore career options they may have never thought of.”