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Assessing college and career readiness through the Senior Project program

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Assessing college and career readiness through the Senior Project program

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ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
1

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
THROUGH
THE
SENIOR
PROJECT

PROGRAM

by

Jeni
Akiko
Nishimura

A
Dissertation
Presented
to
the

FACULTY
OF
THE
USC
ROSSIER
SCHOOL
OF
EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY
OF
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA

In
Partial
Fulfillment
of
the

Requirements
for
the
Degree

DOCTOR
OF
EDUCATION

August
2014

Copyright
2014

Jeni
Akiko
Nishimura

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
2

Acknowledgements

The
past
three
years
has
been
a
journey
filled
with
challenges
and
triumphs
and
I

have
learned
so
much
along
the
way.

It
has
been
an
honor
to
be
able
to
participate
in
such

a
prestigious
academic
environment
and
learn
amongst
such
esteemed
colleagues.

This

experience
allowed
me
an
opportunity
to
grow
as
an
individual
and
as
an
educator
and
I

am
grateful
for
all
of
the
experiences
and
friendships
made
over
the
last
three
years.

To
my

great
fortune,
I
have
been
surrounded
by
educators,
colleagues,
family
and
friends
who

have
supported
and
encouraged
me
throughout
this
endeavor.

I
hope
to
acknowledge
and

honor
those
who
have
contributed
to
this
incredible
milestone
in
my
life.

I
first
met
Dr.
John
Pascarella
at
the
beginning
of
my
three
year
journey
and
I

remember
being
impressed
that
USC
had
such
a
young
professor
as
part
of
their
staff.

After

three
years
of
communication,
an
APRISE
trip
to
Thailand,
and
a
dissertation,
I
am
forever

grateful
for
the
mentorship
and
guidance
you
provided.

Thank
you
for
your
flexibility,

accessibility,
and
constant
support
throughout
this
process.

I
know
we
have
had
few
in-‐
depth
conversations,
but
you
have
helped
me
become
a
better
researcher
and
you
have

helped
me
to
view
the
world
through
a
variety
of
lenses
in
order
to
obtain
a
better

understanding
of
the
environment
I
am
a
part
of
and
for
that,
I
am
truly
appreciative.

I
am
also
grateful
for
the
guidance
and
expertise
of
Dr.
Melora
Sundt
and
Dr.

Brandon
Martinez,
both
of
which
served
as
my
dissertation
committee
members.

Dr.

Sundt,
I
am
incredibly
thankful
to
have
had
the
opportunity
to
be
a
student
in
your
class.

Your
engaging
lectures
and
thought
provoking
commentary
during
that
first
semester
set

the
tone
for
the
next
three
years.

Thank
you
for
challenging
me
to
view
the
world
through

a
different
lens
and
pushing
me
to
be
a
better
educator.

Dr.
Martinez,
you
introduced
me
to

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
3

the
world
of
blended
learning
and
it
has
truly
changed
my
life.

Thank
you
for
guiding
me

through
the
research
process
and
constantly
opening
doors
to
different
educational

environments.

I
will
be
forever
grateful
to
you
for
expanding
my
classroom
beyond
the

four
walls
to
a
world
where
learning
is
not
restricted
by
time
and
space.

Throughout
all
my
years
of
schooling,
my
family
has
been
my
foundation,
support,

and
source
of
encouragement.

Mom
and
Dad:
Thank
you
for
always
encouraging
me
to

pursue
my
dreams
and
attain
my
goals;
no
matter
how
ambitious
they
may
be.

Because
of

you,
I
have
learned
what
it
means
to
be
dedicated
and
goal-‐oriented.

Every
milestone
in

my
life
has
happened
because
of
the
two
of
you
and
I
have
always
crossed
the
finish
line

with
both
of
you
at
my
side.

I
am
so
lucky
to
have
you
both
as
my
parents
and
I
look

forward
to
all
of
the
milestones
that
have
yet
to
come.

To
my
family:

All
of
you
have
been

my
source
of
inspiration
and
encouragement
throughout
this
process.

I
will
walk
across

that
stage
with
all
of
you
in
my
heart.

You
have
helped
me
celebrate
every
accomplishment

and
pushed
me
through
every
obstacle.

Thank
you
Kelsi
Holck
for
always
being
there
when

I
need
you.

From
childhood
to
adulthood,
we
have
experienced
so
much!

A
special
thank

you
to
my
grammy
(Akiyo
Matsuyama),
a
truly
inspirational
woman
who
has
taught
me
to

focus
on
my
goals
and
work
hard
everyday.

At
this
moment,
I
would
like
to
acknowledge

my
grandparents:
Richard
Nishimura,
Matsue
Nishimura,
and
Toshio
Matsuyama
who

would
have
been
so
proud
to
see
me
graduate
with
my
doctoral
degree
and
whose
wisdom

I
follow
every
day.

These
past
three
years
would
not
have
been
possible
without
the
support
and

encouragement
of
my
dear
friends
and
colleagues.

Thank
you
Fred
Murphy,
Sean

Takashima,
Shaina
Kubota,
and
Sharilyn
Pang
for
all
of
your
support
during
this
process.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
4

There
were
times
when
I
thought
I
wouldn’t
make
it
through
the
year,
but
your
help
and

encouragement
pushed
me
through
every
challenge.

You
are
my
heroes!

Lailanie

Richmond,
it
is
difficult
to
put
into
words
how
grateful
I
am
for
your
friendship.

You
bring

light
and
laughter
wherever
you
go
and
I
would
not
have
been
able
to
do
this
without
you.

I
am
grateful
for
your
friendship
every
day.

Thank
you
for
always
shining
light
into
the

darkness
and
reminding
me
to
look
at
the
positives.

Finally,
I
would
like
to
thank
Kurt

Miyahira
who
has
become
my
biggest
fan
and
greatest
supporter.

Life
is
not
the
breaths

you
take,
but
the
moments
that
take
your
breath
away.

I
look
forward
to
every
moment

that
is
yet
to
come
for
us.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
5

Table
of
Contents

Acknowledgements

2

List
of
Tables

9

Abstract

10

Chapter
One:
Overview
of
the
Study

11

Background
of
the
Problem

13

Senior
Project
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

17

Statement
of
the
Problem

20

Purpose
of
the
Study

22

Methodology

23

Limitations

24

Delimitations

26

Importance
of
the
Study

27

Definition
of
Terms

27

Chapter
Two:
A
Review
of
the
Literature

30

College
and
Career
Readiness
in
Secondary
Education

33

Current
Definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

36

College
and
Career
Readiness
in
Hawaii

39

Summary

42

Project-‐based
Learning
and
the
Senior
Project

43

The
Role
of
Project-‐Based
Learning
and
the
Senior
Project

46

Project-‐Based
Learning
and
the
Senior
Project
in
Hawaii

48

Summary

49

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
6

The
effectiveness
of
Blended
Learning
Environments

50

Blended
Learning
Environments
in
Hawaii

53

Summary

58

Conceptual
Framework

60

Figure
2.1:
Presentation
of
Conceptual
Framework

60

Individual
Perceptions

61

Individual
School
Elements

62

Individual
School
Elements:
Project-‐based
Learning

63

Individual
School
Elements:
Blended
Learning
Environments

64

Individual
School
Elements:
The
Development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
Skills

65

School
Practices:
Promoting
a
School
Culture
of
Critical
Thinking
and

Building
College
and
Career
Readiness

66

Desired
School
Outcome:
College
and
Career
Ready
Graduates

66

Conclusion

67

Chapter
Three:

Methodology

68

Research
Design

69

Site
Selection
Criteria

72

Participant
Selection

73

Data
Collection

74

Interviews

75

Documentation

77

Case
Study
Data
Analysis

78

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
7

Validity
and
Reliability

80

Chapter
Four:
Results

82

Case
Study:
Lailanie
High
School

86

Individual
Perceptions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College

and
Career
Readiness
Skills

89

Individual
Perceptions
–
College
and
Career
Readiness

91

Students
Need
both
Basic
and
Practical
Knowledge
and
Experiences

92

Definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
Skills
and
Practices
that

Must
be
Applied
by
the
Students

95

Inidividuals
Will
at
Least
be
Exposed
to
Readiness
Skills
by
the

Time
they
Graduate
from
High
School

97

Individual
Perceptions
–
College
and
Career
Readiness
Skills

100

Time
Management

103

Communication

104

Self-‐Directed
Learning

105

Discussion:

Individual
Perceptions

107

Individual
School
Elements:
Project-‐Based
Learning

108

The
Senior
Project
Supports
the
Development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness

111

Demonstrating
CCR
Skills
through
Project-‐Based
Learning
is

Important

116

Individual
School
Elements:
Blended
Learning
Environments

118

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
8

Technology
Supports
the
Development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness

120

Blended
Learning
Environments
are
Necessary
in
Developing

CCR
skills

122

Discussion:
Individual
School
Elements

124

School
Practice:
Critical
Thinking
and
College
and
Career

Readiness

126

Chapter
Four
Summary

129

Chapter
Five:
Discussion

131

Summary
of
Findings

132

Implications
for
Practice

133

Recommendations
for
the
Research
Community

136

Conclusion

137

References

139

Appendix
A:
State
of
Hawaii
–
Department
of
Education
General
Learner

Outcomes
(GLO)

151

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
9

List
of
Tables

Table
1.1:
American
Society
for
Training
and
Development
(ASTD)
Skills

32

Table
1.2:
Applied
Skills
for
Four-‐Year
College
Graduates
in
Rank
Order

32

Table
4.1:
“Soft”
Interpersonal
skills
listed
as
necessary
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills

as
identified
by
Community
Members,
Educators,
and
recent
high
school

Graduates

102

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
10

Abstract

This
study
provides
an
in-‐depth
review
of
individual
perceptions
of
College
and

Career
Readiness,
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
and
the
effectiveness
of
Project-‐
based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
College
and

Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students.

The
purpose
of
this
study
was
to
further
define

College
and
Career
Readiness
and
describe
identified
skills
and
to
determine
if
current

programs,
like
the
Senior
Project,
are
successful.

The
purpose
is
also
to
look
at
how
the
use

of
blended
learning
environments
are
supporting
or
impeding
the
development
of
these

skills.

An
interview
protocol
was
used
with
17
participants
in
order
to
gain
a
deeper

understanding
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
a
particular
school
site.

Publicly

available
documentation
was
also
analyzed
to
clarify
and
confirm
findings
derived
from
the

interview
protocol.

Findings
from
this
study
suggests
that
there
is
an
intersection
among

individual
perceptions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills,
individual
school
elements
(like
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning

environments),
and
school
practices
(like
creating
a
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
College

and
Career
Readiness)
that
lead
a
12
th

grade
student
towards
College
and
Career

Readiness.

This
study
begins
to
address
a
need
to
further
define
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
high
school
systems,
and
contributes

to
a
new
area
of
research
that
looks
at
how
high
schools
can
produce
graduates
that
are

ready
for
both
College
and
Career.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
11

CHAPTER
ONE:
OVERVIEW
OF
THE
STUDY

Globalization
has
led
to
a
need
for
a
different
set
of
skills
from
incoming
employees.

Employees
are
now
expected
to
have
mastered
skills
that
allow
for
greater
flexibility,

adaptability,
collaboration,
problem
solving,
and
critical
thinking
(Andrews
&
Wooten,

2005;
Armstrong,
2007;
Conley,
2010).

As
a
result,
the
demands
being
made
of
educational

institutions
are
changing
as
well.

Although
the
American
public
school
system
has
received

multiple
criticisms
over
the
decades,
the
public
school
system
has
been
recently
scrutinized

nationwide
because
many
high
school
graduates
do
not
possess
the
knowledge
and
skills

necessary
to
perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level
(ACT,
2006;
Altbach
&

Knight,
2007;
McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006).

According
to
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education

(2006),
initiatives
like
Race
to
the
Top,
Smarter
Balanced
Assessments,
and
Common
Core

State
Standards
have
emphasized
the
importance
of
ensuring
that
high
school
graduates

are
College
and
Career
Ready.

This
common
vision
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
has
yet

to
be
universally
defined
in
the
Department
of
Education,
which
makes
it
increasingly

difficult
for
educators
to
measure
and
determine
success.

While
academic
classes
like

Advanced
Placement
and
honors
classes
are
concrete
indicators
of
academic
College
and

Career
Readiness,
they
cannot
always
be
the
sole
determinant
of
post-‐secondary
success

(Conley,
2010).

Various
public
school
systems
now
have
to
define
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
identify
the
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
that
will
lead
to
post-‐
secondary
success.

According
to
the
American
Diploma
Project
(2004),
the
goals
of
education
are

currently
shifting
to
accommodate
the
demands
of
our
global
economy.

Educational
goals

are
now
focused
on
preparing
students
to
be
ready
for
a
new
set
of
goals
and
expectations

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
12

that
is
not
limited
to
academic
knowledge
alone.

Core
content
knowledge
is
no
longer

enough
to
meet
the
standards
of
post-‐secondary
institutions
and
employers
(McCarthy
&

Kuh,
2006;
Arsendorf,
2009).

High
school
graduates
are
now
expected
to
be
equipped
with

a
certain
set
of
skills
that
are
not
entirely
based
on
subject-‐knowledge
(Armstrong,
2007).

Graduates
should
be
able
to
think
critically,
problem
solve,
work
together
as
a
team,
and

demonstrate
time
management
skills
and
self-‐efficacy
(Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005;

Arsendorf,
2009;
HIDOE
Board
Policy
4540,
2011;
Conley,
2010).

While
it
is
important
for

students
to
be
able
to
understand
content,
it
is
also
important
for
them
to
demonstrate

mastery
of
interpersonal
skills,
which
calls
for
a
shift
in
educational
priorities.

For
the
past
few
decades,
priorities
in
secondary
education
institutions
were

focused
on
emphasizing
the
importance
of
being
college
eligible
(Conley,
2007),
which

means
preparing
students
to
meet
admissions
requirements,
rather
than
emphasizing
the

importance
of
being
college
ready.

Being
college
ready
implies
that
students
are
able
to

meet
the
expectations
of
an
entry-‐level
college
course,
which
is
something
that
many
high

school
graduates
have
been
failing
to
demonstrate
at
the
post-‐secondary
level
(ACT,
2006;

Conley,
2008).

It
is
becoming
increasingly
important
for
high
schools
to
consider
looking

beyond
college
admissions
and
thinking
about
preparing
students
to
be
successful
once

admissions
has
been
completed.

Many
current
graduates
are
not
meeting
the
expectations

of
our
globalized
economy
(Altbach
&
Knight,
2007;
Arsendorf,
2009)
and
although
College

and
Career
Readiness
has
not
been
universally
defined
for
all
educational
institutions,
our

education
system
needs
to
make
the
necessary
adjustments
to
ensure
that
graduates
have

the
skills
needed
to
perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
13

Background
of
the
Problem

Educational
reform
has
gone
through
multiple
changes
over
the
course
of
history.

A

major
area
of
reform
is
how
we
prepare
students
for
life
after
high
school
and
what
we
are

preparing
them
for
(Altbach
&
Knight
2007;
Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005;
Armstrong,
2007;

Bloom,
2004;
Conley,
2010;
Jarsky,
McDonough,
&
Nunez,
2009).

During
the
1940s
and

1950s,
college
attendance
significantly
increased
because
of
the
G.I.
Bill,
which
instigated
a

change
in
College
Readiness
discussions
(Conley,
2005).

The
number
of
college

preparatory
courses
increased,
as
did
the
variation
in
content
and
quality
of
curriculum

and
instruction.

During
the
1980s,
academic
achievement
was
heavily
emphasized
and

there
was
an
increase
in
competitiveness
in
regards
to
high
school
academics
(Conley,

2010).

High
School
students
were
required
to
take
academic
courses
that
were
geared

towards
meeting
more
rigorous
college
entrance
requirements.

There
was
a
call
for

stronger
emphasis
in
rigor;
specifically
in
the
advanced
placement
courses
and
new

academic
content
standards
were
developed
and
implemented
during
the
1990s
(Conley,

2005).

At
this
time,
the
educational
system
was
experiencing
a
shift
from
expecting
high

school
graduates
to
be
ready
for
the
workforce
to
expecting
high
school
graduates
to
be

ready
for
success
at
the
college
level.

As
a
result,
there
were
an
increased
number
of

students
who
were
being
accepted
into
post
secondary
institutions,
but
failing
to
meet
the

expectations
of
colleges
and
universities.

The
National
Center
for
Education
Statistics

indicated
that
only
a
third
of
admitted
students
graduated
in
four
years
from
the
institution

in
which
they
enrolled
as
freshmen.

Many
high
school
graduates
were
not
prepared
to

succeed
at
the
post-‐secondary
level,
which
introduced
a
significant
and
immediate
problem

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
14

for
educators
across
the
country.

There
is
a
significant
difference
between
being
prepared

for
college
admissions
and
being
prepared
for
college
success
(Conley,
2005).

The
State
of
Hawaii
is
experiencing
similar
results
where
high
school
graduates
are

not
prepared
to
succeed
at
the
post-‐secondary
level.

Demands
on
the
current
workforce

are
already
beyond
the
abilities
of
many
high
school
graduates
(Vorsino,
2010).

It
is

important
for
Hawaii’s
educators
to
be
active
participants
in
these
discussions
regarding

secondary
education,
especially
since
strengthening
high
school
graduation
requirements

was
a
key
plede
for
the
Department
of
Education
as
part
of
new
reforms
to
boost
student

achievement
and
improve
the
national
standing
of
Hawaii’s
public
school
system
(Vorsino,

2011).

In
recent
years,
the
topic
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
emerged
as
a
focal
point

for
discussions
in
the
K-‐12
educational
system
and
the
Hawaii
Department
of
Education

has
taken
an
active
role
in
this
discussion
as
many
stakeholders
have
raised
concern
about

the
readiness
of
Hawaii’s
public
high
school
graduates
for
college
and
or
the
work
force

(Vorsino,
2011).

Discourse
surrounding
College
and
Career
Readiness
issues
indicates
that

academics
and
content
knowledge
alone
do
not
guarantee
College
and
Career
Readiness;

students
must
also
demonstrate
mastery
of
civic
and
social
skills
as
well.

Common

assessments
to
measure
academic
standards
are
currently
in
place
in
the
form
of

standardized
tests
and
practices
like
the
ACT,
SAT,
Advanced
Placement,
and
Common
Core

State
Standards.

At
a
national
level,
common
assessments
to
measure
civic
and
social
skills

are
not
as
standardized
throughout
the
Department
of
Education.

There
is
a
need
for
studies
that
focus
on
the
effectiveness
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
practices
in
the
State
of
Hawaii,
especially
since
there
is
no
common
measure
or

definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

In
the
Hawaii
Department
of
Education,

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
15

standards
like
the
General
Learner
Outcomes
(Appendix
A)
are
used
to
ensure
that

students
become
engaged,
lifelong
learners,
but
there
is
no
designated
measure
for
non-‐
academic
skills.

The
rubrics
for
measuring
the
General
Learner
Outcomes
would
be
one
of

the
few
measures
available
for
secondary
education
to
look
at
non-‐academic
skills
such
as

self-‐directed
learning,
being
community
contributors,
being
complex
thinkers,
being

quality
producers,
being
effective
communicators,
and
being
effective
and
ethical
user
of

technology.

In
2008,
the
Senior
Project
was
implemented
as
a
final
requirement
in
earning
the

Board
of
Education
College
and
Career
Readiness
diploma
for
certain
pilot
schools
(HIDOE

Board
Policy
4540).

This
BOE
Diploma
recognizes
students
with
a
GPA
of
3.0
or
higher
and

meets
the
academic
requirements
for
this
more
rigorous
diploma.

At
the
time
of
its

implementation,
the
Hawaii
Department
of
Education
offered
either
a
High
School
Diploma

or
a
Board
of
Education
Recognition
diploma.

In
2009,
the
Senior
Project
program
was

implemented
in
all
public
schools
in
the
state
of
Hawaii,
and
in
2012,
the
Board
of

Education
offered
two
variations
of
the
Board
of
Education
Recognition
Diploma.

High

School
graduates
could
now
earn
a
high
school
diploma,
a
BOE
Recognition
Diploma,
and
a

BOE
Recognition
Diploma
with
Honors
(Hawaii
Department
of
Education).

The
Senior
Project
is
a
project-‐based
learning
experience
that
is
intended
to
serve
as

a
culminating
independent
project
to
prepare
students
for
college
and
career.

The
General

Learner
Outcomes
are
included
as
part
of
the
requirements
for
the
Senior
Project
program

and
the
project
is
geared
towards
demonstrating
independent
learning.

High
School

academic
standards
do
not
address
the
General
Learner
Outcomes
as
part
of
their
grading

criteria,
so
there
is
no
standard
that
measures
students’
achievement
in
College
and
Career

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
16

Readiness
indicators.

Because
this
project
has
only
been
implemented
within
the
last
few

years,
researchers
have
not
yet
been
able
to
determine
how
well
the
Senior
Project
aids

12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
the
college
and
career
readiness
skills
that
will

help
them
with
post
secondary
success.

Globalization
also
calls
for
employees
to
be
proficient
in
the
use
of
technology.

In

order
for
this
global
economy
to
maintain
itself,
employees
must
be
able
to
communicate

on
a
global
scale,
which
requires
the
use
of
current
technologies
in
order
to
communicate

and
collaborate
with
others.

While
the
ability
to
use
technology
is
a
necessary
skill,

applications
and
programming
are
constantly
changing
and
keeping
up
with
current

technology
usage
becomes
difficult
for
public
school
systems
(Singh
&
Reed,
2001).

At
the

same
time,
educators
are
still
utilizing
outdated
learning
environments
for
students
who

should
be
learning
in
more
current
21
st

century
learning
environments
(Blasik,
Williams,

Johnson,
&
Boegli,
2004).

With
the
recent
implementation
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

standards,
it
becomes
even
more
important
for
school
systems
to
incorporate
technology-‐
based
learning
experiences
into
the
curriculum
to
ensure
that
graduates
have
an
increased

opportunity
to
be
successful
after
high
school
in
both
post-‐secondary
institutions
and
the

work
place.

In
many
of
the
K-‐12
educational
systems,
the
incorporation
of
technology
is

often
seen
through
blended
learning
environments
(Staker
&
Horn,
2012).

Blended
learning
environments
offer
a
common
ground
for
many
educational

systems
by
allowing
for
flexibility
and
revisions
within
any
given
subject
area.

Many
school

systems
are
choosing
blended
learning
environments
for
instructional
and
curricular

richness,
increased
access
to
knowledge,
social
interaction,
self-‐directed
learning,
cost

effectiveness,
and
ease
of
revision
(Graham,
2004).

When
blended
learning
environments

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
17

are
placed
in
conjunction
with
College
and
Career
Readiness
standards,
there
is
a

significant
gap
in
the
empirical
research
available
mainly
because
blended
learning
and

College
and
Career
Readiness
are
areas
of
study
that
are
still
in
its
developmental
stages.

Although
blended
learning
is
a
relatively
new
addition
to
public
education
curriculum
and

instruction,
it
becomes
increasingly
important
for
school
systems
to
be
able
to
look
at
how

blended
learning
environments
can
support
or
impede
the
development
of
college
and

career
readiness
skills
for
12
th

grade
students
attending
public
schools;
especially
since

blended
learning
environments
are
being
used
with
more
frequency
in
the
K-‐12
classroom

(Staker
&
Horn,
2012).

Senior
Project
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

Participation
in
an
academically
rigorous
high
school
curriculum
prepares
students

for
the
rigor
of
post
secondary
education
and
for
the
complexities
of
post
secondary

employment.

The
Senior
Project
program,
which
has
been
implemented
in
numerous

states
across
the
country,
serves
as
a
complement
to
a
rigorous
curriculum
and
provides
an

opportunity
for
students
to
engage
in
practices
that
reflect
the
rigor
needed
for
success
at

the
post
secondary
level
through
a
project-‐based
learning
experience.

The
Senior
Project

program
encourages
students
to
utilize
skills
learned
throughout
their
academic
careers

and
implement
them
in
a
social
setting.

Successful
completion
of
the
Senior
Project

provides
the
student
with
the
opportunity
to
demonstrate
advanced
proficiency
in
the

attainment
of
the
General
Learner
Outcomes,
career
and
life
skills
demonstrating

workplace
readiness,
demonstrate
a
“learning
stretch,”
and
should
be
personally
useful
and

relevant
for
that
student
(HIDOE
Board
Policy
4540).

As
part
of
the
project-‐based
learning

experience,
students
are
expected
to
be
interactive
learners
that
build
and
increase

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
18

knowledge
through
various
forms
of
exploration
(Chang
&
Lee,
2010).

Therefore,
this

program
has
the
potential
to
be
an
essential
component
to
post
secondary
success
as
it

incorporates
many
of
the
College
and
Career
Ready
indicators
that
are
specified
by
many

school
systems.

In
the
state
of
Hawaii,
students
learn
to
be
self-‐directed
learners
(develop

independence),
refine
their
ability
to
argue
a
point
(self-‐advocacy),
and
develop
the
skills

needed
to
solve
complex
problems
(community
contributors)
(Dreis
&
Rehage,
2008).

These
GLOs
(General
Learner
Outcomes)
address
the
personal,
social,
and
civic
outcomes

that
students
should
demonstrate
if
they
are
college
and
career
ready.

The
requirements

for
the
Senior
Project
are
aligned
to
the
state’s
public
school
vision
for
graduates.

According
to
this
vision,
high
school
graduates
will
realize
their
individual
goals
and

aspirations,
possess
the
attitudes,
knowledge,
and
skills
necessary
to
contribute
positively

and
compete
in
a
global
society,
exercise
the
rights
and
responsibilities
of
citizenship,
and

pursue
post-‐secondary
education
and/or
careers
(Board
Policy
4540).

Shavelson
and
Huang
(2003)
discuss
the
disconnection
between
what
is
expected
of

students
and
what
students
are
tested
on.

Although
their
research
is
directed
towards

higher
education,
the
same
concept
can
be
applied
to
high
school.

In
preparation
for
higher

education,
students
are
given
standardized
tests
to
measure
what
the
nation
has
deemed
as

desired
outcomes.

These
desired
outcomes
are
almost
always
limited
to
cognitive

measures
at
the
expense
of
personal,
social,
and
civic
measures
(Shavelson
&
Huang,
2003).

Further
studies
must
be
done
to
determine
whether
the
Senior
Project
accurately
measures

what
standardized
testing
currently
does
not.

The
Hawai’i
Department
of
Education
introduced
the
Senior
Project
as
part
of
the

high
school
graduation
requirements
in
2008.

The
Board
of
Education
introduced
a
series

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
19

of
diploma
changes
that
would
serve
as
an
indicator
of
college
and
career
readiness.

The

Board
of
Education
diploma
would
be
awarded
to
students
who
met
the
minimum
course

requirements,
passed
the
Algebra
II
exam,
and
completed
a
senior
project.

These

requirements
were
deemed
as
benchmarks
to
indicate
whether
students
were
College
and

Career
Ready
(Board
Policy
4540).

During
the
2012-‐2013
school
year,
a
series
of
other

diploma
requirements
were
introduced.

Students
would
earn
one
of
three
diplomas.

The

first
diploma
was
the
regular
high
school
diploma,
which
indicated
that
a
student
met
the

minimum
requirements
of
courses
and
credits.

The
second
diploma
was
the
Board
of

Education
Diploma,
which
indicated
that
a
student
met
the
more
rigorous
credit
and
course

requirements,
passed
the
Algebra
II
or
ACT
test,
and
completed
a
Senior
Project.

The
final

diploma
was
the
Board
of
Education
Diploma
with
Honors,
which
indicated
that
a
student

met
the
more
rigorous
credit
and
course
requirements
with
a
3.0
or
higher,
passed
the

Math
requirements,
and
completed
a
Senior
Project
(Board
Policy
4540).

The
Department
of
Education
in
Hawai’i
provides
a
framework
for
a
successful
and

rigorous
Senior
Project
to
fit
the
needs
of
their
student
body
and
school.

Board
Policy
4540

states
that
successful
completion
of
the
Senior
Project
provides
the
student
with
the

opportunity
to
demonstrate
advanced
proficiency
in
the
attainment
of
the
General
Learner

Outcomes,
career
and
life
skills
demonstrating
workplace
readiness,
demonstration
of
a

learning
stretch,
and
establishing
that
the
project
was
useful
and
relevant
for
that
student.

Implementation
of
this
program
is
meant
to
be
academically
rigorous
and
skills
oriented
to

ensure
that
students
develop
skills
needed
to
succeed
at
the
post
secondary
level

(Matayoshi,
2010).

Students
are
also
expected
to
demonstrate
mastery
of
personal
and

social
outcomes
by
thinking
about
issues
or
problems
in
our
society
that
they
care
about

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
20

and
develop
a
personalized
solution
that
they
can
contribute.

They
must
also
show

mastery
of
civic
outcomes
through
their
ability
to
balance
their
academic
work
with
the

elements
required
to
complete
the
Senior
Project;
they
must
take
initiative
in
order
to

address
issues
or
problems
in
our
community
and
accept
social
responsibility
by

demonstrating
that
they
can
work
effectively
with
community
members
to
make
a

difference
(Hawaii
DOE).

The
assessment
of
these
skills
will
vary
depending
on
the
practices
and
policies
of
a

given
school.

Each
school
is
tasked
with
the
responsibility
of
ensuring
that
the
assessments

and
measures
they
utilize
are
effective
for
their
student
population
and
accurate
in
terms

of
meeting
the
requirements
of
college
and
career
ready
standards.

While
it
is
necessary

for
schools
to
have
the
flexibility
to
develop
their
own
programs
and
policies,
there
are
not

current
studies
that
have
determined
how
effective
the
Senior
Project
is
in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
college
and
career
readiness
skills.

Statement
of
the
Problem

Although
participation
in
this
program
is
not
yet
mandatory
for
every
high
school

senior,
the
percentage
of
students
who
complete
the
Senior
Project
in
public
schools
across

the
state
of
Hawai’i
is
disappointingly
low.

Low
participation
also
indicates
that
the

percentage
of
students
who
are
graduating
College
and
Career
Ready
is
equally
low.

Teachers
and
students
do
not
yet
value
the
importance
of
a
rigorous
independent
research

project
and
few
studies
have
been
done
at
this
site
to
define
the
role
and
significance
of
the

program
in
terms
of
meeting
the
new
national
educational
initiatives.

Many
view
this

program
as
an
additional
assignment;
one
more
hoop
to
jump
through
in
order
to
graduate

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
21

from
high
school.

These
assumptions
make
further
engagement
in
educationally

purposeful
activities,
like
the
Senior
Project,
even
more
important.

The
senior
year
of
high
school
is
often
referred
to
as
an
educational
wasteland
as

students
view
this
year
as
a
time
to
relax
before
graduating
(Shavelson
&
Huang,
2003).

Despite
this
common
view
of
the
senior
year,
studies
show
that
the
majority
of
our

students
want
to
go
to
college
and
get
good
jobs.

The
High
School
Survey
of
Student

Engagement
(HSSE)
collects
data
about
students’
activities
and
attitudes.

Their
most

recent
survey
(2009)
reports
that
73%
of
the
more
than
42,000
students
surveyed
wanted

to
get
a
degree
and
go
to
college
and
67%
wanted
to
get
good
jobs.

Three-‐fifths
of
students

in
two-‐year
colleges
and
one-‐fourth
of
students
in
four-‐year
colleges
and
universities

require
one
or
more
years
of
remedial
coursework,
which
causes
many
students
to
leave

college
after
the
first
year
(McCarthy
2006).

It
is
becoming
increasingly
important
that

high
schools
ensure
that
their
graduates
are
College
and
Career
Ready
in
order
to
ensure

post-‐secondary
success.

Part
of
this
task
is
ensuring
that
students
are
participating
in
21
st

century
learning
environments
where
students
are
able
to
access
and
interact
with
current

technologies.

Due
to
the
fact
that
these
initiatives
have
been
recently
enacted,
it
is
difficult

to
find
research
related
to
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
public
school
systems,

specifically
in
the
State
of
Hawaii.

Studies
should
be
conducted
to
further
define
College

and
Career
Readiness
and
describe
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
and
then
to

determine
if
current
programs,
like
the
Senior
Project
are
successful
in
aiding
12
th

grade

students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

We
also
know
that

many
schools
are
utilizing
blended
learning
environments
in
some
capacity
to
ensure
that

each
school
system
is
meeting
the
College
and
Career
Ready
standards.

Studies
that
look
at

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
22

how
the
use
of
these
blended
learning
environments
are
supporting
or
impeding
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
should
be
conducted
in
order
to

develop
a
deeper
understanding
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
the
high
school
level.

Purpose
of
the
Study

Recent
initiatives
within
the
Department
of
Education
have
sparked
a
series
of

philosophical
and
practical
changes
for
all
educators.

Various
definitions
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
have
generated
a
series
of
debates
and
controversies
amongst

stakeholders
involved
in
public
education
and
multiple
gaps
have
been
identified
in
terms

of
attaining
College
and
Career
Readiness.

The
introduction
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
has
redefined
the
range
of
public
education
and
has
opened
up
opportunities
for

multiple
areas
of
study.

In
order
to
understand
the
perceived
success
of
programs

targeting
College
and
Career
Readiness,
we
must
obtain
a
deeper
understanding
of
what

College
and
Career
Readiness
looks
like
in
a
public
school
setting
and
how
that

understanding
might
influence
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Ready
skills
and
the

likelihood
of
post
secondary
success.

The
purpose
of
this
study
is
to
examine
definitions
and
descriptions
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
and
the
perceived
success
of
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the

Senior
Project)
and
blended
learning
environments
in
supporting
or
impeding
students’

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
Hawai’i,
where
senior
project

completion
is
disappointingly
low.

The
following
three
research
questions
will
guide
the
study:

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
23

1.

How
do
community
members,
former
educators,
and
recent
high
school

graduates
define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
do
they
describe
the
skills

necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success?

2.

How
do
community
members,
former
educators,
and
recent
high
school

graduates
perceive
the
success
of
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)

in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills?

3.

How
do
community
members,
former
educators,
and
recent
high
school

graduates
perceive
blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills?

Methodology

A
qualitative
case
study
will
be
used
to
determine
how
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills
are
defined
and
described,
how
the
Senior
Project
is
perceived
in
relation
to
College

and
Career
Readiness,
and
how
the
use
of
blended
learning
environments
is
perceived
as

supporting
or
impeding
College
and
Career
Readiness.

The
case
study
will
be
conducted
in

relation
to
a
high
school
where
the
leadership
team
is
taking
action
towards
improving

their
current
College
and
Career
Readiness
programs
in
order
to
meet
the
desired

percentage
of
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates
as
indicated
by
the
Board
of
Education

Diploma.

This
public
high
school
already
utilizes
blended
learning
environments
as
part
of

their
project-‐based
learning
curriculum;
specifically
in
the
implementation
of
the
Senior

Project
program.

Formal
interviews
will
be
conducted
with
community
members,
former

educators,
and
recent
high
school
graduates.

Formal
interviews
will
also
be
conducted

with
recent
high
school
graduates
who
are
currently
enrolled
in
post-‐secondary

institutions.

Documents
from
publicly
available
websites
were
also
used
to
supplement

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
24

interview
and
observation
data.

Due
to
Department
of
Education
restraints,
interviews

were
restricted
to
individuals
who
were
not
employed
by
the
Department
of
Education
and

documents
were
restricted
to
those
that
were
publicly
available
through
the
school’s

associated
websites.

Limitations

The
first
limitation
of
this
study
was
the
generalizability
of
the
studies’
findings

since
data
was
collected
from
a
single
high
school.

It
was
difficult
to
determine
whether
the

identified
findings
could
be
replicated
and
applied
to
other
high
schools
not
only
in
the

state,
but
throughout
the
country
as
well.

The
data
collected
was
specific
to
one
location

and
limited
by
the
program
policies
that
were
specified
by
the
school
and
specific
to
the

school.

Human
behavior
and
human
experiences
do
not
always
yield
consistent
results

(Merriam,
2009).

In
order
to
establish
reliability,
emphasis
was
placed
on
the
fact
that

there
are
numerous
interpretations
of
the
same
data
and
the
focus
of
the
study
was
on

whether
the
findings
and
results
were
consistent
with
the
data
collected
(Merriam,
2009).

This
study
focused
on
internal
generalizability
in
an
effort
to
maintain
the
alignment
of

findings
in
comparison
to
the
data
collected,
which
refers
to
“the
generalizability
of
a

conclusion
within
the
case,
setting,
or
group
studied,
to
persons,
events,
times,
and
settings

that
were
not
directly
observed,
interviewed,
or
otherwise
represented
in
the
data

collected”
(Maxwell,
2013,
p.
137).

The
goal
of
this
study
is
not
necessarily
for
other
high

schools
to
get
the
same
results,
but
for
readers
to
recognize
that
the
results
are
consistent

and
dependable
given
the
data
that
was
collected
during
the
course
of
this
study.

The
second
limitation
was
time
spent
in
the
identified
school.

Data
was
collected

over
a
five-‐month
period
beginning
in
November
and
ending
in
March.

The
data
collection

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
25

period
did
not
span
the
entire
academic
year
and
may
constrain
the
resulting
analysis
in

terms
of
the
effectiveness
of
the
Senior
Project
program
as
successfully
aiding
students
in

their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

In
order
to
address
this
credibility

issue,
it
was
important
to
keep
in
mind
that
validity
had
to
be
assessed
in
relationship
to

the
research
in
order
to
develop
a
deeper
understanding
of
this
particular
reality
(Merriam,

2009).

Although
the
selected
school
limited
the
amount
of
time
spent,
the
study
also

included
repeated
interviews
and
analysis
of
documentation
in
order
to
aid
in
the

collection
and
development
of
accurate
interpretations
of
data
and
understandings.

Also,
due
to
the
limitation
of
using
only
one
study
site,
a
third
limitation
emerged.

Due
to
the
limited
number
of
participants
that
were
interviewed,
there
was
a
limitation
on

the
range
of
data
collected,
which
was
dependent
on
the
opinions
and
perceptions
of
the

selected
participants.

The
information
provided
by
these
participants
are
not

representative
of
other
individuals
in
similar
programs
and
are
only
representative
of
this

particular
school
within
this
particular
context.

In
order
to
address
this
validity
issue,
it

will
be
important
to
collect
“rich”
data
that
is
detailed
and
diverse
enough
to
provide
a

complete
and
thorough
understanding
of
what
is
going
on
at
this
particular
location

(Maxwell,
2013).

Detailed
and
descriptive
note
taking
will
also
help
address
this
limitation.

The
final
limitation
was
researcher
bias
as
I
interpreted
data
collected
based
on
my

own
experiences
and
collected
knowledge.

The
interpretations
I
made
may
not
have
been

an
accurate
representation
of
what
the
participants
intended
and
inferences
deduced

might
not
have
been
an
accurate
assessment
of
the
situation
being
studied.

In
order
to

address
this
limitation,
the
study
included
respondent
validation
where
feedback
was

solicited
in
regards
to
data
collected
and
conclusions
drawn
from
the
participants
who

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
26

were
being
interviewed.

This
was
an
important
way
of
“ruling
out
the
possibility
of

misinterpreting
the
meaning
of
what
participants
say
and
do
and
he
perspective
they
have

on
what
is
going
on,
as
well
as
being
an
important
way
of
identifying
biases
and

misunderstandings
of
what
has
been
observed”
(Maxwell,
2013,
p.
126).

Triangulation
will

also
help
to
minimize
the
possibility
of
false
interpretation
as
this
strategy
reduces
the
risk

of
bias
(Maxwell,
2013).

Delimitations

There
were
three
delimitations,
or
characteristics
that
limited
the
range
of
the

study’s
inquiry.

The
first
delimitation
involved
school
site
selection
as
I
purposefully

worked
with
a
particular
school
as
a
direct
result
of
accessibility.
Convenience
sampling

was
implemented
because
the
site
was
selected
based
on
time,
location,
and
availability,

which
may
have
resulted
in
“information-‐poor”
rather
than
information-‐rich
results

(Merriam,
2009).

The
second
delimitation
involved
the
data
collection
timeline,
which
was

determined
by
the
selected
school.
Because
this
study
primarily
focused
on
12
th

grade

students
at
a
high
school,
internal
school
deadlines
and
interviewee
scheduling
dictated

when
interviews
took
place.

The
last
delimitation
involved
instrumentation
and
measures
for
data
collection,

which
were
created
and
implemented
by
myself.

In
order
to
execute
this
study,

instruments
were
used
to
record
all
findings.

Interview
protocols
were
developed
to

obtain
information.

The
way
in
which
questions
were
worded
was
crucial
in
obtaining

relevant
and
accurate
information
(Merriam,
2009).

Developing
good
questions
and

revising
those
questions
minimized
confusion
and
misinterpretations,
which
could
have

led
to
other
reliability
and
validity
issues.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
27

Importance
of
the
Study

This
study
focused
on
the
perception
of
College
and
Career
Ready
skills
as
measured

by
the
Senior
Project
and
enhanced
by
blended
learning
environments
in
the
state
of

Hawai’i,
where
Senior
Project
completion
rates
are
disappointingly
low.

College
and
Career

Ready
skills
are
believed
to
increase
students’
potential
to
be
successful
at
the
post-‐
secondary
level
(Hawaii
Board
of
Education,
2011).

This
study
also
contributed
to
the

current
need
for
refined
College
and
Career
development
protocols
and
practices
since

these
newly
defined
initiatives
are
novel
to
many
of
our
educational
systems.

This
study’s

findings
provided
insight
into
how
this
particular
school
could
promote
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
and
implement
them
with
greater
success
and
effectiveness.

Definition
of
Terms

Blended
Learning
Environments
–
A
blended
learning
environment
is
an
educational

environment
in
which
a
student
learns
at
least
partially
through
an
online
system.

The

online
system
normally
works
in
conjunction
with
a
brick-‐and-‐mortar
school
structure.

In

person
classroom
time
is
combined
with
online
support
to
create
an
environment
supports

differentiated
learning
and
student
achievement.

Board
of
Education
Recognition
Diploma
–
The
Hawaii
Board
of
Education
implemented

this
diploma
to
designated
high
school
graduates
who
have
demonstrated
that
they
are

ready
for
post-‐secondary
success
in
a
post-‐secondary
institution
or
the
workforce.

Students
who
receive
this
diploma
must
meet
a
more
rigorous
academic
requirement,
meet

the
Algebra
II
requirements,
complete
Expository
Writing,
and
pass
the
Senior
Project

(DOE
Board
Policy
4540).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
28

College
and
Career
Readiness
(CCR)
–
In
Hawaii,
as
in
many
states
across
the
nation,

College
and
Career
Readiness
was
established
in
an
attempt
to
focus
on
newly
defined

essential
skills
for
high
school
graduates.

College
and
Career
Readiness
indicators
include

such
General
Learner
Outcomes
as
thinking
critically,
problem
solving,
working
in

collaboration
with
others,
demonstrating
time
management,
and
self
efficacy.

In
the
state

of
Hawaii,
College
Career
Readiness
is
currently
measured
by
the
Senior
Project
and

acknowledged
with
a
Board
of
Education
Recognition
diploma
(Hawaii
Department
of

Education,
2012).

Communication
Skills
–
“Verbal,
written,
and
listening
skills
that
encourage
effective

interaction
with
a
variety
of
individuals
and
groups
to
facilitate
the
gathering,
integrating,

and
conveying
of
information”
(Evers
et
al.,
1998,
p.
78).

Problem-‐Solving
Skills
–
“Skills
that
include
the
ability
to
recognize
and
define
problems,

invent
and
implement
solutions,
and
track
and
evaluate
results”
(Carnevale,
Gainer,
&

Metzer,
1990,
p.
4).

Teamwork
Skills-‐
Skills
that
focus
on
team
development
and
performance.

Team

development
refers
to
helping
the
team
complete
a
goal.

Team
performance
refers
to
team

dynamics
and
working
to
maintain
relationships
(Northouse,
2001).

General
Learner
Outcomes
(GLOs)
–
The
Hawaii
Department
of
Education
adopted
the

General
Learner
Outcomes
as
the
over-‐arching
goals
of
standards-‐based
learning
for
all

students
in
all
grade
levels.

These
serve
as
a
guideline
for
academic
achievement
that
goes

beyond
content
knowledge
to
ensure
that
students
become
engaged,
lifelong
learners

(Hawaii
Department
of
Education).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
29

Project-‐based
learning
(PBL)
–
Project-‐based
learning
is
an
effective
means
of
motivating

students
to
be
independent
learners.

This
style
of
learning
has
been
particularly
effective

when
combined
with
computer
technology.

The
Senior
Project
is
based
on
project-‐based

learning
philosophies
as
a
way
to
encourage
college
and
career
ready
skill
building
and

help
ensure
post-‐secondary
success.

Senior
Project
–
The
Hawaii
Department
of
Education
implemented
the
Senior
Project

during
the
2008-‐2009
school
year
and
used
it
as
a
measure
for
post-‐secondary
success.

The
senior
project
is
a
project-‐based
program
that
targets
college
and
career
ready
skills

and
serves
as
a
requirement
for
the
Board
of
Education
recognition
diplomas
(DOE
Board

Policy
4540).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
30

CHAPTER
TWO:
A
REVIEW
OF
THE
LITERATURE

Globalization
and
internationalization
are
influencing
decisions
and
definitions
in

educational
systems
around
the
world.

There
is
a
current
demand
for
universities
to

produce
students
who
are
capable
of
functioning
and
succeeding
at
a
global
scale;

demonstrating
skills
that
are
not
necessarily
a
part
of
the
traditional
classroom
experience

(Armstrong,
2007).

Recent
trends
in
globalization
issues
have
changed
the
traditional

concept
of
the
university
to
one
that
is
more
universal.

Altbach
and
Knight
define

globalization
as
“the
economic,
political,
and
societal
forces
pushing
21
st

century
higher

education
toward
greater
international
involvement”
(2012,
p.
290).

Globalization
is

opening
communication
channels
that
were
previously
non-‐existent,
resulting
in

international
integration
that
demands
countries
to
operate
differently
in
order
to
compete

in
this
global
economy
(Bloom).

Globalization
processes
“have
enormous
potential
to

change
the
face
of
higher
education”
(Armstrong,
2007,
p.
133),
which
will
also
change
the

face
of
K-‐12
education
as
well.

Altbach
and
Knight
define
globalization
as
“the
context
of

economic
and
academic
trends”
and
internationalization
as
“the
policies
and
practices

undertaken
by
academic
systems
and
institutions
to
cope
with
the
global
academic

environment”
(2007,
p.
290).

These
definitions
frame
a
primary
source
of
influence
in

changing
educational
policy.

Recent
changes
in
educational
policy
reflect
a
movement
towards
specific
skills
that

go
beyond
content
knowledge,
skills
that
prepare
high
school
graduates
for
post-‐secondary

success
as
defined
by
global
influences
and
demands.

The
College
and
Career
Readiness

initiatives
and
policies
have
been
initiated
nation-‐wide
and
we
are
starting
to
see
changes

in
individual
state
policies
as
well.

Perhaps
one
of
the
primary
focuses
of
current

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
31

educational
policy
in
the
United
States
is
citizenship
education
and
workforce
preparation

as
it
is
crucial
for
competing
countries
to
produce
individuals
who
can
enhance
the

economic
productivity
of
their
home
country.

There
is
an
identified
gap
between
what

employers
are
looking
for
and
what
they
are
actually
seeing
in
their
employees
(Arsendorf,

2009).

In
the
late
1980s,
this
concern
created
a
need
for
comprehensive
reflection
on

workforce
development
and
educational
policy
(Arsendorf,
2009).

Employers
were

looking
for
specific
skill
sets
that
included
specific
proficiencies
and
abilities
that
could
be

taught.

These
specific
skills
include
resource,
interpersonal,
information,
systems,
and

technology
capabilities.

Resource
skills
included
the
organization
and
allocation
of

resources.

Interpersonal
skills
involved
developing
teamwork
skills,
customer
service

skills,
and
working
with
diverse
populations.

Information
management
skills
dealt
with

acquiring
and
sharing
information
using
oral
and
written
communication
skills
and

computer
skills.

Critical
thinking
skills
and
performance
monitoring
fit
into
the
systems

behavior
area
and
technology
interaction
involved
the
ability
to
choose
appropriate
and

effective
technologies
needed
to
communicate
(SCANS,
1991).

The
American
Society
for
Training
and
Development
(ASTD),
a
non-‐profit

professional
association,
conducted
a
study
to
identify
the
essential
skills
needed
for
the

workforce
what
employers
deemed
as
essential
skills
for
the
workforce.

On-‐site
and

telephone
interviews
were
conducted
in
order
to
find
out
what
skills
employees
needed
in

order
to
be
successfully
employed.

Table
1.1
shows
sixteen
skills
within
seven
groups
that

were
identified
as
being
important
to
successful
employment
(Carnevale,
Gainer,
&
Meltzer,

1990).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
32

Table
1.1

American
Society
for
Training
and
Development
(ASTD)
Skills

The
Foundation
Developmental
Skills

• Learning
How
to
Learn
• Self-‐Esteem

Basic
Competency
Skills
• Motivation
and
Goal
Setting

• Reading
• Career
Development

• Writing
Group
Effectiveness
Skills

• Computation
• Interpersonal
Skills

Communication
Skills
• Teamwork

• Speaking
• Negotiation

• Listening
Influencing
Skills

Adaptability
Skills
• Understanding
Organizational

Culture

• Problem-‐Solving
• Sharing
Leadership

• Thinking
Creatively

(Carnevale,
Gainer,
&
Meltzer,
1990)

Table
1.2
illustrates
the
top
five
applied
skills
in
order
of
rank
according
to
employers

surveyed
during
an
in-‐depth
study
of
corporate
employers
conducted
by
The
Conference

Board,
Corporate
Voices
for
Working
Families,
the
Partnership
for
21
st

Century
Skills,
and

the
Society
for
Human
Resource
Management
(Casner-‐Lotto
&
Barrington,
2006).

Table
1.2

Applied
Skills
for
Four-‐Year
College
Graduates
in
Rank
Order

Rank

Applied
Skill

Percent
rating
as
“Very
important”

1

Oral
Communications

95.4%

2

Teamwork/Collaboration

94.4%

3

Professionalism/Work
Ethic

93.8%

4

Written
Communications

93.1%

5

Critical
Thinking/Problem-‐Solving

92.1%

(Casner-‐Lotto
&
Barrington,
2006)

Citizenship
education
and
workforce
preparation
is
being
defined
differently
as
the

shifting
economy
makes
different
demands
on
the
educational
system.

Educational

institutions
are
now
expected
to
yield
graduates
who
can
produce
new
knowledge,
and

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
33

advance
their
countries
in
order
to
compete
in
the
global
market.

At
the
University
level,

this
means
that
graduates
need
to
be
able
to
successfully
interact
with
a
variety
of

audiences
and
complete
a
wide
range
of
tasks
that
may
potentially
relate
to
global

situations
that
we
are
not
even
aware
of
yet
(Armstrong,
2007).

At
the
secondary
level,
this

means
that
high
school
graduates
need
to
have
the
basic
skills
necessary
for
them
to
learn

to
perform
tasks
in
this
new
global
economy.

The
United
States
Department
of
Education
is

modifying
educational
policy
for
elementary
and
secondary
school
“to
ensure
that
young

people
graduate
with
the
skills
and
abilities
that
are
aligned
with
the
needs
of
a
global

economy”
(USDOE,
2013).

In
both
secondary
and
higher
education,
citizenship
education

and
workforce
preparation
will
be
centered
on
such
skills
as
critical
thinking,
working
with

others
to
achieve
goals,
and
the
attainment
of
a
knowledge
base
needed
to
generate
new

ideas
(Bloom,
2004).

For
this
review,
three
particular
bodies
of
literature
will
be
used
to
determine
how

community
members,
former
educators,
and
recent
high
school
graduates
define
College

and
Career
Readiness,
how
they
describe
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
how
they

perceive
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)
as
successfully
aiding

the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
and
how
they
perceive
Blended-‐
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
the
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills:
College
and
Career
Readiness,
Senior
Projects
or
project-‐based
learning

experiences,
and
technology
in
education;
specifically
blended
learning
environments.

College
and
Career
Readiness
in
Secondary
Education

In
the
United
States,
citizenship
education
and
workforce
preparation
is
focused
on

the
push
for
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
the
secondary
level;
a
term
used
to
frame
the

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
34

demand
for
high
school
and
post
secondary
graduates
that
can
successfully
compete
at
the

post
secondary
level.

Employers
want
to
hire
graduates
who
possess
the
necessary
skill
set

to
be
an
effective
worker
and
contributor
(Arsendorf,
2009).

This
skill
set
includes

qualities
such
as
effective
communication,
problem-‐solving,
and
teamwork
(Billing,
2003;

Shivpuri
&
Kim,
2004).

American
educational
systems
continue
to
define
and
redefine
the

role
that
education
plays
in
the
global
economy
while
sustaining
certain
cultural

philosophies.

In
response
to
global
demands
on
the
education
system,
discussions

emerged
in
regards
to
the
disconnection
between
K-‐12
education
and
post
secondary

education,
which
led
to
the
growing
movement
to
connect
K-‐12
education
with
post

secondary
institutions
(Yamamura,
2010).

This
conversation
is
altering
the
priorities
of

secondary
and
post
secondary
institutions
and
we
are
seeing
a
shift
in
focus
in
terms
of

what
citizenship
education
and
workforce
preparation
(also
known
as
College
and
Career

Readiness)
really
means.

College
and
Career
Readiness
has
become
a
recent
focus
for
secondary
educators
in

the
sense
that
the
current
expectation
is
for
all
students
to
be
able
to
pursue
educational

opportunities
beyond
high
school
and
perform
successfully
as
an
employee.

Changes
in

our
global
economy
has
demanded
that
public
education
make
serious
adjustments
to

student
learning
expectations
in
order
to
meet
the
current
and
future
needs
of
the
work

force.
The
public
school
system
has
been
scrutinized
nationwide
(McCarthey
&
Kuh,
2006)

because
high
school
graduates
do
not
possess
the
knowledge
and
skills
necessary
to

perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level
(The
American
Diploma
Project,
2004).

Many
high
school
graduates
are
not
prepared
to
succeed
in
credit-‐bearing
first-‐year
college

courses
(ACT,
2006)
and
many
are
forced
to
take
remedial
classes.

A
federal
report
written

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
35

by
the
Secretary
of
Education’s
Commission
on
the
Future
of
Higher
Education
stated
that

“employers
reported
repeatedly
that
many
new
graduates
they
hire
are
not
prepared
to

work,
lacking
the
critical
thinking,
writing,
and
problem-‐solving
skills
needed
in
today’s

workplaces”
(U.S.
Department
of
Education,
2006,
p.
3).

Students
need
to
be
equipped
with

an
extensive
set
of
knowledge
and
skills
that
spans
a
broad
spectrum
of
post
secondary

learning
opportunities
in
order
to
ensure
success
after
high
school
and
successful

employment
(Arsendorf,
2009).

In
2005,
school
districts
nationwide
began
collaborating
with
higher
education

institutions
and
made
significant
progress
towards
educational
reform.

The
results
of

these
discussions
include
the
development
of
P-‐20
alignment
initiatives,
including
P-‐20

councils,
and
credit-‐based
transition
programs
(Kirst
&
Bracco,
2004;
Nunez
&
Oliva,
2009;

Spense,
2009).

College
Readiness
standards
also
emerged
as
a
growing
trend
that
would

link
the
K-‐12
system
and
higher
education
systems
by
preparing
students
for
college

(Conley,
2010;
Yamamura,
2010).

The
concept
of
a
“college-‐going
culture”
emerged
in

2006
and
talked
about
K-‐12
institutions
that
included
a
rigorous
academic
program,
access

to
timely
and
relevant
college
information,
and
adequate
support
structures
(The
College

Board,
2006;
Jarsky,
McDonough,
&
Nunez,
2009;
McClafferty,
McDonough,
&
Nunez,
2002).

Part
of
this
culture
is
having
school
structures
that
include
smaller
learning
communities,

school
cultures
that
include
an
ethic
of
care,
and
school
practices
and
systems
that
foster

conversations
and
activities
that
encourage
higher
level
discourse
(Holland
&
Farmer-‐
Hinton,
2009).

College
preparation
research
also
refers
to
the
role
of
using
partnerships
to

improve
college
readiness
(Domina,
2009;
Roderick,
Nagaoka,
&
Coca,
2009)
by
developing

relationships
with
parents,
families,
and
communities.

In
2008,
the
Texas
Higher
Education

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
36

Coordinating
Board
instituted
college
readiness
standards,
which
increased
the
range
of

accountability
for
K-‐12
school
leaders.’

Texas
became
the
first
state
to
implement
such

College
readiness
standards
into
their
educational
system
(Texas
College
Readiness

Standards,
2008).

Recent
initiatives
like
Race
to
the
Top,
Smarter
Balance
assessments,
and
Common

Core
State
Standards
have
emphasized
the
importance
of
ensuring
that
high
school

graduates
are
College
and
Career
Ready.

President
Obama
has
made
it
a
national
priority

to
raise
the
expectations
for
all
of
our
students
and
for
all
of
our
schools
in
order
to
ensure

that
every
student
graduates
prepared
for
college
and
career
(U.S.
Department
of

Education,
2010).

Programs
that
prepare
students
and
accurately
measure
skill
sets
will

play
a
pivotal
role
in
determining
whether
or
not
a
high
school
graduate
is
College
and

Career
Ready.

Current
Definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

A
common
vision
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
has
yet
to
be
universally
defined

in
the
Department
of
Education,
which
makes
it
increasingly
difficult
for
educators
to

measure
and
determine
success.

Current
measures
of
college
preparation
are
limited

because
there
is
minimal
information
as
to
what
students
must
be
able
to
do
in
order
to
be

ready
to
succeed
at
the
post
secondary
level
(Conley,
2008;
McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006).

One
of

the
major
trends
in
the
College
and
Career
Ready
movement
is
emphasizing
the
fact
that

students
must
show
that
they
not
only
possess
academic
knowledge,
but
they
also

demonstrate
and
apply
skills
beyond
what
they
learn
in
school
(McCarthey
&
Kuh,
2006).

The
U.S.
Department
of
Education,
along
with
President
Obama,
emphasizes
the
need
to
be

smarter
about
how
we
educate
our
students
(2010).

High
schools
are
currently
preparing

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
37

students
to
be
college-‐eligible
rather
than
college-‐ready
(Conley,
2008).

The
ACT
states

that
these
skills
might
include
persistence,
ownership
of
learning,
awareness,
and
collective

experiences
just
to
name
a
few.

Although
a
common
definition
for
College
and
Career
Readiness
has
not
been

developed
for
the
Department
of
Education,
a
wide
variety
of
possible
definitions
exist
in

this
particular
field
of
literature.
David
Conley
provides
the
four
dimensions
of
college

readiness
model
that
further
describes
college
readiness
in
its
entirety.

Key
cognitive

strategies
are
those
“habits
of
mind”
or
intentional
behaviors
students
must
be
able
to

utilize
over
time
and
in
a
variety
of
situations.

Key
Content
Knowledge
is
defined
as

processing
and
applying
information
using
cognitive
strategies;
information
and

knowledge
that
prepares
students
for
entry-‐level
courses.

Academic
behaviors
include

self-‐awareness,
self-‐monitoring
and
self-‐control,
which
demonstrates
that
students
are
able

to
manage
themselves.

Other
policy
scholars
have
defined
college
readiness
primarily
as

academic
skills
and
achievement
to
prepare
students
to
be
successful
for
college
level

course-‐work
(Conley,
2007;
Roderick,
Nagaoka,
&
Coca,
2009).

According
to
Conley’s
findings,
students
need
to
have
more
than
academic

knowledge
to
be
successful
at
the
post
secondary
level.

In
preparation
for
higher

education,
students
are
given
standardized
testing
to
measure
what
the
nation
has
deemed

as
the
desired
outcomes.

These
desired
outcomes
“are
almost
always
confined
to
cognitive

output
measures
at
the
expense
of
personal,
social,
and
civic
outcomes”
(Shavelson
&

Huang,
2003,
p.
12).

In
order
for
students
to
be
deemed
as
College
and
Career
Ready,
there

needs
to
be
a
secondary
indicator
that
measures
students’
personal,
social
and
civic

abilities
as
well
as
their
academic
skills.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
38

Many
definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills
refer
to
a
balance
between
“hard”
technical
skills
and
“soft”
interpersonal
skills;
both

of
which
are
considered
essential
to
post-‐secondary
success
(Arsendorf,
2009;
Colby,

Ehrlich
Beaumont,
&
Stephens,
2003;
Evers,
Rush,
&
Bedrow,
1998;
Shivpuri
&
Kim,
2004;

Hofstrand,
1996;
Watson,
2003).

Many
employers
recognize
the
importance
of
“soft”
skill

development
and
look
for
graduates
who
possess
these
skills
and
have
the
potential
to
be

productive
members
of
the
workforce
(Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005).

It
is
becoming

increasingly
important
for
graduates
to
be
able
to
apply
what
they
know
and
the
skills
they

have
learned
in
real-‐world
situations
like
college
and
the
workplace
(Watson,
2003).

Students
must
not
only
be
able
to
access
information,
but
also
apply
the
information
by

utilizing
their
problem
solving
skills
and
participating
in
the
teamwork
process
(Arsendorf,

2009).

Casner-‐Lotto
and
Barrington
(2006)
surveyed
400
American
employers
and
found

that
the
most
important
skills
cited
were
professionalism/work
ethic,
oral
and
written

communication
skills,
teamwork,
and
critical
thinking.

Emphasis
on
“soft”
skill
development
continuously
emerges
in
numerous
studies

that
were
conducted
to
determine
the
desired
skills
sought
by
employers.

The
National

Association
of
College
and
Employers
(NACE)
is
a
professional
association
that
connects

college
and
career
services
to
potential
employers.

NACE
compiled
a
list
of
the
top
20
skills

requested
by
employers
(2007).

These
skills
in
rank
order
are
as
follows:

(1)
analytical

skills;
(2)
communication
skills;
(3)
computer
skills;
(4)
creativity;
(5)
detail-‐oriented;
(6)

risk-‐taker;
(7)
flexibility/adaptability;
(8)
friendly;
(9)
honesty/integrity;
(10)

interpersonal
skills;
(11)
leadership
and
management
skills;
(12)
motivation/initiative;

(13)
organizational
and
time
management
skills;
(14)
real
life
experiences;
(15)
self-‐
ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
39

confidence;
(16)
strong
work
ethic;
(17)
tactfulness;
(18)
teamwork
skills;
(19)
technical

skills;
and
(20)
well-‐mannered/polite.

Tanyel,
Mitchell,
and
McAlum
(1999)
studied

business
school
graduates
and
their
respective
employers
to
determine
the
desired
skills

sought
by
these
employers.

Prospective
employers
saw
greater
importance
in
oral

communication,
decision-‐making
and
analytical
ability,
written
communication,
and

creativity.

College
and
Career
Readiness
in
Hawaii

Discourse
surrounding
public
education
and
high
school
graduates
in
Hawaii
echoed

the
opinions
made
by
employers
across
the
country:
demands
on
the
current
workforce
are

already
beyond
the
abilities
of
many
graduates
(McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006;
Editorial,
2010,

July
18).

Historically,
the
state
Department
of
Education
has
struggled
with
not
only

increasing
the
rate
of
graduates
who
enter
college,
but
also
with
making
sure
students
do

not
have
to
take
remedial
courses
once
they
are
accepted
into
post-‐secondary
institutions

(Vorsino,
2011,
May
1).

Like
many
high
school
graduates
around
the
country,
one-‐third
of

Hawaii
public
school
students
who
go
to
University
of
Hawaii
community
colleges
needed

remedial
instruction
in
math
and
English
in
2009,
and
38
percent
of
Hawaii
students
failed

the
U.S.
Army’s
aptitude
test
(Vorsino,
2011,
May
18).

Higher
graduation
standards
were

needed
to
make
sure
Hawaii
students
were
prepared
for
college
and
competitive
careers

(Vorsino,
2011,
May
18).

Multiple
stakeholders
expressed
interest
in
educational
reform

that
would
assist
in
preparing
public
school
graduates
for
post-‐secondary
success
and

educational
policy
began
to
change
in
the
state
of
Hawaii.

A
memorandum
of
agreement
that
was
signed
by
the
former
governor
and

superintendent
committed
Hawaii
to
participate
in
the
process
of
incorporating
and

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
40

developing
the
common
core
state
standards
on
June
1,
2009
(Update:
CCSS,
2010).

These

standards
were
created
to
align
with
college
and
work
expectations
to
help
ensure
that

students
graduate
with
skills
that
will
help
them
succeed
after
graduating
from
high
school.

The
Step
Up
diploma
debuted
in
2009
in
response
to
common
core
developments
as
a
way

to
better
prepare
students
for
college
and
an
increasingly
competitive
work
force.

The
Step

Up
initiative
was
also
in
response
to
the
national
effort
to
increase
rigor
in
high
school

graduation
standards
throughout
the
Department
of
Education
(Vorsino,
2011,
May
1).

Hawaii
Superintendent
Kathryn
Matayoshi
re-‐addressed
College
and
Career
Readiness

standards
in
her
newsletter
that
was
released
in
December
2010.

At
that
time,
the
Hawaii

Department
of
Education
had
just
submitted
their
Race
to
the
Top
work
plan
to
the
United

States
Department
of
Education
and
was
in
the
process
of
creating
a
work
plan
that
aimed

at
achieving
five
goals;
one
of
which
included
tying
high-‐quality
College
and
Career
Ready

standards
and
assessments
to
a
statewide
curriculum
(2010).

In
her
2011
newsletter,

Matayoshi
released
a
seven-‐year
strategic
plan
that
outlined
the
systemic
change
being

implemented
in
the
public
school
system.

The
emphasis
in
this
seven-‐year
plan
is
for

Hawaii’s
graduates
to
“be
equipped
with
the
requisite
skills
to
compete
globally
for
entry

into
college
and
for
jobs”
(2011,
para
4).

In
order
to
further
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
standards
in
the
public

school
system,
the
Department
of
Education
has
partnered
with
the
Hawai‘i
P-‐20

Partnerships
for
Education
to
work
on
a
definition
of
College
and
Career
readiness
for
the

state
of
Hawaii.

Hawai’i
P-‐20
is
a
statewide
partnership
led
by
the
Executive
Office
on

Early
Learning,
the
Hawai‘i
State
Department
of
Education
and
the
University
of
Hawai‘i

System
that
is
working
to
strengthen
the
education
pipeline
from
early
childhood
through

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
41

higher
education
so
that
all
students
achieve
career
and
college
success
(2011).

Part
of
the

P-‐20
philosophy
is
that
students
who
start
thinking
about
college
earlier
rather
than
the

12
th

grade
are
more
likely
to
actually
attend
college
(Vorsino,
2011,
May
1).

This

partnership
led
to
the
development
of
the
Step-‐Up
diploma
(also
known
as
the
Board
of

Education
Recognition
Diploma),
which
would
place
students
on
a
more
rigorous
diploma

track
when
they
enter
high
school
(Vorsino,
2011,
May
1).

Not
only
does
this
diploma

designate
college
and
career
readiness,
it
also
allows
students
to
get
information
on

college-‐prep
activities,
receive
special
consideration
for
scholarships,
and
priority

admission
to
Hawaii
colleges
(Hawaii
Department
of
Education).

The
Board
of
Education
recognition
diploma
was
implemented
in
the
2008-‐2009

school
year
for
a
few
pilot
public
high
schools
throughout
the
state.

Strengthening
the
high

school
graduation
requirements
was
a
key
pledge
for
the
Department
of
Education
as
part

of
new
reforms
to
boost
student
achievement
and
improve
the
national
standing
of

Hawaii’s
public
school
system
(Vorsino,
2011,
April
10).

The
recognition
diploma
option

became
available
to
all
high
school
graduates
the
following
school
year,
and
Hawaii’s
public

school
system
followed
the
trend
of
numerous
other
states
who
were
toughening
their

graduation
requirements
in
an
effort
to
improve
the
nation’s
college-‐going
rate
(Hawaii

Department
of
Education).

During
the
2010-‐11
school
year,
the
Board
of
Education
raised
concerns
about
the

level
of
rigor
required
for
this
recognition
diploma
and
discussions
began
to
reconsider

diploma
requirements
(Vorsino,
2011,
June
22).

A
primary
concern
was
that
the
high

standards
would
set
students
up
for
failure
and
put
schools
in
difficult
positions
as
they
try

to
provide
a
more
rigorous
academic
course
requirement.

The
revised
policy
for
the

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
42

recognition
diploma
stated
that
for
the
class
of
2016
and
beyond,
students
would
be

required
to
pass
geometry
or
an
equivalent
course,
plus
at
least
two
lab
sciences,
which

may
lead
to
a
decrease
in
social
science
requirements.

These
requirements
would
be
more

rigorous
than
the
current
standard
diploma,
but
less
than
what
is
required
to
obtain
the

optional
recognition
diploma.

The
current
draft
of
the
College
and
Career
Readiness

definition
for
the
State
of
Hawaii
has
not
yet
been
published.

Summary

This
section
of
the
chapter
focused
on
the
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
as
a
developing
educational
focus.

Researchers
have
made
links
between

educational
priorities
in
past
decades
and
the
development
and
progression
of
college
and

career
readiness
standards.

First,
globalization
is
changing
what
is
expected
of
public

educators
and
graduates
of
public
education
systems.
Secondary
institutions
are
expecting

high
school
graduates
to
have
learned
or
at
least
been
exposed
to
a
certain
set
of
skills
that

go
beyond
content
knowledge
and
the
global
economy
is
expecting
post-‐secondary

graduates
to
have
mastered
these
skills
with
the
ability
to
implement
them
in
our
rapidly

changing
global
economy.
Second,
the
state
of
Hawaii
is
currently
in
the
process
of

developing
their
definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
standards
to
be
implemented

in
the
public
school
system.

The
definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
provided
by
the

P-‐20
initiative
has
not
been
released
and
is
not
in
full
implementation
in
the
public
schools.

Data
measuring
the
success
of
these
policies
and
practices
are
scarce.

Finally,
there
are

minimal
studies
and
research
available
for
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
the
state
of

Hawaii
mainly
because
this
concept
has
only
begun
to
develop
as
a
policy
and
as
a
practice.

College
and
Career
Readiness
standards
and
the
United
Stated
Department
of
Education
is

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
43

documented
and
the
importance
of
incorporating
these
standards
and
practices
in
all

public
high
schools
across
the
nation.

Newsletters
and
documents
written
by
public

education
leaders
have
indicated
that
the
state
of
Hawaii
is
adopting
College
and
Career

Readiness
standards
and
prioritizing
the
incorporation
of
these
skills
into
the
curriculum.

College
and
Career
Readiness
standards
can
heavily
influence
the
possibility
of
post-‐
secondary
success
for
graduates
of
public
schools
in
Hawaii.

However,
there
is
a
need
for

an
accurate
understanding
of
these
standards
as
implementation
and
instruction
will
vary

amongst
all
public
schools.

The
next
section
of
this
review
of
the
literature
will
focus
on

current
forms
of
program
implementation
for
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Project-‐based
Learning
and
the
Senior
Project

In
2011,
the
state
of
Hawaii
revised
its
graduation
requirements
to
address
the

demands
being
made
by
our
global
economy.

Course
requirements
were
made
to
be
more

rigorous
and
a
Senior
Project
component
was
added
as
a
proficiency-‐based
assessment
for

measuring
College
and
Career
Readiness
(Board
Policy
4540,
2008).

The
Senior
Project

course
was
implemented
in
2008
by
the
Hawaii
Department
of
Education
as
a
requirement

for
the
Board
of
Education
Diploma;
giving
high
school
graduates
the
distinction
of

graduating
College
and
Career
Ready.

A
Senior
Project
allows
high
school
seniors
to

integrate
their
content
knowledge
and
apply
what
they
have
learned
in
a
real-‐world

situation.

This
project-‐based
program
is
meant
to
prepare
students
to
work
in
their

organization
and
their
community
by
cultivating
their
understanding
of
civic
education.

According
to
researchers,
educators,
and
policy
makers,
community
service
experiences

are
valuable
for
students
(Shiarella,
McCarthy,
&
Tucker,
2000).

Students
become
in
touch

with
the
needs
of
the
community
and
become
aware
of
the
world
that
exists
beyond
their

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
44

school.

These
experiences
can
help
build
the
skills
necessary
for
successful
employment

(or
college
and
career
ready
skills)
or
success
at
the
post-‐secondary
level
(Evers
et
al.,

1998;
Arsendorf,
2009).

The
Senior
Project
allows
students
an
opportunity
to
demonstrate
their
mastery
of

content
knowledge,
oral
and
written
communication
skills,
and
critical
thinking
(Elliot,

Meisel,
&
Richards,
1998),
which
is
a
direct
correlation
to
the
“soft”
skills
that
are

considered
essential
by
future
employers.

The
program
also
serves
as
a
final
preparation

for
graduating
high
school
students
and
encourages
students
to
utilize
skills
learned

throughout
their
academic
careers
and
implement
them
in
a
social
setting.

The
Senior
Project
is
a
project-‐based
learning
assessment
that
addresses
the
College

and
Career
Readiness
standards
in
addition
to
the
General
Learner
Outcomes,
which

targets
career
and
life
skills.
Students
learn
to
be
self-‐directed
learners
(develop

independence),
refine
their
ability
to
argue
a
point
(self-‐advocacy),
and
develop
the
skills

needed
to
solve
complex
problems
(community
contributors)
(Dreis
&
Rehage,
2008;
GLO).

These
GLOs
(General
Learner
Outcomes)
are
a
complex
initiative
to
address
the
personal,

social,
and
civic
outcomes
that
students
should
demonstrate
if
they
are
College
and
Career

Ready
(Revised
Guidelines,
2010).

The
Senior
Project
was
based
on
the
Project-‐based
learning
models
that
promote

collaboration
and
independent
inquiry
through
problem
solving
and
critical
thinking.

Project-‐based
learning
was
introduced
in
the
early
twentieth
century
to
promote
student

self-‐learning
and
encourage
students
to
acquire
and
develop
skills
through
collaborative

projects.

The
Project-‐based
learning
process
promotes
interactive
learning
and
urges

students
to
construct
knowledge
through
exploration
and
investigation
(Chang
&
Lee,

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
45

2010).

Research
on
Project-‐based
learning,
however,
began
towards
the
end
of
the

twentieth
century
(Thomas,
2000).

Project-‐based
learning
is
an
educational
model
that

organizes
learning
experiences
around
projects,
which
are
defined
as
complex
tasks
based

on
thought-‐provoking
questions
or
problems
that
involve
students
in
the
design,
problem-‐
solving,
decision
making
and
investigative
processes.

Students
are
also
given
the

opportunity
to
work
relatively
autonomously
over
extended
periods
of
time;
and
work
on
a

project
that
culminates
in
realistic
products
and
presentations
(Jones,
Rasmussen,
&

Moffin,
1997;
Thomas,
Mergendoller,
&
Michaelson,
1999).

There
are
five
criteria
that
a

project
must
have
in
order
to
be
considered
project-‐based
learning:
1)
centrality,
2)
driving

questions,
3)
constructive
investigations,
4)
autonomy,
5)
and
realism
(Thomas,
2000).

Problem-‐based
learning
is
a
similar
practice,
which
allows
for
real-‐life
application
and

problem
solving
and
helping
students
acquire
the
knowledge
and
skills
required
for
the

workplace
(Dunlap,
2005).

The
Senior
Project
was
created
in
Medford
Oregon
in
1986
as
a
way
to
measure
a

12
th

grader’s
knowledge
of
core
concepts
learned
throughout
their
years
of
schooling

(Shaunessy,
2004).

This
project
is
also
known
as
Graduation
by
Exhibition
(Barnett,
2000),

Exit
Exhibition
(Cushman,
1990),
Senior
Exit
Essay
Project
(Barret
&
Ludden,
1997),
Rite
of

Passage
Experience
(Cushman,
1990),
Senior
Exit
Project
(Troutman
&
Pawlowski,
1997)

and
Graduation
Project
(Houston
&
Tharin,
1997)
and
can
be
found
in
schools
throughout

the
United
States
(Shaunessy,
2004).

Most
Senior
Project
programs
meet
the
requirements

of
project-‐based
learning.

The
Senior
Project
program
is
centrally
focused
around
an

individual
project
that
is
based
on
and
driven
by
essential
questions
and
the
attainment
of

goals.

Students
must
individually
conduct
investigations
that
address
real-‐world
problems

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
46

that
they
have
identified
in
their
communities.

This
project
has
four
components:
a

research
paper,
a
product/project,
a
portfolio,
and
a
presentation,
which
is
how
the
senior

project
is
still
currently
structured.

The
Senior
Project
in
Hawaii
appears
to
model
the
format
of
project-‐based
learning

techniques
in
the
sense
that
students
are
encouraged
to
develop
learning
skills
through

collaboration
and
exploration.

Students
participating
in
the
Senior
Project
program
must

collaborate
and
communicate
with
school
and
community
mentors
in
order
to
produce
a

product
that
addresses
an
identified
problem
in
a
particular
community
(Board
Policy

4540).

Problem-‐solving
is
a
primary
focus
of
the
Senior
Project
as
students
are
required
to

recognize
and
define
a
problem,
invent
and
implement
a
possible
solution,
and
document

the
results.

Problem-‐solving
skills
are
often
the
most
requested
skill
by
employers
(Evers

et
al.,
1998).

Senior
Project
candidates
must
synthesize
the
knowledge
they
have
learned

and
draw
conclusions
and
make
choices
based
on
their
analysis
(Elliot,
Meisel,
&
Richards,

1998).

The
Senior
Project,
as
a
project-‐based
learning
experience,
is
intended
to
promote

civic
and
social
awareness
and
allow
opportunities
to
demonstrate
mastery
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
skills.

The
Role
of
Project-‐Based
Learning
and
the
Senior
Project

Many
professionals
currently
work
in
an
environment
of
constant
change
that

requires
innovation
or
modification.

In
order
to
meet
the
needs
of
the
work
environment,

professionals
need
to
be
content
experts
as
well
as
highly
skilled
problem
solvers,
team

players,
and
lifelong
learners
(Dunlap,
2005).

As
a
result,
educators
need
to
provide

opportunities
to
engage
students
in
ways
that
help
them
develop
and
apply
these
College

and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
a
real-‐world
setting.

Although
College
and
Career
Readiness

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
47

standards
are
a
recent
initiative
in
the
United
States
Department
of
Education,
educational

practices
and
philosophies
related
to
these
skills
have
been
in
existence
for
numerous

years
(Christensen
&
Rundus,
2003).

Shavelson
and
Huang
(2003)
discuss
the

disconnection
between
what
is
expected
of
students
and
what
students
are
tested
on.

Although
their
research
is
directed
towards
higher
education,
the
same
concept
can
be

applied
to
high
school.

In
preparation
for
higher
education,
students
are
given

standardized
tests
to
measure
what
the
nation
has
deemed
as
desired
outcomes.

These

desired
outcomes
“are
almost
always
confined
to
cognitive
output
measures
at
the
expense

of
personal,
social,
and
civic
outcomes”
(Shavelson
&
Huang,
2003,
p.
12).

The
Senior

Project,
which
measures
what
Christensen
and
Rundus
refer
to
as
“soft
skills,”
measures

what
standardized
testing
does
not.

These
soft
skills
include
the
ability
to
work
in

collaboration
with
others,
participate
in
project
planning,
manage
time
effectively,
present

in
front
of
groups
or
audiences,
and
the
ability
to
problem
solve
and
deal
with
uncertainties

in
a
professional
manner
(2003).

Researchers
also
refer
to
lifelong
competency
skills
such

as
adapting
to
and
being
an
active
participant
in
change,
dealing
with
problems
and
making

reasoned
decisions
in
a
variety
of
situations,
reasoning
critically
and
creatively,
listening
to

others’
perspectives,
collaborating
productively
in
small
groups
or
larger
groups,
and

identifying
personal
strengths
and
weaknesses
through
self
reflection
(Dunlap,
2005).

As
a

result,
Senior
Project
curricular
objectives
should
incorporate:
1)
research
that
encourages

the
integration
of
general
education
and
content
specific
perspectives,
2)
reading

significant
original
works
in
the
content
area,
3)
critical
evaluation
of
disciplinary
literature

and
limitations
of
content
area,
4)
demonstration
of
effective
writing
skills,
5)

demonstration
of
effective
oral
communication
skills
(Elliott,
Meisel,
&
Richards,
1998).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
48

Over
the
past
few
decades,
schools
across
the
country
have
been
adopting
the

Senior
Project
as
a
culminating
project
that
demonstrates
learning
and
the
ability
to
apply

interpersonal
skills
(O’Grady,
1999).

The
Senior
Project
is
meant
to
be
an
active
learning

experience
where
students
not
only
think
critically,
but
also
share
their
research
with

others
(Elliott,
Meisel,
&
Richards,
1998).

In
recent
years,
high
schools
across
the
country

have
been
refining
the
Senior
Project
to
measure
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Through

this
project-‐based
learning
experience,
students
learn
to
apply
their
knowledge
to
a

specific
project
of
their
own
choosing
and
the
emphasis
is
on
the
learning
process

(Summers,
1989).

Senior
Project
candidates
demonstrate
their
problem-‐solving
skills
by

going
through
a
six
step
process,
which
includes:

1)
recognizing
the
problem,
2)
labeling

the
problem,
3)
analyzing
the
cause
of
the
problem,
4)
exploring
optional
solutions
to
the

problem,
5)
making
a
decision
to
solve
the
problem,
and
6)
creating
and
following
an
action

plan
to
implement
the
solution
(Pokras,
1995,
p.
31).

Students
must
also
refine
their

communication
skills
and
self-‐managing
skills,
which
are
also
deemed
as
essential
for
post-‐
secondary
success.

Project-‐Based
Learning
and
the
Senior
Project
in
Hawaii

The
Department
of
Education
in
Hawai’i
provides
a
framework
for
a
successful
and

rigorous
Senior
Project
program
that
can
be
personalized
for
each
public
school
in
the

state.

Each
school
should
have
a
Senior
Project
Coordinator
who
tailors
the
Senior
Project

to
fit
the
needs
of
their
student
body
and
school.

Implementation
of
this
program
is
meant

to
be
academically
rigorous
and
skills
oriented
to
ensure
that
students
develop
skills

needed
to
succeed
at
the
post
secondary
level
(Matayoshi,
2010).

At
the
same
time,

students
are
expected
to
demonstrate
mastery
of
personal
and
social
outcomes
by
thinking

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
49

about
issues
or
problems
in
our
society
that
they
care
about
and
develop
a
personalized

solution
that
they
can
contribute.

They
must
also
show
mastery
of
civic
outcomes
through

their
ability
to
balance
their
academic
work
with
the
elements
required
to
complete
the

Senior
Project;
they
must
take
initiative
in
order
to
address
issues
or
problems
in
our

community
and
accept
social
responsibility
by
demonstrating
that
they
can
work

effectively
with
community
members
to
make
a
difference.

Like
many
Senior
Project

programs
across
the
nation,
Hawaii’s
Senior
Project
program
requires
students
to

demonstrate
competency
in
such
“soft”
skills
as
problem-‐solving,
communication,
and

teamwork.

While
it
is
important
for
school
systems
to
have
such
a
program
in
place,
it
is
equally

as
important
to
have
systems
in
place
to
measure
the
effectiveness
of
these
programs
in

nurturing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Although
the
Senior
Project
program
is
in

its
fifth
year
of
implementation,
information
regarding
Senior
Project
results
is
extremely

scarce.

No
studies
have
been
published
regarding
the
effectiveness
and
accuracy
of
the

program
as
a
promoting
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Right
now
the
only
documentation

regarding
the
Senior
Project
program
is
through
graduation
rates
recorded
in
the
state’s

longitudinal
data
system,
but
there
is
no
data
that
directly
correlates
the
program
with

those
graduation
rates.

There
is
minimal
information
regarding
how
individual
schools
are

developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
through
the
Senior
Project
program
and

how
well
these
programs
are
actually
preparing
12
th

grade
students
for
College
and
Career.

Summary

The
educational
system
is
driven
by
formative
and
summative
assessments
and

superintendent
Matayoshi
has
identified
the
need
to
further
assess
College
and
Career

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
50

Readiness
in
Hawaii’s
schools
(2010).

Currently,
the
primary
measure
in
existence
is
the

Senior
Project,
which
deems
a
student
eligible
for
the
Board
of
Education
Recognition

Diploma
(Board
Policy
4540,
2011).
First,
the
Senior
Project
has
been
in
existence
for
at

least
20
years
and
has
been
implemented
in
multiple
school
systems
across
the
country,

emphasizing
the
potential
need
for
such
a
project
in
the
educational
setting.

Second,
there

is
significant
merit
in
participating
in
a
Senior
Project
program
as
it
allows
students
to

learn
and
apply
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
that
are
necessary
for
post-‐secondary

success.

Third,
the
Senior
Project
as
a
project-‐based
learning
experience,
offers
students
an

opportunity
for
maximum
student
learning
and
growth
by
allowing
them
to
apply
skills
in
a

real-‐world
setting.

The
effectiveness
of
Blended
Learning
Environments

Recent
Project-‐based
learning
studies
have
shown
that
Project-‐based
learning
is

most
effective
when
combined
with
computer-‐based
technology,
which
is
now
used
as
a

primary
learning
tool
in
many
educational
systems
(Chang
&
Lee,
2010).
Technology
can

serve
as
an
accelerator
of
momentum
(Collins,
2001);
especially
when
used
in
association

with
other
technological
applications
that
help
enhance
student
learning
and
student

achievement.

Utilizing
the
right
combination
of
academic
content,
rigor
and
technology
can

help
move
educational
reform
towards
College
and
Career
Readiness
(Blasik,
K.,
Williams,

R.G.,
Johnson,
J.,
&
Boegli,
R.,
2004;
Baldwin,
2006;
Alliance
for
Excellent
Education,
2002;

Collins,
2001)
and
maintain
the
Department
of
Educations
goal
of
increasing
requirements

of
student
achievement.

Blended
learning,
or
the
integration
of
technology
into
classroom

curriculum,
has
increased
and
improved
significantly
in
recent
years
(Staker
&
Horn,

2012).

Blended
learning
is
an
essential
redesign
of
instructional
models
with
the
“goal
of

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
51

accelerating
learning
toward
college
and
career
readiness…by
personalizing
education
to

ensure
that
the
right
resources
and
interventions
reach
the
right
students
at
the
right
time”

(Bailey
et
al.,
2013,
p.
4).

Blended
learning
has
been
defined
as
a
formal
program
in
which
a
student
learns
at

least
partly
through
online
delivery
and
includes
at
least
some
component
of
student

control
over
time,
place,
and
or
pace
and
at
least
in
part
at
a
physical
brick-‐and-‐mortar

location
(The
Innosight
Institute).

Within
the
context
of
education,
blended
learning
is
“a

shift
to
an
online
delivery
for
a
portion
of
the
day
to
make
students,
teachers,
and
schools

more
productive,
both
academically
and
financially”
(Bailey
et
al.,
2013,
p.
6).

A
U.S.

Department
of
Education
meta
analysis
found
that
students
who
were
participating
in

online
courses
outperformed
those
who
were
participating
in
face-‐to-‐face
courses,
and

those
participating
in
blended
courses
outperformed
the
students
who
were
participating

in
online
courses,
which
emphasizes
the
potential
of
blended
learning
environments
in
the

education
setting.

Bailey
et
al.
identified
10
concentrations
for
blended
learning:

1)

Improve
ability
to
personalize
learning;
2)
Potential
for
individual
progress;
3)
Improve

student
engagement
and
motivation;
4)
Shift
to
online
state
tests
starting
in
2015;
5)
Need

to
extend
time
and
stretch
resources;
6)
potential
to
extend
the
reach
of
effective
teachers;

7)
Ability
to
improve
working
conditions;
8)
decrease
device
costs;
9)
student
and
parent

adoption
of
learning
apps;
10)
interest
in
narrowing
the
digital
divide
(2013).

There
are
a
variety
of
technology
used
in
the
educational
setting,
but
the
majority
of

the
studies
conducted
agree
that
the
integration
of
technological
tools
into
the
learning

environment
increases
the
chances
of
student
engagement
and
student
learning
(Donnelly,

2010;
Ugur,
Akkoyunlu,
&
Kurbanoglu,
2009;
Yen
&
Lee,
2011;
Cheung
&
Hew,
2011;

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
52

Kenney,
2012).

Blended
learning
allows
for
accessibility
flexibility
in
terms
of
location
and

time
(Cole,
2000)
and
has
the
potential
to
engage
the
learner
and
further
promote
learning

and
achievement
if
done
right
(Rossett,
2002).

Within
the
context
of
Project-‐based

learning,
technologies
are
often
used
as
communication
tools,
research
tools,
scaffolding

tools,
project
management
tools,
and
collaboration
tools
(Chang
&
Lee,
2010).

Blended
learning
focuses
on
enhancing
learning
and
achievement
objectives
by

applying
appropriate
learning
technologies
in
order
to
encourage
students
to
learn
and

master
the
intended
skills
(Singh
&
Reed,
2001).

One
example
of
technology
being

integrated
into
the
classroom
is
the
use
of
Computer-‐assisted
instruction
(CAI),
which

refers
to
the
use
of
computers
to
“present
drill-‐and-‐practice,
tutorials,
or
simulation

activities
offered
either
by
themselves
or
as
supplements
to
traditional,
teacher
directed

instruction
(Pilli,
2012).

Pilli
and
Aksu’s
study
discussed
the
positive
effect
computer-‐
assisted
instruction
can
have
on
students
learning
and
achievement
in
mathematics,
which

is
in
alignment
with
other
studies
conducted
within
the
same
field
(2012).
Studies

conducted
on
blended
learning
environments
indicate
that
blended
learning
not
only
offers

an
increased
number
of
learning
choices,
but
also
serves
as
a
more
effective
method
of

delivery
for
student
growth
(Singh,
2003;
Bruff
et
al.,
2013;
Lopez-‐Perez,
Perez-‐Lopez,
&

Rodriguez-‐Ariza,
2011).

Blended
learning
also
has
the
potential
to
integrate
multiple
aspects
of
learning.

Some
of
these
features
include
blending
offline
and
online
learning,
blending
self-‐paced
and

live,
collaborative
learning,
blending
structured
and
unstructured
learning,
blending

custom
content
with
off-‐the-‐shelf
content,
and
blending
work
and
learning
(Singh
&
Reed,

2001).

Within
the
context
of
secondary
education,
blending
self-‐paced
and
live,

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
53

collaborative
learning
can
be
a
significant
factor
in
enhancing
and
encouraging
student

growth
and
the
attainment
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Self-‐paced
learning
implies

isolated
and
individual
learning
at
a
pace
that
is
controlled
by
the
student,
which
can
be
an

important
element
in
student
learning
and
achievement.

Collaborative
learning
implies
an

environment
where
there
is
constant
communication
amongst
the
learners
that
promotes

the
sharing
of
knowledge.

The
blending
of
the
two
may
allow
students
more
opportunities

to
apply
what
they
have
learned
in
an
interactive
setting
(Lynch,
2011).

Blending
Project-‐based
learning
with
technology
allows
students
more

opportunities
to
demonstrate
mastery
of
learning
outcomes
and
to
increase
their

knowledge
and
self-‐efficacy
through
projects
that
are
more
hands-‐on,
personalized,
and

interactive
(Chang
&
Lee,
2010).

Recent
studies
at
the
University
of
Tennessee
and

Stanford
shows
that
blended
learning
actually
“improves
learning
outcomes
by
providing
a

better
match
between
how
a
learner
wants
to
learn
and
the
learning
program
that
is

offered”
(Singh
&
Reed,
2001).

Utilizing
blended
learning
environments
not
only

personalizes
the
learning
experience
for
students,
but
it
also
extends
the
scope
of
the

learning
experience
by
allowing
students
to
access
information
at
any
time
with
as
much

frequency
as
needed.

Blended
Learning
Environments
in
Hawaii

Numerous
shifts
in
education
has
allowed
for
a
unique
opportunity
for
schools
to

significantly
improve
the
preparation
of
high
school
students.

The
implementation
of

College
and
Career
Ready
standards
and
the
emphasis
on
increasing
access
to
technology

has
laid
the
foundation
for
a
significant
shift
towards
personalized
digital
learning

(VanderArk
&
Schneider,
2013).

Technology
continues
to
influence
educational
reform
in

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
54

regards
to
both
the
traditional
and
online
settings
(Bruff
et
al.,
2013).

Educators
have

shown
an
increased
interest
in
asynchronous
online
discourse
relating
to
the
design
and

implementation
of
meaningful
learning
experiences
(Akyol
&
Garrison,
2011)
and
online

learning
is
emerging
as
a
significant
component
in
education
today
(Napier,
Dekhane,
&

Smith,
2013).

Asynchronous
communication
is
defined
as
“instruction
and/or

communication
that
takes
place
at
different
times,
in
different
locations,
eliminating

obstacles
related
to
time
and
travel
constraints”
(Fenton
&
Watkins,
2010,
p.
233).

Sharing
knowledge
through
active
and
interactive
learning
are
replacing
traditional

teacher-‐directed
lectures
and
the
integration
of
technology-‐based
instruction
supports
the

shift
towards
more
meaningful
learning
experiences
(Yen
&
Lee,
2011).

Blended
learning

environments
allows
for
an
appropriate
educational
setting
that
will
use
technology
to

engage
students
in
higher
level
learning
and
prepare
them
for
post-‐secondary
success
by

helping
them
to
develop
skills
such
as
critical
thinking
and
time
management
(Ocak,
2010,

Cheung
&
Hew,
2011).

Blended
learning
can
also
improve
and
advance
students’

communication
skills
by
offering
a
higher
level
of
interaction
than
commonly
experienced

in
more
traditional
courses
(Cheung
&
Hew,
2011).

The
incorporation
of
technology
allows

students
an
opportunity
to
construct
their
knowledge
by
interacting
with
others
through
a

variety
of
technological
mediums
(Cheung
&
Hew,
2011).

Blended
learning
activities

complement
traditional
forms
of
learning
and
reinforces
students’
understanding
of

content
knowledge
(Lopez-‐Perez
et
al.,
2011).

The
William
and
Flora
Hewlett
Foundation

suggests
that
deeper
learning
enhances
a
students
ability
to
master
core
academic
content,

think
critically
and
solve
complex
problems,
work
collaboratively,
communicate
effectively,

and
learn
how
to
learn
(Hewlett
Foundation).

Blended
learning
promotes
higher-‐level

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
55

thinking
and
deeper
learning
through
personalized
skill
building,
the
use
of
technological

tools,
and
comprehensive
access
to
information
and
activities
(VanderArk
&
Schneider,

2013).

The
blended
learning
model
has
recently
experienced
significant
growth,
which
can

be
partially
attributed
to
the
flexibility
of
online
teaching
and
the
perceived
improvement

in
the
teaching
and
learning
experience
(Ocak,
2010;
Napier,
Dekhane,
&
Smith,
2013).

Other
advantages
include
the
ability
to
customize
learning
at
a
personalized
pace,
which

encourages
a
more
self-‐paced
learning
experience
(Bruff
et
al.,
2013).

Existing
studies

emphasize
the
importance
of
blended
learning
environments
that
provide
resources
and

learning
activities
that
develop
comprehensive
approaches
to
learning
(Kember
et
al.,

2010;
Akyol
&
Garrison,
2011).

Today’s
learning
theories
in
regards
to
how
people
learn

emphasizes
the
importance
of
active
participation
and
application
rather
than
observation.

In
these
types
of
learning
environments,
students
are
able
to
apply
course
content
and

listen
to
the
different
viewpoints
and
interpretations
of
their
peers,
which
increase
the

likelihood
of
successful
student
learning
and
achievement
(Newcombe,
2010).

These

learning
activities
are
often
described
as
relevant,
challenging,
collaborative
and
engaging

(Akyol
&
Garrison,
2011)
and
often
result
in
an
increase
in
students’
critical
thinking,

reasoning,
and
interpretative
skills
(Ocak,
2010).

A
key
challenge
is
setting
an
appropriate

learning
pace
that
will
address
differentiated
learning
styles
and
learning
paces
(Napier,

Dekhane,
&
Smith,
2013).

Another
challenge
is
selecting
technology
tools
that
aide
in
the

development
of
effective
learning
experiences,
which
allows
students
to
become
more

active
in
their
learning
by
engaging
them
in
critical
or
higher-‐level
thinking
(Newcombe,

2010).

Blended
learning
environments
allows
for
the
potential
for
collaborative
and

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
56

cooperative
learning
by
increasing
learning
opportunities
and
by
providing
another

medium
for
learners
to
interact
with
each
other
and
learn
(Newcombe,
2010;
Shih,
2011).

Blended
learning
that
integrates
online
and
face-‐to-‐face
instruction
could
create
an

effective
teaching
and
learning
experience
for
both
instructors
and
students
(Shih,
2011).

Studies
show
that
students
and
teachers
appreciate
and
value
their
experiences
in
blended

learning
environments
(Ugur
et
al.,
2009;
Ocak,
2010;
Akyol,
Garrison,
2011)
because
it

provides
a
flexible
schedule
and
self-‐paced
instruction
(Napier,
Dekhane,
&
Smith,
2013).

At
the
same
time,
students
are
still
able
to
maintain
their
face-‐to-‐face
interactions
with

instructors
on
a
regular
basis,
which
enhances
the
overall
learning
experience
(Napier
et

al.,
2013).

In
general,
blended
learning
environments
provide
an
increased
number
of

opportunities
for
students
to
comprehend
and
extend
their
learning
experiences
(Lopez-‐
Perez
et
al.,
2010).

Students
have
a
positive
perception
of
their
learning
experiences
and
a

high
level
of
satisfaction
in
these
blended
learning
environments,
which
seems
to
sustain

and
support
the
learning
process
and
enhance
student
achievement
and
their
attainment
of

the
identified
learning
outcomes
(Shih,
R.,
2011).

Researchers
found
that
the
learning

outcomes
identified
in
blended
models
are
comparable
to,
and
sometimes
better
than
face-‐
to-‐face
models,
which
helps
in
lowering
overall
attrition
rates
(Napier
et
al.,
2013).

Some

findings
also
indicate
that
educators
are
more
likely
to
agree
that
blended
teaching

provides
a
higher
degree
of
satisfaction
and
improves
student
learning
and,
to
a
certain

extent,
student
motivation
(Ocak,
2010).

Blended
learning
environments
can
be
found
with
greater
frequency
in
Hawaii’s

public
schools
as
each
individual
school
moves
towards
a
more
interactive
and
technology-‐
driven
environment.

Many
schools
are
utilizing
Learning
Management
Systems
like
Edline

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
57

and
Edmodo
to
maintain
communication
with
staff,
students,
parents,
and
a
variety
of

school
stakeholders.

Many
students
utilize
computer
or
mobile
labs
as
part
of
their

curriculum
and
use
technological
tools
on
a
regular
basis
at
home.

Many
secondary
schools

have
Career
and
Technology
Education
programs
that
offer
courses
in
computer
systems

and
technology,
and
many
schools
incorporate
technology-‐based
programs
like
Achieve

3000
and
Adaptive
Curriculum
to
enhance
the
learning
experience
for
all
students.

There
are
many
possible
blended
learning
environment
models
for
the
Senior

Project
program
as
well.

Many
high
schools
across
have
implemented
this
program
in

various
ways
including
having
students
expand
on
previous
projects,
making
the
project

mandatory,
and
including
technology
as
a
support
system.

Lailanie
High
School
is
one
of

the
pilot
schools
that
implemented
the
Senior
Project
program
in
2008
and
is
one
of
the

only
schools
to
have
such
a
developed
and
comprehensive
program.

Their
Senior
Project

website
describes
the
level
of
rigor
that
is
expected
of
these
students
and
modifications

indicate
that
there
has
been
a
movement
towards
the
use
of
a
blended
learning

environment.

The
school
has
used
Blackboard
as
a
supplemental
learning
environment
for

their
Senior
Project
program
in
recent
years
and
continues
to
use
Edline
as
a
form
of

communication
between
school
and
community
mentors,
students,
and
parents.

Lailanie

High
School’s
Senior
Project
course
is
composed
of
the
following
stages:

1. A
student
would
enroll
in
the
program
and
identify
a
project;

2. The
student
would
identify
a
school
and
community
mentor;

3. The
student
would
work
independently,
with
perhaps
an
occasional
interaction

with
their
school
and
community
mentors,
to
complete
the
project;

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
58

4. A
presentation
of
the
completed
project
and
the
learning
stretch
would
be
given
in

front
of
a
panel
of
three
judges;
and

5. A
final
written
assessment
would
be
submitted.

The
use
of
computer-‐mediated
communication
can
target
the
improvement
of
time

management
practices
for
students
enrolled
in
the
Senior
Project
course.

The
use
of

blended
learning
environments
also
allows
students
needing
more
time
with
the
materials

to
have
unlimited
access
to
online
materials,
which
extends
classroom
activities
and

enhances
the
learning
experience
(Gomez
et
al.,
2010).

Currently,
there
is
minimal
empirical
research
or
documentation
of
how
the
Senior

Project
is
being
implemented
and
measured.

Although
it
is
mandatory
for
all
public
high

schools
to
offer
the
Senior
Project
as
part
of
their
curriculum,
there
is
no
database
or

record
of
how
each
individual
school
is
developing
and
implementing
their
program
and

whether
or
not
the
program
is
aiding
in
developing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

As
a
result,
it
is
difficult
to
determine
whether
high
schools
are
utilizing
blended
learning

environments
and
if
they
are,
it
is
difficult
to
determine
to
what
capacity
they
are
utilizing

blended
learning
environments.

This
lack
of
data
indicates
a
need
for
empirical
studies
to

be
conducted
in
the
state
of
Hawaii
in
relation
to
how
these
Senior
Project
programs
are

being
implemented
and
to
what
capacity
they
are
utilizing
technology
to
enhance
student

learning
and
increase
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
grade
12
students.

Summary

The
literature
reviewed
in
this
sections
indicates
that
little
formal
research
exists
on

how
to
construct
the
most
effective
blended
program
designs
in
regards
to
maintaining
an

effective
Senior
Project
program,
but
there
is
some
research
that
indicates
that
blended

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
59

learning
offers
schools
the
ability
to
be
more
efficient
and
effective
in
delivering
learning

(Napier,
Dekhane,
&
Smith,
2013;
Akyol
&
Garrison,
2011;
Singh
&
Reed,
2001).

The

diversity
of
blended
learning
experiences
can
have
a
significant
impact
on
a
learning

program’s
effectiveness.
Research
has
shown
that
blended
learning
experiences
have

potential
for
maximizing
student
learning
and
achievement
and
promoting
College
and

Career
Readiness
(Yen
&
Lee,
2011).

The
literature
reviewed
in
this
section
also
speaks
to
a
need
for
further
investigation

into
stakeholder
perceptions
of
how
blended
learning
environments,
in
combination
with

project-‐based
learning
experiences
like
the
Senior
Project,
are
being
used
to
enhance
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
(Ocak,
2010).

This
need
for
further

investigation
into
these
subjects
is
due
to
the
limited
literature
available
in
this
field.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
60

Conceptual
Framework

The
earlier
sections
in
this
chapter
reviewed
the
following
bodies
of
literature:

1)

citizenship
education
and
workforce
preparation
in
educational
policy,
College
and
Career

Readiness
in
secondary
education,
current
definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness,
and

College
and
Career
Readiness
in
Hawaii;
2)
Project-‐based
learning
and
the
Senior
Project,

the
role
of
Project-‐based
learning
and
the
Senior
Project,
and
Project-‐based
learning
in

Hawaii;
and
3)
The
effectiveness
of
blended
learning
environments
and
blended
learning

environments
in
Hawaii.

These
three
bodies
of
literature
reviewed
have
shaped
what
will

function
as
my
conceptual
framework
for
my
study,
which
is
presented
in
Figure
2.1
below:

Figure
2.1.
Presentation
of
Conceptual
Framework

Promote
school

culture
of
critical

thinking

Build
College
and
Career
Ready
skills

w/implementation
practices

School
Practices

Project-‐based
Learning

Blended
Learning

Environments

The
Development
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
skills

School
Outcome
College
and

Career
Ready

Graduates

Individual

Perceptions

College
and
Career

Readiness

College
and
Career

Readiness
skills

Individual
School

Elements

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
61

Drawing
on
literature
from
the
three
bodies
of
literature
stated
above,
I
assert
that
there
is

a
relationship
between
how
students
obtain
and
apply
their
knowledge
and
post-‐secondary

success.

Individual
schools
have
the
flexibility
to
specify
how
their
programs
look
like
as

they
apply
to
the
specific
needs
of
their
schools.

The
types
of
learning
environments
that

are
provided
will
affect
a
students
learning
experience
and
their
potential
growth
as
a
self-‐
directed
learner
and
productive
citizen.

I
will
begin
the
presentation
of
my
Conceptual

Framework
by
discussing
my
conceptualization
of
Project-‐based
Learning,
blended

Learning
environments,
and
indiviudal
perceptions
and
definitions
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

I
will
then
direct
my
focus
to
the
practices
that
have
been
identified
by
the

school
site
as
being
essential
in
attaining
their
goal
of
producing
College
and
Career
Ready

graduates.

I
will
end
the
presentation
of
my
Conceptual
Framework
with
my

conceptuatization
of
how
I
will
define
school
change
for
the
purpose
of
this
study.

Individual
Perceptions

The
Department
of
Education
has
been
revising
their
goals
and
priorities
over
the

past
few
years
in
order
to
ensure
post
secondary
success
for
all
public
school
graduates.

All
schools
are
tasked
with
the
same
goals
and
expectations,
however
each
individual

school
(and
thus
each
individual
teacher)
must
personalize
and
internalize
what
these

goals
and
expectations
mean
in
order
to
fit
the
needs
of
their
school
and
their
students.

At

the
same
time,
students
are
tasked
with
accomplishing
the
goals
and
expectations
that
are

outlined
by
the
state
and
must
personalize
and
internalize
what
these
goals
and

expectations
mean
to
them
in
order
to
create
a
meaningful
learning
experience.

The

degree
to
which
teachers
and
students
are
successful
in
attaining
the
goals
and

expectations
of
the
state
(in
this
case,
developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills)
is

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
62

dependent
on
a
multitude
of
variations;
one
of
which
is
the
school’s
ability
to
clearly
define

what
it
means
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready
and
clearly
describe
what
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
look
like.

The
challenge
in
this
situation
is
developing
a
common
definition

of
College
and
Career
Readiness
that
fits
the
needs
of
the
school
and
its
students
as
well
as

meets
the
goals
and
expectations
set
forth
by
the
state.

For
the
purposes
of
this

dissertation,
I
will
examine
how
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates

define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
they
describe
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills.

Individual
School
Elements

For
the
purposes
of
this
study,
I
will
define
schools
as
secondary
public
schools
that

implement
Senior
Project
programs
as
outlined
by
the
State
Department
of
Education.

The

Hawaii
State
Department
of
Education
is
currently
in
the
midst
of
a
range
of

transformations
that
are
meant
to
ensure
graduates
succeed
in
college
and
careers.

Individual
public
schools
are
tasked
with
the
job
of
implementing
and
personalizing
these

transformations
in
order
to
fit
the
needs
of
their
school
and
their
students.

The
ways
in

which
such
systems
are
formed
are
based
on
each
schools
experiences
and
interpretations

of
what
their
students
will
need
to
reach
the
goal
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

The

challenge
in
this
situation
is
in
acknowledging
that
the
theories
and
applications
that
each

school
uses
may
differ
from
other
schools
in
the
state.

For
the
purposes
of
this

dissertation,
I
will
examine
the
effectiveness
of
Project-‐based
learning
experiences,

specifically
the
effectiveness
of
the
Senior
Project
program,
and
blended
learning

environments
as
these
were
elements
that
were
identified
by
the
school
site
as
being
an

essential
focus
for
attaining
the
goal
of
producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

I

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
63

will
also
examine
how
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
Learning
environments
are

perceived
as
supporting
or
impeding
the
College
and
Career
Readiness
of
12
th

grade

students
attending
public
schools
in
Hawaii.

Individual
School
Elements:
Project-‐based
Learning

Drawing
on
the
work
of
Jones,
Rasmussen,
and
Moffin
(1997)
and
Thomas,

Mergendoller,
and
Michaelson
(1999),
for
the
purpose
of
this
dissertation
I
define
project-‐
based
learning
as
a
project
that
systematizes
learning
experiences
around
projects,
which
are

described
as
complex
tasks
based
on
challenging
essential
questions
or
problems
that
involve

students
in
design,
problem-‐solving,
decision
making
or
investigative
activities,
give
students

the
opportunity
to
work
individually
over
an
extended
period
of
time,
and
includes
a
realistic

product
and
presentation
that
effectively
demonstrates
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Working
as
an
extension
of
traditional
definitions
of
project-‐based
learning,
I
argue
that
the

incorporation
of
these
experiences
in
relationship
to
College
and
Career
Readiness
is
a

significant
tool
for
understanding
how
stakeholders
perceive
the
College
and
Career

Readiness
of
12
th

grade
students.

It
is
important
for
each
school
to
create
a
pathway

towards
sustainable
growth
while
promoting
critical
thinking
and
reasoning.

The
students

ability
to
demonstrate
College
and
Career
Readiness
is
influenced
by
the
following
factors:

1)
his/her
understanding
of
previous
learning
experiences
2)
his/her
perceived
level
of

knowledge
of
what
is
needed
to
succeed
at
the
post-‐secondary
level,
and
3)
his/her

perceived
ability
to
become
an
independent
learner,
manage
their
own
experiences,
and

reflect
on
his/her
own
practices.

Project-‐based
learning
is
partly
reliant
on
the
students’
ability
to
utilize
previous

learning
experiences
as
a
basis
from
which
new
learning
can
emerge.

This
speaks
directly

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
64

to
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
where
students
are
able
to
utilize
various

experiences
in
combination
with
content
knowledge
and
apply
them
to
current
problems

or
issues.
Each
individual
school
will
emphasize
these
skills
in
different
capacities
and
at

different
levels
of
implementation.

However,
the
majority
of
schools
are
now

implementing
Project-‐based
learning
in
some
form
at
their
schools.

Development
of
this

understanding
of
purpose
can
occur
in
every
classroom
at
every
grade
level,
which
allows

for
ample
opportunity
for
students
to
obtain
a
thorough
understanding
of
the
skills
they

are
learning
and
why
it
is
important
for
them
to
learn
them.

Individual
School
Elements:
Blended
Learning
Environments

Drawing
on
the
work
of
Staker
and
Horn
(2012)
for
the
purpose
of
this
dissertation

I
define
blended
learning
environments
as
an
environment
that
focuses
on
enhancing
and

improving
the
attainment
of
learning
objectives,
specifically
College
and
Career
Readiness,
by

applying
the
most
appropriate
and
suitable
learning
technologies
in
order
to
internalize

College
and
Career
Ready
skills.

Operating
as
an
extension
from
traditional
definitions
of

blended
learning
environments,
I
argue
that
College
and
Career
Readiness
can
be
achieved

with
more
fidelity
when
technology
is
integrated
into
the
project-‐based
learning

experience.

Creating
a
blended
learning
strategy
is
an
evolutionary
process
and
must
be

explored
within
the
context
of
the
specific
educational
environment.

Blended
learning

environments
can
be
built
with
a
wide
variety
of
technological
components,
so
it
is

important
for
each
individual
school
to
determine
which
technology
meets
the
needs
of

their
school
and
their
learning
objectives.

One
question
to
consider
is
what
should
the

student
be
able
to
do
upon
completion
of
the
program
in
order
to
attain
College
and
Career

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
65

Readiness?

With
this
goal
in
mind,
school
leaders
will
need
to
create
a
program
design
that

reflects
the
identified
needs
of
the
school
(Singh
&
Reed,
2001;
Horn
&
Staker,
2011).

Individual
schools
will
also
need
to
understand
their
strengths
and
weaknesses
within

their
current
programs
and
determine
whether
the
blended
learning
environment
they
are

creating
makes
the
proper
adjustments
to
the
curriculum.

Individual
School
Elements:

The
Development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
Skills

For
the
purpose
of
this
dissertation,
I
focused
on
College
and
Career
Readiness
with

respect
to
its
application
in
the
state
of
Hawaii.

College
and
Career
Ready
graduates
should

be
able
to
demonstrate
the
ability
to
engage
in
critical
thinking
and
problem
solving,
to

communicate
effectively
and
work
in
collaboration
with
others
to
achieve
a
goal,
and
to
be

socially
responsible
(school
website).

Engaging
in
critical
thinking
and
problem
solving

refers
to
a
student’s
ability
to
examine
information
and
distinguish
relevant
information

from
irrelevant
information
within
a
specific
context.

Communicating
effectively
and
working
in
collaboration
with
others
to
achieve
a

goal
is
emphasized
as
a
primary
skill
in
numerous
empirical
sources.

From
this

perspective,
I
argue
that
there
is
an
connection
between
the
elements
of
project-‐based

learning
and
blended
learning
environments
that
can
aid
in
understanding
how
community

members,
educators,
and
recent
high
school
graduates
perceive
College
and
Career

Readiness
within
a
specific
environment
and
thus
aid
in
the
development
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
skills.

I
will
now
focus
on
two
specific
practices
within
an
individual

school
that
I
believe
are
influenced
by
the
individual
school
elements
within
my
conceptual

framework.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
66

School
Practices:

Promoting
a
School
Culture
of
Critical
Thinking
and
Building

College
and
Career
Readiness

Drawing
on
the
work
of
Ayas
and
Zeniuk
(2001),
project-‐based
learning
lays
the

foundation
for
reflective
practice
where
students
contribute
to
a
culture
that
allow

students
to
take
responsibility
for
their
decisions
and
actions.

Schools
that
are
able
to

promote
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
College
and
Career
Ready
practices
will
be

able
to
maintain
a
sense
of
purpose
and
clarity
of
both
long-‐
and
short-‐term
school
goals,

which
allows
for
a
commitment
and
willingness
to
set
the
tone
for
learning
and
model

College
and
Career
Ready
application
in
real-‐world
scenarios.

Project-‐based
learning
emphasizes
not
only
the
specific
task
at
hand,
but
also
the

long-‐term
investment
in
people
and
their
experiences
(Ayas
&
Zeniuk,
2001).

How
a

system
is
organized
will
greatly
affect
the
long-‐term
sustainability
of
school
culture
and

practices.

From
this
perspective,
I
argue
that
developing
a
school
culture
that
is
focused
on

critical
thinking
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
is
an
essential
practice
if
an
individual

school
is
to
produce
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

I
also
argue
that
using
Project-‐
based
learning
in
conjunction
with
blended
learning
will
allow
ample
opportunity
for
these

practices
to
develop
in
an
individual
school
system.

Desired
School
Outcome:

College
and
Career
Ready
Graduates

Within
my
conceptual
framework,
I
argue
that
there
is
a
connection
between
the

elements
of
project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
that
lead
a
student

to
College
and
Career
Readiness.

It
is
through
the
interaction
between
individual
school

elements
and
student
growth
demonstrated
within
the
school
environment
that
might

increase
the
likelihood
of
achieving
College
and
Career
Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
67

For
the
purpose
of
this
study,
I
define
a
College
and
Career
Ready
graduate
as
an

individual
who
is
able
to
show
proficiency
in
demonstrating
their
ability
to
engage
in
critical

thinking
and
problem
solving,
communicating
effectively
and
working
in
collaboration
with

others
to
achieve
their
goal,
and
being
socially
responsible.

I
expect
to
see
school
practices

associated
with
promoting
a
culture
of
inquiry
and
critical
thinking
involving
collaborative

discussions
amongst
students
surrounding
the
identified
problem
in
the
community.

These

practices
will
be
enhanced
by
the
project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
experiences

provided
through
school
programs.

Conclusion

Research
presented
in
this
chapter
demonstrated
that
there
are
various

perspectives
on
the
role
of
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
in

the
development
of
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

One
large
limitation
discovered
from
the
literature
review
is
the
lack
of
empirical

literature
surrounding
aspects
of
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning

environments
that
are
directly
correlated
to
College
and
Career
Ready
standards.

This
is

an
area
of
literature
that
has
been
limited
due
to
its
novelty
in
the
field
of
education.

This
is

also
an
area
that
I
want
to
explore
and
further
insight
within
my
study.

The
Conceptual

Framework
presented
near
the
end
of
the
chapter
highlights
the
bodies
of
literature
that

have
influenced
the
ideas
I
will
explore
in
my
study.

The
next
chapter
will
discuss
the

selected
methodology
for
my
study
that
was
utilized
to
address
my
established
research

questions.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
68

CHAPTER
THREE:
METHODOLOGY

The
renewed
emphasis
on
College
and
Career
Readiness
has
led
to
an
immediate

need
for
educational
reform.

In
order
to
measure
student
growth
and
preparedness
for

College
and
Career,
secondary
institutions
will
have
to
implement
measures
that
accurately

determine
whether
their
students
are
actually
graduating
College
and
Career
Ready.

In

order
to
determine
whether
or
not
students
are
graduating
College
and
Career
Ready,

secondary
institutions
must
first
define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
identify
the

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
that
are
necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success.

This

study
looked
at
how
stakeholders
currently
defined
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how

they
described
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success.

For
many
high
schools
in
the
state
of
Hawaii,
the
Senior
Project
and
the
Board
of

Education
diploma
serve
as
the
tool
to
determine
College
and
Career
Readiness,
however

there
is
a
lack
of
data
in
determining
how
well
the
Senior
Project
aids
in
the
development

of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
grade
12
students
attending
public
high
school.

The
level
or
extent
to
which
the
Senior
Project
aids
in
the
development
of
College
and

Career
Ready
skills
is
a
significant
piece
in
understanding
whether
or
not
a
high
school
is

successful
in
graduating
College
and
Career
Ready
individuals.

In
order
to
understand
the

effectiveness
of
the
Senior
Project
as
a
means
for
developing
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills,
it
is
important
to
understand
how
the
Senior
Project
is
perceived
in
terms
of
its

ability
to
support
or
impede
College
and
Career
Readiness.

This
study
looked
at
how

community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceived
the
Senior
Project
as
an

accurate
indicator
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
69

This
study
also
looked
at
the
perceived
use
of
blended
learning
environments
in

conjunction
with
the
Senior
Project
as
supporting
or
impeding
the
College
and
Career

Readiness
of
grade
12
students
attending
public
school
in
Hawaii.

Implementing
a
blended

learning
environment
not
only
allows
for
student
interaction
with
technology,
but
may
help

increase
participation
in
the
Senior
Project
program,
and
thus
increase
the
number
of

students
who
obtain
the
Board
of
Education
diploma
and
are
therefore
viewed
as
College

and
Career
Ready.

For
the
purposes
of
my
study,
I
had
three
research
questions:

1. How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
define
College

and
Career
Readiness
and
how
do
they
describe
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐
secondary
success?

2. How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceive
the

success
of
Project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)
in
aiding

12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills?

3. How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceive

blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills?

This
chapter
reviews
the
study’s
research
design,
site
and
participant
selection,
and
the

procedures
for
data
collection
and
analysis.

Research
Design

A
qualitative
case
study
methodology
was
utilized
for
the
purposes
of
this
study.

The
qualitative
methods
used
for
this
study
were
interviews
and
documentation.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
70

Qualitative
methods
were
a
good
fit
for
this
study
mainly
because
it
allowed
for
greater

flexibility
and
access.

Qualitative
researchers
focus
on
studying
things
in
their
natural

setting
while
attempting
to
understand
a
phenomena
based
on
the
meanings
people
bring

to
them
(Merriam,
2009).

This
allowed
for
a
unique
opportunity
to
obtain
a
deeper

understanding
of
particular
phenomena
in
a
specific
setting.

When
looking
at
the
Conceptual
Framework,
the
overall
school
outcome
was
to
have

College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

In
order
to
achieve
this
identified
school
outcome,

there
were
certain
practices
that
needed
to
be
in
place
and
foundational
elements
that
the

practices
needed
to
be
built
upon.

For
the
purposes
of
this
study,
the
identified
school

practices
were
to
promote
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
to
build
College
and

Career
Ready
skills
with
implementation
practices.

The
identified
school
elements
were

Project-‐based
learning
(the
Senior
Project
program)
and
blended
learning
environments,

which
should
lead
to
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

These
individual

school
elements
were
based
on
individual
perceptions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The
qualitative
methods
used
for
this
study
(interviews
and
documents)
allowed
for

an
in-‐depth
review
of
the
school
elements
and
practices
in
order
to
determine
if
the
school

outcome
is
accurately
understood.

Interviews
and
documentation
allowed
the
researcher

to
look
at
how
the
individual
school
elements
were
defined
at
the
selected
high
school
and

how
those
elements
functioned
within
the
overall
school
systems
and
goals.

Once
this
was

established,
the
researcher
was
able
to
analyze
how
the
identified
school
practices
of

promoting
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career
Ready
skills

with
implementation
practices
were
executed
within
the
school
setting
and
to
what
extent

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
71

they
were
practiced.

Once
a
comprehensive
understanding
of
these
elements
and
practices

were
established,
the
researcher
was
able
to
analyze
whether
or
not
the
school
was
able
to

attain
their
school
outcome
of
having
graduates
that
are
College
and
Career
Ready
as

assessed
by
their
Senior
Project
program.

While
studies
indicate
that
Project-‐based
learning
programs
like
the
Senior
Project

and
blended
learning
environments
maximizes
student
learning,
it
is
difficult
to
determine

the
degree
of
success
for
any
given
program
without
obtaining
an
in-‐depth
description
and

analysis
of
the
system
in
which
the
program
exists.

Qualitative
methods
allowed
the

researcher
to
focus
on
a
particular
program
within
a
particular
educational
system
and

obtain
a
comprehensive
understanding
of
how
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
define
College
and
Career
Readiness,
how
they
describe
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills,
how
they
perceive
the
success
of
the
Senior
Project
in
aiding
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
they
perceive
Blended-‐learning

environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
College
and
Career
Readiness.

A
case
study
method
was
implemented
because
it
allowed
for
a
deeper,
more

focused,
understanding
of
a
particular
situation
(Merriam,
2009).

This
method
allowed
for

a
more
inclusive
understanding
of
how
this
particular
program
worked
within
this
specific

high
school
setting
and
revealed
information
that
may
be
applicable
in
similar
settings

across
the
state
or
on
a
larger
scale.

Case
studies
also
allowed
for
a
presentation
of
data

and
analysis
that
was
more
descriptive
in
meaning
(Merriam,
2009).

Merriam
defines
this

idea
of
a
“rich,
thick
description”
as
a
“complete,
literal
description
of
the
incident
or
entity

being
investigated,”
(2009,
p.
42)
which
allowed
for
a
comprehensive
description
of
data

and
analysis
that
was
more
representative
of
the
environment
being
studied.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
72

In
this
case
study,
the
case
study
method
allowed
for
a
deeper
understanding
of
how

community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
defined
College
and
Career

Readiness,
how
they
described
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
how
they
perceived
the

success
of
the
Senior
Project
in
aiding
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

and
how
they
perceived
Blended-‐learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
College

and
Career
Readiness.

Focusing
on
one
site
allowed
for
a
more
in-‐depth
and
rich
analysis

of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
this
particular
high
school
setting.

Site
Selection
Criteria

The
case
study
for
this
dissertation
took
place
at
one
high
school
in
Hawaii.

Focusing
my
case
study
at
one
site
allowed
for
a
more
in-‐depth
investigation
in

determining
the
perceived
success
of
the
Senior
Project
in
aiding
in
the
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
and
the
effectiveness
of
blended
learning
environments

in
supporting
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
this
particular
high
school.

The
school
site

selected
for
this
study
exhibited
the
following
criteria:

1. Public
High
School

2. Implementing
a
Senior
Project
Program
with
an
Executive
Board
that
meets
the

criteria
for
the
Board
of
Education
diploma

3. Implementing
technology
to
create
a
blended
learning
environment
for
the

Senior
Project
program

The
site
needed
to
be
a
public
high
school
because
the
Senior
Project
program
was
created

specifically
for
public
high
schools.

It
was
also
important
for
the
selected
high
school
to

meet
the
criteria
for
the
Senior
Project
program.

Most
importantly,
this
site
already

incorporated
technology
to
create
a
blended
learning
environment
that
will
hopefully

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
73

result
in
an
increase
in
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates,
which
is
an
important

indicator
in
selecting
a
high
school
sight.

Participant
Selection

Community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
were
the
focus
of
the
study.

Community
members
who
served
as
judges
for
the
Senior
Project
Program
were
asked
to

participate
in
this
study.

These
community
members
served
as
Senior
Project
judges
for
at

least
two
years
and
were
familiar
with
the
criteria
and
expectations
of
students
in
regards

to
meeting
Senior
Project
requirements.

Six
community
members
agreed
to
participate
in

the
study.

All
community
member
participants
were
retired
public
educators.

Two
served

as
Senior
Project
judges
for
five
years,
three
served
as
judges
for
four
years,
and
one
served

as
a
judge
for
the
past
two
years.

Educators
were
selected
based
on
their
recent
involvement
with
Lailanie
High

School.

All
three
educators
were
former
teachers
at
Lailanie
High
School,
but
no
longer

work
for
the
Department
of
Education.

Due
to
Department
of
Education
constraints,
it
was

not
possible
to
interview
current
educators
at
the
high
school,
so
it
was
essential
to
find

educators
who
were
no
longer
employed
by
the
Department
of
Education,
but
were

involved
with
the
high
school’s
Senior
Project
program.

These
three
educators
served
as

members
of
the
Senior
Project
Executive
Board
and
are
familiar
with
school
practices
and

policies.

Eight
recent
graduates
agreed
to
participate
in
the
study
and
all
participated
in
the

Senior
Project
program
at
Lailanie
High
School.

Three
were
members
of
the
class
of
2013,

three
were
members
of
the
class
of
2012,
one
was
a
member
of
the
class
of
2010,
and
one

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
74

was
a
member
of
the
class
of
2009.

A
total
of
17
participants
have
agreed
to
participate
in

this
study
and
provide
insight
into
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
Lailanie
High
School.

I
chose
to
focus
on
community
members
and
educators
involved
with
this
high

school
site
because
they
have
obtained
an
in-‐depth
understanding
of
the
program
over
the

course
of
its
five-‐year
development.

This
in-‐depth
understanding
of
the
program
allowed

for
various
perspectives
on
the
use
of
the
program
as
an
accurate
measure
of
College
and

Career
Readiness.

These
members
were
able
to
give
a
unique
perspective
on
the
results
of

the
blended
learning
implementation.

I
chose
to
select
high
school
graduates
who
participated
in
the
Senior
Project

program
because
they
were
able
to
provide
a
deeper
understanding
of
how
these
skills

impacted
their
experiences
in
a
post-‐secondary
institution.

These
graduates
were
also
able

to
provide
information
from
a
different
perspective
as
they
were
participants
in
the

program
rather
than
implementers
of
the
program.

Data
Collection

In
accordance
with
qualitative
research,
the
primary
instrument
of
data
collection

and
analysis
was
myself
–
the
researcher
(Merriam,
2009).

As
the
primary
instrument
of

data
collection,
I
was
able
to
develop
and
increase
my
understanding
through
nonverbal

and
verbal
communication
and
analyze
data
as
it
was
collected.

I
was
also
able
to
clarify

and
summarize
information
and
check
with
my
respondents
to
ensure
that
I
made
accurate

interpretations
and
allowed
for
the
exploration
of
any
unanticipated
responses
(Merriam,

2009).

As
the
primary
instrument
of
collecting
data
for
this
particular
study,
in-‐depth

interviews
and
document
analysis
were
used.

These
sources
of
data
were
used
to
examine

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
75

community
member,
educator,
and
recent
graduates’
perceptions
of
the
Senior
Project
as

successfully
aiding
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
and
the

perceived
effectiveness
of
blended
learning
environments
in
supporting
College
and
Career

Readiness.

Qualitative
research
methods
allowed
for
a
rich,
in-‐depth
description
of
College

and
Career
Readiness
at
this
particular
site.

The
primary
source
of
the
data
collected
was
from
the
community
members,

educators,
and
the
recent
high
school
graduates.

Collected
data
directly
from
individual

participants
allowed
for
a
deeper
understanding
of
their
perceptions
and
interpretations
of

the
Senior
Project
and
its
subsequent
successes.

Individualized
data
collection
also
allowed

for
further
explanation
of
how
the
Senior
Project
worked
at
this
school
and
the
role
it

played
within
the
academic
setting.

Collecting
data
from
two
sources
allowed
for

interpretation
and
analysis
through
different
lenses
as
members
represented
different

subject
areas
and
different
categories
of
participation.

Interviews

Interviews
are
considered
to
be
one
of
the
most
important
sources
of
data
collection

within
the
case
study
method
(Merriam,
2009).

Merriam
describes
interviews
as
a

conversation
with
a
purpose,
which
is
to
obtain
specific
information
(2009).

Interviewing

is
necessary
when
“we
cannot
observe
behavior,
feelings,
or
how
people
interpret
the

world
around
them”
(Merriam,
2009,
p.
88).

Determining
community
member,
educator,

and
recent
graduates’
perceptions
of
the
Senior
Project
as
aiding
in
the
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
required
more
than
quantitative
data.

Additionally,
the

perceived
effectiveness
of
blended
learning
environments
cannot
necessarily
be
directly

observed.

In
order
to
determine
the
perceived
effectiveness
of
blended
learning

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
76

environments
as
supporting
College
and
Career
Readiness,
the
researcher
obtained
more

information
than
what
can
be
purely
observed.

Interviewing
community
members,

educators,
and
recent
graduates
allowed
for
a
more
in-‐depth
understanding
of

conversations
that
were
happening
through
the
lens
of
each
individual.

The
compilation
of

interpretations
allowed
for
a
comprehensive
idea
of
blended
learning
and
Senior
Project

successes.

The
literature
revealed
a
lack
of
research
in
the
field
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
that
was
specifically
linked
with
blended
Learning
and
Project-‐based
learning.

In
the
State
of
Hawaii,
literature
also
showed
a
lack
of
data
regarding
how
College
and

Career
Readiness
is
defined
and
how
current
programs
aid
in
the
development
of
College

and
Career
Readiness.

An
interview
protocol
was
created
to
obtain
information
related
to

the
three
research
questions.

Questions
were
created
to
target
certain
information
needed

to
answer
the
research
questions.

Using
Merriam’s
(2009)
guidelines
for
interview

protocols,
I
chose
the
semi-‐structured
interview,
which
allows
for
guided
questions
and
a

list
of
issues
to
help
with
the
questioning.

Questions
posed
during
the
interview
protocol

will
hopefully
allow
interviewees
to
divulge
information
in
a
more
fluid
manner.

I
also
conducted
the
majority
of
my
interviews
using
the
person-‐to-‐person
format
in

which
the
researcher
elicited
information
from
a
particular
individual
(Merriam,
2009).

Again,
questions
posed
during
the
interview
protocol
allowed
interviewees
to
divulge

information
in
a
more
fluid
manner.

In-‐depth
interviews
were
used
to
gather
data

surrounding
the
accuracy
of
the
Senior
Project
program
as
a
measure
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

These
questions
were
aimed
at
learning
about
the
interviewees

understanding
of
College
and
Career
Ready
skills,
the
Senior
Project
program,
and
the

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
77

capacity
through
which
the
Senior
Project
program
is
understood
as
aiding
in
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

These
questions
also
provided
insight

into
the
perceived
effectiveness
of
blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
College

and
Career
Readiness.

Documentation

For
the
purpose
of
this
case
study,
documents
publicized
on
the
school
websites

were
used
to
obtain
further
insight
into
the
Senior
Project
program.

Due
to
Department
of

Education
restraints,
analysis
was
limited
to
documentation
that
was
made
public
by

Lailanie
High
School.

Documentation
used
included
school
policies
and
practices,
excel

spreadsheets,
previous
Senior
Projects,
and
annual
results.

Documentation
was
important

in
this
case
study
because
it
verified
evidence
collected
from
other
sources.

Although
this

study
did
not
include
interviews
of
previous
years,
documentation
from
previous
years

provided
insight
into
the
development
of
the
Senior
Project
program
and
the

implementation
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
at
this
particular
high
school.

While

interviews
were
specifically
geared
towards
the
research
questions
at
hand,
documents

were
not
subject
to
the
same
limitations
and
provided
a
different
perspective
on
the

phenomenon
being
studied
(Merriam,
2009).

Documentation
also
included
descriptions
of

the
Senior
Project
from
previous
years,
course
outlines,
and
state
requirements.

These

documents
provided
insight
into
modifications
made
in
terms
of
the
purpose
of
the
Senior

Project
and
how
the
program
helped
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Ready
skills

over
time.

Public
records
are
documents
that
record
society’s
activities
(Merriam,
2009).

For

the
purposes
of
this
case
study,
public
documents
that
were
produced
and
published
by
the

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
78

Department
of
Education
and
its
affiliates
were
used
to
obtain
longitudinal
data
that
helped

fill
in
any
gaps
in
understanding
and
revealed
information
that
could
not
have
been

otherwise
obtained
through
an
interview.

Case
Study
Data
Analysis

I
relied
on
several
theoretical
ideologies
within
this
case
study,
which
were

illustrated
within
the
Conceptual
Framework
presented
at
the
end
of
Chapter
2.

The
first

involved
the
assertion
that
the
Senior
Project
was
the
only
current
measure
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
that
was
identified
by
Lailanie
High
School
and
that
the
Project-‐based

learning
model
and
blended
learning
environment
served
as
an
accurate
structure
for

incorporating
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The
second
assertion
within
the

Conceptual
Framework
was
that
the
two
prominent
school
practices
involved
promoting
a

school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career
Ready
skills
with

implementation
practices.

The
extent
to
which
a
school
employed
these
practices
was

influenced
by
the
individual
school
elements
that
were
stated
in
the
first
assertion.

Finally,

a
school’s
individual
elements
in
conjunction
with
the
school
practices
influenced
the

likelihood
of
achieving
school-‐wide
change.

This
case
study,
however,
only
sought
to
infer

the
extent
to
which
the
school
outcome
could
be
theoretically
achieved
by
understanding

community
members’,
educators’,
and
recent
graduates’
perceptions
of
the
Senior
Project

as
aiding
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
due
to
the
time

constraints
associated
with
the
data
collection
period.

Each
of
the
theoretical
frames
discussed
influenced
my
Conceptual
Framework
and

it
is
these
theoretical
frames
that
were
used
when
implementing
my
data
analysis.

I

analyzed
the
current
systems
of
the
selected
high
school
using
the
theoretical
frames
as
a

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
79

foundation
and
as
a
reference
to
look
for
patterns
that
were
related
to
the
relationship

between
school
elements
and
the
perception
of
the
Senior
Project
as
successfully
aiding
in

the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

In
order
to
evaluate
the
interviews,
the
following
data
analysis
techniques
were

used:
constant
comparisons,
finding
various
meanings
of
a
word,
and
waving
the
red
flag.

Constant
comparisons
were
used
to
differentiate
between
themes
and
identify
the

properties
and
elements
of
each
theme
(Corbin
&
Strauss,
2008).

Since
I
was
trying
to

understand
community
member,
educator,
and
recent
graduate
perceptions
of
the
success

of
the
Senior
Project
as
aiding
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
it

was
important
to
be
able
to
uncover
the
varying
definitions
and
criteria
for
College
and

Career
Readiness
that
currently
existed
on
the
campus.

In
order
to
conduct
this
evaluation,

coding
was
used
as
a
primary
tool.

During
the
interviews,
black
pen
was
used
for
general

notes
and
observations
and
blue
pen
was
used
for
my
own
opinions,
speculations,
and

notations.

During
the
review
of
the
interviews,
a
highlighter
was
used
to
indicate
an
area

that
needed
to
be
reviewed
again.

“CCR”
was
used
to
designate
a
reference
to
College
and

Career
Ready
skills,
“BL”
was
used
to
designate
references
to
technological
needs,
and
“?”

was
used
to
designate
a
potential
question
that
needed
to
be
revisited
or
asked.

When
answering
the
research
questions
of
this
study,
it
was
essential
to
identify
the

College
and
Career
Ready
skills
being
measured
and
look
at
what
these
skills
looked
like
at

this
particular
site.

The
interviewing
protocol
was
used
to
reveal
a
few
of
the
indicators

that
were
measured
at
Lailanie
High
School.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
80

Validity
and
Reliability

Validity
is
defined
as
“evidence
based
judgment
that
a
test
measures
what
it
is

intended
to
measure”
(Krathwohl,
1998,
p.
694)
and
reliability
refers
to
whether
or
not
an

instrument
is
consistent
and
accurate
in
its
measurement
(Krathwohl,
1998).

In
order
to

ensure
validity
and
reliability,
the
researcher
paid
close
attention
to
detail
in
order
to

ensure
that
procedures
were
followed
as
faithfully
as
possible.

These
procedures
included

being
transparent
about
any
biases
that
might
potentially
influence
the
qualitative
analysis

and
ensuring
that
actions
were
taken
and
practices
were
in
place
to
minimize
the
biases

that
were
revealed
during
the
course
of
the
study.

It
was
particularly
important
to
ensure

that
the
conclusions
drawn
from
this
research
were
supported
by
a
rich
description
of
the

information
obtained
through
interviews,
observations,
and
documentation
(Merriam,

2009).

Maxwell
describes
validity
as
a
goal
rather
than
a
product
because
it
cannot
be

proven
or
taken
for
granted
(2005).

Validity
is
also
comparative
in
the
sense
that
it
has
to

be
assessed
in
relation
to
the
bounded
system
in
which
the
research
was
conducted

(Merriam,
2009).

In
the
context
of
qualitative
research,
reliability
refers
to
whether
the

results
were
consistent
with
the
data
collected
(Merriam,
2009).

In
both
cases,
it
was

important
to
obtain
a
thorough
understanding
of
the
perspectives
of
all
participants
in
this

study
in
order
to
present
an
accurate
account
of
what
was
happening
at
this
particular
site.

In
order
to
establish
validity,
it
was
also
important
to
triangulate
any
findings
that
emerged

during
the
course
of
this
study
and
use
multiple
methods,
sources
of
data,
and
resources
to

confirm
the
findings
that
emerge
(Merriam,
2009).

What
a
respondent
revealed
in
an

interview
was
checked
against
any
documentation
that
was
relevant
to
that
finding.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
81

Triangulation
occurred
between
interviews
and
documentation.

Multiple

respondents
were
interviewed
and
each
respondent
brought
a
different
perspective
and

understanding
to
the
issue
at
hand.

The
variation
in
respondent
information
helped
to

verify
findings
that
emerged
during
the
course
of
the
study.

Respondent
validation
was

used
to
ensure
that
I
obtained
feedback
on
emerging
findings
that
were
exposed
during
the

course
of
the
interviews
(Merriam,
2009).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
82

CHAPTER
FOUR:
RESULTS

A
2006
report
from
the
ACT
showed
that
many
high
school
graduates
are
not

prepared
to
succeed
in
credit-‐bearing
first-‐year
college
courses
and
many
are
forced
to

take
remedial
classes.

Current
graduates
are
not
meeting
the
expectations
of
our

globalized
economy
(Altbach
&
Knight,
2007).

High
school
graduates
do
not
possess
the

knowledge
and
skills
necessary
to
perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level

(Achieve,
2004).

High
school
graduates
are
now
expected
to
be
equipped
with
a
certain
set

of
skills
that
are
not
entirely
based
on
subject
knowledge
(Armstrong,
2007)
and
students

must
not
only
be
able
to
access
information,
but
also
apply
the
information
by
utilizing

their
problem-‐solving
skills
and
participating
in
the
teamwork
process;
skills
that
are
often

referred
to
as
“soft”
interpersonal
skills,
which
are
also
essential
to
post-‐secondary
success

(Arsendorf,
2009).

Current
measures
of
college
preparation
are
limited
because
there
is

minimal
information
regarding
what
students
must
be
able
to
do
in
order
to
be
ready
for

College
and
Career
(Conley
2008).

This
study
attempts
to
provide
further
information

regarding
College
and
Career
Readiness
preparation
in
high
school
students.

The
purpose
of
this
study
was
to
gain
a
deeper
understanding
of
the
individual

perceptions
of
school
stakeholders
in
regards
to
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College

and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The
purpose
of
this
study
was
also
to
gain
a
better

understanding
of
the
school’s
ability
to
achieve
their
school
outcome
of
producing
College

and
Career
ready
graduates
based
on
the
school
elements
and
practices
that
they
already

have
in
place.

In
order
to
achieve
a
better
understanding,
the
researcher
examined
how

community
members,
teachers,
and
students
define
college
and
career
readiness
and
how

they
describe
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success;
how
community
members,

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
83

teachers,
and
students
perceive
the
success
of
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the

Senior
Project)
in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
college
and
career

readiness
skills;
and
how
community
members,
teachers,
and
students
perceive
blended

learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development
of
college
and

career
readiness
skills.

This
chapter
will
now
present
the
results
that
emerged
from
the
data
collected
using

the
conceptual
framework
developed
for
the
purpose
of
this
study.

A
pseudonym
for
the

high
school
was
used
to
protect
the
identities
of
all
involved
in
this
case
study.

Lailanie
High
School’s
goal
is
to
produce
College
and
Career
Ready
Graduates
who

are
able
to:

• Think
critically,
independently,
and
compassionately
about
the
world
they

live
in;

• Produce
quality
products;

• Communicate
ideas
clearly
and
effectively;

• Use
technology
in
a
knowledgeable
and
ethical
manner

• Exhibit
a
responsible
commitment
to
society
(School
Mission)

As
a
result,
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates
have
been
identified
as
the
school
outcome

in
the
conceptual
framework.

Based
on
current
research
and
case
study
findings,
the

Conceptual
Framework
outlines
essential
elements
that
must
be
in
place
in
order
to

achieve
the
school
outcome
of
producing
graduates
that
are
College
and
Career
Ready.

At

the
foundation
of
the
pyramid
are
the
individual
perceptions
that
are
held
by
individuals

involved
with
the
school.

More
specifically,
it
includes
their
perceptions
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The
next
tier
of
the
pyramid

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
84

showcases
the
individual
school
elements
that
are
currently
in
place
at
Lailanie
High

School.

Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
have
been
identified
as

school
elements
that
will
lead
to
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills

(school
senior
project
website).

The
next
tier
identifies
the
school
practices
that
are

currently
in
place
to
promote
the
school
outcome
of
producing
graduates
that
are
college

and
career
ready.

These
practices
include
promoting
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking

and
building
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

A
qualitative
case
study
was
conducted
with
data
collected
from
interviews
and

document
collection
(Merriam,
2009).

Pseudonyms
for
the
school
sites,
principals,
and

interview
participants
were
created
to
ensure
that
all
participants’
identities
were
kept

private.

First,
the
background
of
the
case
will
be
presented
followed
by
the
case
study’s

findings
in
relation
to
the
research
question.

All
results
presented
served
to
answer
the

following
research
questions
for
this
study:

• How
do
community
members,
teachers,
and
students
define
college
and

career
readiness
and
how
do
they
describe
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐
secondary
success?

• How
do
community
members,
teachers,
and
students
perceive
the
success
of

project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)
in
aiding
12
th

grade

students
in
their
development
of
college
and
career
readiness
skills?

• How
do
community
members,
teachers,
and
students
perceive
blended

learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development
of

college
and
career
readiness
skills?

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
85

Results
will
be
organized
according
to
the
Conceptual
Framework
and
will
begin
with

individual
perceptions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills.

Results
for
the
individual
school
elements
will
be
presented
next,
which
include

project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments.

Results
for
School
practices

will
be
presented
last
along
with
a
synopsis
of
how
these
elements
lead
to
the
school

outcome
of
producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
86

Case
Study:

Lailanie
High
School

Pseudonyms
were
used
for
the
high
school
and
its
representative
town
in
order
to

protect
the
identities
of
all
involved
in
this
study.

Lailanie
High
School
is
the
only
public

high
school
in
Koge
Town.

The
town
is
a
planned
suburban,
middle
to
upper-‐middle
class

community
with
few
families
living
in
poverty.

Koge
Town
consists
of
two
census-‐
designated
places,
Koge
Town
and
Koge
Mauka,
with
an
approximate
population
of
48,670

(2010
census).

Koge
is
known
for
its
wide,
tree-‐lined
streets
with
well-‐tended
homes
and

yards.

Koge
Town
was
named
an
All-‐American
City
in
1986
and
has
worked
to
maintain

those
ideals
throughout
the
years.

Although
Koge
is
generally
considered
middle
to
upper

middle
class,
a
closer
look
at
the
types
of
homes
reveals
a
range
from
expensive,
custom-‐
built
homes
to
low-‐income
apartments.

Approximately
50%
of
Koge’s
population
is
of
Asian
decent.

The
remaining
50%
is

quite
diverse
and
includes
many
ethnic
groups,
such
as,
Hawaiian/Part
Hawaiian,

Caucasian,
Samoan,
African-‐American,
Hispanic,
and
several
other
ethnic
groups.

Thirty-‐
seven
percent
of
the
Koge
community
is
college
graduates,
which
is
7.8%
above
the
state

average.

Another
34.3%
of
the
Koge
community
has
attended
some
college,
which
is
2.9%

above
the
state
average.

This
means
that
the
majority
of
the
community
(71.5%)
has

attended
some
college
or
has
graduated
from
college
(Accreditation,
2014).

Lailanie
High
School
was
established
in
1973
and
currently
accredited
by
the

Western
Association
of
Schools
and
Colleges.

Average
enrollment
remains
steady
at
2,450

students
in
grades
9-‐12.

The
expenditure
per
pupil
is
$3,900,
which
makes
Lailanie
High

School
the
lowest
funded
school
in
the
state.

Approximately
93%
of
the
starting

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
87

enrollment
remains
enrolled
during
the
entire
school
year.

The
student
body
comprises
a

full
spectrum
of
local
and
military
students
coming
from
all
socio-‐economic
levels.

Due
to
Department
of
Education
restraints,
participants
for
this
study
were
carefully

selected.

Participants
include
members
from
three
stakeholder
groups:
Community

members,
educators
that
have
previous
experience
with
the
school,
and
recent
graduates
of

Lailanie
High
School.

Community
members
who
served
as
judges
for
the
Senior
Project

Program
were
asked
to
participate
in
this
study.

These
community
members
have
served

as
Senior
Project
judges
for
at
least
two
years
and
are
familiar
with
the
criteria
and

expectations
of
students
in
regards
to
meeting
Senior
Project
requirements.

Six

community
members
agreed
to
participate
in
the
study.

All
community
member

participants
are
retired
public
educators.

Educators
were
selected
based
on
their
recent
involvement
with
Lailanie
High

School.

All
three
educators
were
former
teachers
at
Lailanie
High
School,
but
no
longer

work
for
the
Department
of
Education.

These
three
educators
served
as
members
of
the

Senior
Project
Executive
Board
and
are
familiar
with
school
practices
and
policies.

Eight
recent
graduates
agreed
to
participate
in
the
study
and
all
have
participated
in

the
Senior
Project
program.

Three
are
members
of
the
class
of
2013,
three
are
members
of

the
class
of
2012,
one
is
a
member
of
the
class
of
2010,
and
one
is
a
member
of
the
class
of

2009.

A
total
of
17
participants
have
agreed
to
participate
in
this
study
and
provide
insight

into
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
Lailanie
High
School.

The
Conceptual
Framework
was

created
based
on
current
research
and
preliminary
research
of
Lailanie
High
School.

The

study
was
designed
to
determine
whether
the
framework
is
an
accurate
model
of
how

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
88

College
and
Career
Readiness
is
attained
at
the
school
based
on
stakeholder
perceptions
of

key
elements.

The
first
research
question
(How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
do
they
describe
the
skills

necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success)
relates
to
the
foundation
of
the
Conceptual

Framework
and
is
meant
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
individual
perceptions
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

An
examination
of

the
data
collected
revealed
that
when
it
comes
to
defining
College
and
Career
Readiness

and
identifying
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
all
three
groups
(community
members,

educators,
and
recent
graduates)
agree
that
there
is
a
need
to
develop
certain
skills
at
the

high
school
level.

Although
there
are
a
wide
range
of
definitions
and
skills,
there
are
a
few

terms
that
are
consistently
repeated
throughout
all
groups,
which
will
serve
as
the

foundation
for
the
development
of
a
common
definition
for
College
and
Career
Readiness.

The
second
research
question
(How
do
community
members,
teachers,
and
students

perceive
the
success
of
project-‐based
learning
programs
[like
the
Senior
Project]
in
aiding

12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
college
and
career
readiness
skills)
relates
to

the
second
tier
of
the
Conceptual
Framework,
which
refers
to
individual
school
elements
as

identified
by
Lailanie
High
School.

An
examination
of
the
data
collected
revealed
that

community
members
perceive
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)
as

successful
in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

Community
members
and
educators
view
project-‐based
learning

programs
as
having
the
potential
to
be
successful
in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Recent
graduates
have
mixed

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
89

perceptions
about
project-‐based
learning
programs
as
being
successful
in
developing

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The
third
research
question
(How
do
community
members,
teachers,
and
students

perceive
blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development

of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills)
also
relates
to
the
second
tier
of
the
Conceptual

Framework,
which
refers
to
individual
school
elements
as
identified
by
Lailanie
High

School.

An
examination
of
the
data
collected
revealed
that
all
three
groups
do
not
have
a

complete
understanding
of
blended
learning
environments.

However,
all
groups

emphasize
the
importance
of
technology
being
integrated
into
project-‐based
learning

programs
and
the
importance
of
technology
as
being
part
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Documents
that
are
accessible
to
the
public
were
used
to
gain
a
better

understanding
of
the
third
tier
of
the
Conceptual
Framework,
which
refers
to
the
school

practices
that
were
identified
by
Lailanie
High
School’s
Self-‐Study
Report.

An
examination

of
the
data
collected
revealed
that
while
these
practices
are
currently
in
place,
they
are
not

necessarily
working
in
tandem
to
produce
graduates
that
are
College
and
Career
Ready.

Promoting
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills
are
obvious
goals
of
the
school,
however
results
do
not
indicate
that
the
practices
are

clearly
identified
and
in
place,
which
may
serve
as
an
area
of
need.

Results
for
each
section

will
be
presented
in
further
detail
in
the
following
sections
of
this
chapter.

Individual
Perceptions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career

Readiness
Skills

Research
Question
One
asked
how
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
do
they
describe
the
skills

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
90

necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success?

This
research
question
relates
to
the
first
tier
of
the

Conceptual
Framework,
which
refers
to
individual
perceptions
regarding
College
and

Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Arsendorf
(2009)
acknowledges

that
there
are
many
definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
and
many
of
them
refer
to
a
balance
between
“hard”
technical
skills
and

“soft”
interpersonal
skills;
both
of
which
are
considered
essential
to
post-‐secondary

success.

Andrews
and
Wooten
(2005)
also
acknowledge
that
many
employers
recognize

the
importance
of
“soft”
skill
development
and
look
for
graduates
who
are
able
to
apply

these
skills
and
have
the
potential
to
be
productive
members
of
the
workforce
and
society

as
a
whole.

This
new
set
of
“soft”
skills
are
not
necessarily
a
part
of
the
traditional

classroom
experience
(Armstrong,
2007),
which
accounts
for
the
minimal
amount
of

information
available
in
regards
to
what
students
must
be
able
to
do
in
order
to
be
ready
to

succeed
after
high
school
(McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006).

Initial
research
revealed
a
myriad
of

skills
that
are
considered
a
part
of
College
and
Career
Readiness;
the
majority
of
which

were
presented
in
Chapter
2
of
this
study.

In
order
to
obtain
a
more
complete

understanding
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
at
Lailanie
High
School,
community

members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
were
asked
how
they
would
define
College
and

Career
Readiness
and
they
were
asked
to
describe
the
skills
needed
to
be
College
and

Career
Ready.

The
definition
and
identification
of
skills
provided
foundational
information

that
would
provide
insight
into
the
school’s
ability
to
reach
their
school
outcome
of

producing
college
and
career
ready
graduates.

An
examination
of
the
data
collected
revealed
that
when
it
comes
to
defining
College

and
Career
Readiness
and
identifying
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
all
three
groups

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
91

(community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates)
agree
that
there
is
a
need
to

develop
certain
skills
at
the
high
school
level,
which
is
in
alignment
with
College
and
Career

Readiness
research.

Although
there
are
a
wide
range
of
definitions
and
skills
that
were

identified
by
the
three
groups,
there
are
a
few
terms
that
are
consistently
repeated

throughout
all
groups,
which
will
serve
as
the
foundation
in
the
development
of
a
common

definition
for
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Results
for
individual
perceptions
will
be

divided
into
two
sections.

The
first
section
will
focus
on
results
related
to
defining
College

and
Career
Readiness
and
the
second
will
focus
on
the
identification
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

Individual
Perceptions
-‐
College
and
Career
Readiness

McCarthy
and
Kuh
(2006)
stated
that
the
public
school
system
has
been
recently

scrutinized
nationwide
because
high
school
graduates
do
not
possess
the
knowledge
and

skills
necessary
to
perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level.

Arsendorf
(2009)

identified
a
need
for
a
balance
between
“hard”
technical
skills
and
“soft”
interpersonal

skills,
which
many
employers
look
for
in
graduates
(Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005).

Arsendorf

(2009)
also
found
that
students
must
not
only
be
able
to
access
information,
but
also
apply

the
information
by
utilizing
certain
“soft”
skills
such
as
problem-‐solving
skills
and

participating
in
teamwork
processes.

It
is
becoming
increasingly
important
for
graduates

to
be
able
to
apply
what
they
know
and
the
skills
they
have
learned
in
real-‐world
situations

(Watson,
2003).

In
order
to
develop
a
better
understanding
of
how
College
and
Career

Readiness
could
be
defined
at
Lailanie
High
School,
three
groups
were
interviewed
to

examine
how
they
defined
College
and
Career
Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
92

An
examination
of
the
interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
revealed
three
prominent
perceptions
about
College
and
Career
Readiness
and

that
are
in
alignment
with
College
and
Career
Readiness
research:

1)
Students
need
both

basic
and
practical
knowledge
and
experiences;
2)
definitions
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
include
skills
and
practices
that
must
be
applied
by
the
student;
3)
definitions
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
operate
under
the
assumption
that
individuals
will
at
least
be

exposed
to
readiness
skills
by
the
time
they
graduate
from
high
school.

Students
Need
both
Basic
and
Practical
Knowledge
and
Experiences

Community
members,
educators,
and
students
were
asked
to
provide
their
own

definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

All
three
groups
included
both
content

knowledge
and
practical
skills
as
part
of
their
definitions.

Watson
(2003)
stated
that
it
is

becoming
increasingly
important
for
students
to
be
able
to
apply
what
they
know
and
the

skills
they
have
learned
in
real-‐world
situations;
situations
that
mimic
college
and
the

workplace.

This
relationship
between
knowledge
and
practical
skills
seems
to
echo
the

perceptions
of
the
three
groups
that
were
interviewed.

The
common
perception
is
that
the

acquisition
of
knowledge
is
essential,
however
in
order
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready,
a

student
must
also
obtain
practical
experiences
that
align
with
Arsendorf’s
“soft”

interpersonal
skills
(2009).

Specific
references
to
“hard”
technical
skills
and
“soft”

interpersonal
skills
will
also
be
included
in
a
subsequent
section
that
specifically
looks
at

the
description
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

All
17
interviewees
included
both

“hard”
technical
skills
and

“soft”
interpersonal
skills
as
part
of
their
definitions
of
College

and
Career
Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
93

One
community
member
(RT)
defined
College
and
Career
Readiness
as
“proficiency

and
demonstration
of
competency
in
critical
thinking,
computer
skills,
computation
skills,

communication,
oral
and
written
skills,
and
time
management”
(personal
communication,

March
5,
2014).

Another
community
member
(GN)
defined
College
and
Career
Readiness

as
a
student
who
is
“proficient
in
being
able
to
apply
knowledge,
the
desire
to
succeed,

critical
thinking,
communication,
being
able
to
complete
tasks,
and
technology
skills”

(personal
communication,
February
22,
2014).

A
recent
graduate
(CC)
defined
College
and

Career
Readiness
as
“applying
all
the
skills
and
knowledge
you
learned
from
schooling
and

applying
them
to
the
real-‐world,
which
includes
time
management
skills,
determination,

and
the
ability
to
find
information”
(personal
communication,
February
4,
2014).

Another

recent
graduate
(KI)
defined
College
and
Career
Readiness
as
a
student
who
can
“apply
all

that
they’ve
learned
through
their
schooling,
which
includes
self-‐motivation,
time

management,
and
the
ability
to
understand
instructions”
(personal
communication,

February
3,
2014).

When
looking
at
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
specifically,
interviewees
from
all
three

groups
emphasize
the
importance
of
being
independent
and
being
able
to
manage

themselves
and
their
time
effectively.

Twelve
of
the
seventeen
interviewees
specifically

mentioned
independence
as
part
of
their
definitions
(3
our
of
6
community
members,
2
out

of
3
educators,
and
7
out
of
8
recent
graduates).

A
community
member
(MN)
defined

College
and
Career
Readiness
as
an
“independent
individual
with
time
management
and

organizational
skills
in
place
in
order
to
be
successful
in
reaching
their
goals.”

Community

member
GN
defined
College
and
Career
Readiness
as
“being
able
to
work
independently

and
collaboratively”
and
Community
member
DN
stated
“College
and
Career
Readiness

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
94

means
that
the
person
can
function
with
the
minimum
of
help.”

Educator
LR
stated
that

College
and
Career
Readiness
means
“being
independent
and
being
able
to
take
initiative,

which
involves
recognizing
a
need
or
a
problem
and
deciding
to
do
something
to
help

address
it
without
being
told
to
do
it.”

A
recent
graduate
defined
College
and
Career

readiness
as
“the
ability
to
be
independent
and
self-‐motivated
with
his/her
schoolwork
and

responsibilities”
(CC).

Recent
graduate
KI
stated
that
College
and
Career
Readiness

includes
the
ability
for
an
individual
to
take
the
initiative
to
complete
what
is
expected
of

them
without
any
or
very
little
instruction
or
guidance”
and
recent
graduate
DN
defined

College
and
Career
Readiness
as
a
student
who
“can
work
alone
effectively
and
learn
by

themselves,
which
will
show
that
they
can
problem
solve
when
they
need
to
and
be
relied

upon
by
others.”

Twelve
of
the
seventeen
interviewees
(4
out
of
6
community
members,
1
out
of
3

educators,
and
7
out
of
8
recent
graduates)
specifically
mention
timeliness
as
part
of
their

definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Community
member
KT
stated
that
“a
College

and
Career
Ready
student
has
time
management
and
knows
when
things
are
due
and

prepares
to
do
well.”

Community
member
SH
also
stated
that
a
“College
and
Career
Ready

student
can
demonstrate
effective
use
of
time
management.”

Educator
LK
stated
that

“timeliness
was
and
continues
to
be
a
requirement
of
the
job
market
and
college.”

Recent

graduate
AM
said
that
“College
and
Career
Readiness
means
being
properly
prepared
for

the
challenges
of
post-‐secondary
success,
which
includes
time
management,
schedule

organization,
decision-‐making,
and
team
work”
while
recent
graduate
KI
said
that
“time

management
is
also
a
key
component
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.”

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
95

Overall,
interviewed
groups
provided
definitions
that
emphasized
the
importance
of

having
both
basic
and
practical
knowledge
and
experiences
in
order
to
be
College
and

Career
Ready,
which
is
in
alignment
with
current
research
that
demonstrates
the

importance
of
both
“hard”
technical
skills
and
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
in
order
to
achieve

post-‐secondary
success
(Arsendorf,
2009;
Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005).

Based
on
these

results,
it
is
clear
that
any
definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
should
include
both

“hard”
technical
skills
and
“soft”
interpersonal
skills.

Definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
include
Skills
and
Practices
that
Must
be

Applied
by
the
Students

Students
must
now
obtain
an
education
that
has
a
balance
of
“hard”
technical
skills

and
“soft”
interpersonal
skills,
both
of
which
are
essential
to
post-‐secondary
success

(Arsendorf,
2009).

Students
must
not
only
be
able
to
access
information,
but
also
apply
the

information
utilizing
their
“soft”
interpersonal
skills,
which
includes
problem-‐solving
and

participating
in
the
teamwork
process
(Arsendorf,
2009).

Students
must
show
that
they

not
only
possess
academic
knowledge,
but
they
also
demonstrate
skills
beyond
what
they

learn
in
school
(McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006).

It
is
becoming
increasingly
important
for

graduates
to
be
able
to
apply
what
they
know
and
the
skills
they
have
learned
in
real-‐world

situations
(Watson,
2003).

The
ability
to
apply
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
real-‐
world
situations
is
a
theme
that
is
repeated
throughout
College
and
Career
Readiness

research.

It
was
also
consistently
mentioned
in
the
definitions
given
by
all
three

interviewed
groups
(community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates).

Thirteen
of

the
seventeen
interviewees
(5
out
of
6
community
members,
2
out
of
3
educators,
and
6
out

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
96

of
8
recent
graduates)
specifically
referenced
application
as
part
of
their
College
and
Career

Readiness
definitions.

Community
member
RT
stated
that
College
and
Career
Readiness
would
“include

content
knowledge,
the
application
of
that
knowledge
or
the
effective
transfer
of
that

knowledge”
and
community
member
GN
emphasized
the
importance
of
“Being
able
to

apply
learning
skills
and
knowledge.”

Educator
LR
stated
that
“acquiring
and
applying
the

skills,
knowledge,
and
habits
necessary
to
succeed”
is
an
essential
part
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
while
educator
LK
stated
that
“College
and
Career
Readiness
is
two-‐
pronged:

Acquiring
the
basic
knowledge
that
is
necessary
after
high
school
and
applying

that
knowledge.”

Recent
graduate
CC
said
that
“College
and
Career
Readiness
is
applying

all
the
skills
and
knowledge
you
learned
from
schooling
to
the
real-‐world”
and
recent

graduate
LN
said
that
“College
and
Career
Readiness
is
when
one
is
prepared
through
past

experiences
and
education
to
apply
what
they’ve
learned.”

These
results
are
in
alignment
with
research
that
emphasizes
the
importance
for

graduates
to
be
able
to
apply
what
they
know
and
the
skills
they
have
learned
in
real-‐world

situations
(Watson,
2003;
McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006;
Armstrong,
2007).

When
combined
with

results
from
the
previous
section,
it
is
clear
that
any
definition
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
should
include
both
“hard”
technical
skills
and
“Soft”
interpersonal
skills
as
well

as
an
element
that
emphasizes
the
importance
of
applying
these
skills
in
real-‐world

situations.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
97

Individuals
Will
at
Least
be
Exposed
to
Readiness
Skills
by
the
Time
they
Graduate

from
High
School

The
American
Diploma
Project
(2004)
found
that
high
school
graduates
do
not

possess
the
knowledge
and
skills
necessary
to
perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary

level.

In
fact,
the
public
school
system
has
been
recently
scrutinized
nationwide
because

high
school
graduates
do
not
possess
the
knowledge
and
skills
necessary
to
perform

successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level
(McCarthy
&
Kuh,
2006).

ACT
reports
indicate
that

many
high
school
graduates
are
not
prepared
to
succeed
in
credit-‐bearing
first-‐year
college

courses
and
many
are
forced
to
take
remedial
classes
(2006).

Research
in
the
field
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
have
produced
numerous
listings
of
skills
that
are
essential

to
College
and
Career
Readiness;
most
of
which
are
meant
to
be
implemented
in
the
high

school
curriculum
(Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005;
Arsendorf,
2009;
Conley,
2010;
Board
Policy

4540,
2011).

Results
from
interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates

reflect
a
similar
expectation
for
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
to
be
employed
during

high
school.

All
seventeen
participants
from
all
three
interviewed
groups
provided

definitions
that
implied
that
students
should
be
exposed
or
able
to
acquire
College
and

Career
readiness
by
the
time
they
graduate
from
high
school.

When
asked
if
it
was

reasonable
to
expect
12
th

grade
students
to
attain
these
skills
during
high
school
in
order
to

encourage
College
and
Career
Readiness,
all
seventeen
participants
agreed
that
students

should
be
exposed
to
these
skills
before
their
high
school
graduation.

According
to

community
member
KT,
the
acquisition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
“begins
in
high

school
because
whether
students
enter
the
work
field
directly
or
continues
post
high

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
98

school
education,
College
and
Career
Readiness
is
essential”
and
skills
can
be
honed
to

meet
the
particular
needs
of
career,
college,
or
everyday
living.

Community
member
MN

stated
that
“it
is
imperative
that
high
school
students
begin
to
learn
how
to
be
College
and

Career
Ready
because
they
will
need
a
broad
knowledge
and
experience
base
to
succeed
in

our
ever
expanding
world”
and
community
member
DN
stated
that
“all
of
the
learning

experiences
of
high
school
will
help
develop
the
student;
every
experience
will
help
with

life
skills.”

Educator
LR
stated
that
it
is
reasonable
to
expect
12
th

grade
students
to
attain

these
skills
during
high
school
because
“at
their
core,
these
are
life
skills
needed
to
find

success
in
the
work
field.”

Another
educator
(LK)
stated
that
the
acquisition
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
begins
in
high
school
and
“are
essential
whether
students
enter
the
work

field
directly
or
continues
their
post
high
school
education;
the
skills
can
be
honed
to

particular
needs
in
career,
college,
or
everyday
living.”

Recent
high
school
graduates
also

included
the
acquisition
of
these
skills
during
high
school
as
part
of
their
definitions.

Recent
graduate
CC
stated:

High
school
students
are
in
an
environment
that
is
suitable
for
training
them
in

these
skills.

When
students
are
freshmen
they
are
placed
into
groups
in
some

classes
and
it
is
here
they
learn
how
to
work
together
and
when
given
homework,

learn
to
set
a
time
to
work
on
their
homework.

While
some
students
may
not

become
experts
at
these
skills,
high
school
is
a
good
environment
for
them
to
start

learning
how
to
communicate
with
the
world
as
adults
rather
than
children.

Even
if

students
do
not
attain
these
skills,
they
will
at
least
have
started
learning
how
to

become
self-‐directed
learners
and
communicate
with
others
effectively.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
99

Recent
graduate
KI
also
agreed
that
College
and
Career
readiness
should
begin
in
high

school
and
stated
that
College
and
Career
Readiness
can
be
“honed
throughout
high
school

to
make
the
transition
from
high
school
to
college
much
smoother”
and
“when
you

transition
from
high
school
to
college,
it
is
difficult
to
develop
these
skills
as
soon
as
you

start
college
(recent
graduate
ST).

Community
member
KT
sums
up
this
sentiment
with

her
statement
that
students
must
“acquire
certain
survival
skills
prior
to
entering
college

or
the
workforce,”
which
highlights
the
perception
that
students
need
to
at
least
be

exposed
to
readiness
skills
by
the
time
they
graduate
from
high
school.

These
results
are
in
alignment
with
current
research
that
indicates
that
in
order
to

be
College
and
Career
Ready,
high
school
students
must
be
exposed
to
readiness
skills

(Watson,
2003).

When
combined
with
results
from
the
previous
section,
it
is
clear
that
any

definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
should
include
both
“hard”
technical
skills
and

“Soft”
interpersonal
skills,
an
element
that
emphasizes
the
importance
of
applying
these

skills
in
real-‐world
situations,
and
should
operate
under
the
assumption
that
individuals

will
at
least
be
exposed
to
readiness
skills
by
the
time
they
graduate
from
high
school.

Ultimately,
all
three
interviewed
groups
provided
definitions
that
are
consistent

with
current
research
that
high
school
graduates
are
now
expected
to
be
equipped
with
a

certain
set
of
skills
that
are
not
entirely
based
on
subject
knowledge
(Arsendorf,
2009;

Conley,
2010;
Shavelson
&
Huang,
2003).

Students
must
not
only
be
able
to
use
their

current
knowledge,
but
must
also
be
able
to
access
information
and
apply
the
information

using
their
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
(Arsendorf,
2009),
and
that
they
should
be
able
to

utilize
these
skills
by
the
time
they
graduate
from
high
school
(ACT,
2006;
Conley
2010).

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
100

Individual
Perceptions
-‐
College
and
Career
Readiness
Skills

Recent
research
highlights
certain
skills
that
are
necessary
for
post
secondary

success.

The
ACT
(2006)
lists
persistence,
ownership
of
learning,
awareness,
and
collective

expertise
as
skills
necessary
for
post
secondary
success.

Andrews
and
Wooten
(2005)

prioritize
critical
thinking,
problem
solving,
the
ability
to
work
together
as
a
team,
the

ability
to
demonstrate
time
management
skills,
and
the
ability
to
demonstrate
self-‐efficacy

as
necessary
for
post
secondary
success.

Billing
(2003)
prioritizes
communication,

problem-‐solving,
and
teamwork.

Casner-‐Lotto
and
Barrington
(2006)
emphasizes
the

importance
of
applied
skills,
oral
communication,
teamwork/collaboration,

professionalism/work
ethic,
written
communication,
and
critical
thinking/problem
solving.

There
are
numerous
lists
that
prioritize
and
emphasize
identified
skills
as
necessary
for

post-‐secondary
success.

Based
on
current
research,
there
are
certain
skills
that
are

repeatedly
identified
in
regards
to
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
such
as
Critical

Thinking,
problem
solving,
working
together
as
a
team,
time
management,
and
self-‐efficacy

are
mentioned
as
College
and
Career
Readiness
(Andrews
&
Wooten
2005;
ACT
2006;

Bloom,
2004;
Arsendorf,
2009;
Conley,
2010).

In
order
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
at

Lailanie
High
School,
the
6
community
members,
3
educators,
and
8
recent
graduates
were

asked
to
describe
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐secondary
success.

An
examination
of
the

interviews
revealed
two
prominent
perceptions:
1)
Academic
skills
are
not
enough
to
be

considered
College
and
Career
ready
2)
there
are
three
skills
that
are
perceived
as
being

essential
by
all
three
groups:

Time
Management
skills,
Communication
skills,
and
the

ability
to
be
a
self-‐directed
learner.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
101

First,
Results
of
individual
perceptions
regarding
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills
indicate
that
academic
skills,
or
“hard”
technical
skills,
are
not
enough
to
be

considered
College
and
Career
Ready.

Arsendorf
(2009)
states
that
students
need
to
be

equipped
with
a
broader
set
of
knowledge
and
skills
that
spans
a
broad
spectrum
of
post

secondary
learning
opportunities
in
order
to
ensure
success
after
high
school
and

successful
employment.

Preparing
for
success
after
high
school
includes
the
acquisition
of

such
skills
as
critical
thinking,
working
with
others
to
achieve
goals,
and
the
knowledge

base
to
generate
new
ideas
(Bloom,
2004).

Current
research
clearly
indicates
that
in
order

to
meet
the
needs
of
our
current
environment,
graduates
need
to
be
content
experts,
as

well
as
highly
skilled
problem
solvers,
team
players,
and
lifelong
learners
(Dunlap,
2005;

Arsendorf,
2009;
Conley
2010).

Community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
were
asked
to
list
the
top

five
skills
students
need
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready.

All
three
interviewed
groups

mentioned
academic
skills
such
as
reading,
writing,
and
oral
communication
as
essential

skills
for
College
and
Career
Readiness.

The
rest
of
the
stated
skills
can
be
categorized
as

“soft”
interpersonal
skills
(Arsendorf,
2009).

Four
of
the
six
community
members
listed

two
academic
skills
as
part
of
their
top
five
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The

academic
skills
listed
included
reading
skills,
writing
skills,
oral
skills,
research
skills,
and

the
ability
to
build,
refine,
and
share
knowledge
through
writing
and
speaking.

Two
of
the

three
educators
listed
a
single
academic
skill
as
part
of
their
top
five
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

Educator
LR
listed
research
and
writing
skills
as
essential
and
educator

LK
listed
reading,
writing,
and
oral
communication
as
an
essential
skill.

Three
of
the
eight

recent
graduates
listed
two
academic
skills
as
part
of
their
top
five
College
and
Career

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
102

Readiness
skills.

The
academic
skills
listed
included
the
ability
to
write
clearly
and

concisely,
the
ability
to
research
a
topic
with
a
variety
of
sources,
study
skills
and
habits,

advanced
reading
comprehension,
and
various
types
of
writing
skills.

The
rest
of
the

identified
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
were
“soft”
interpersonal
skills.

Two
of
the
six
community
members
only
listed
interpersonal
skills
as
necessary

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.
One
of
the
three
educators,
and
five
of
the
eight
recent

graduates
also
listed
interpersonal
skills
as
necessary
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills;

without
mention
of
academic
skills.

The
majority
of
the
skills
listed
by
this
group
of

seventeen
interviewees
were
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
that
went
beyond
their
academic

abilities.

A
list
of
these
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
given
by
community
members,
educators,

and
recent
graduates
are
illustrated
in
Table
4.1
of
this
chapter.

Table
4.1:
“Soft”
Interpersonal
skills
listed
as
necessary
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
as

identified
by
Community
Members,
Educators,
and
recent
high
school
graduates

College
and
Career

Readiness
Skills

Community

Members
(6)

Former

Educators
(3)

Recent
Graduates

(8)

Leadership
Skills
XXXX

XXXX

Be
a
self-‐directed
learner
XXXXX
XX
XXXXXXX

Able
to
discipline
themselves,

make
commitments

XXX
XX
XXX

Think
Critically
XXXXXX
XXX
XXXXXXX

Problem
Solve
XXXXX
XXX
XXXXXXX

Be
a
responsible
Citizen
XX

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
103

Table
4.1,
continued

Manage
Time
effectively
XXXXX
XXX
XXXXXXXX

Able
to
work
independently

and
collaboratively

XXXXXX
XX
XXXXXX

Able
to
self-‐reflect
for
self

improvement

XXXXX
XX

Produce
quality
Products
XXX

Able
to
communicate

effectively

XX
XXXXXXX

When
asked
why
they
think
these
skills
are
needed,
community
members
explained

that
“these
skills
will
positively
enable
the
student
as
they
enter
college
and
the
work

world”
(SH)
because
“today,
candidates
need
much
more
rigorous
training
and
other

related
skills
that
will
help
them
do
the
job”
(RT).

Second,
there
are
three
skills
that
are
perceived
as
being
essential
by
all
three

interviewed
groups.

Interviews
of
the
seventeen
participants
highlight
certain
skills
that

were
mentioned
with
more
frequency
than
others.

The
three
skills
that
were
mentioned

the
most
by
all
three
groups
were
time
management
skills,
communication
skills
and
the

ability
to
be
a
self-‐directed
learner.

Time
Management

Four
of
the
six
community
members
listed
time
management
as
an
essential
skill.

Community
member
RT
states
that
“time
management
is
essential
to
accomplishing
or

processing
as
much
as
possible
in
a
given
time
limit”
and
community
member
SH
says
that

“time
management
will
help
for
greater
success
and
focus
in
college
and
career.”

Two
of

the
three
educators
listed
time
management
as
an
essential
skill
stating
that
“meeting
goals

and
priorities
in
a
timely
fashion
is
important”
(LR)
and
“timeliness
was
and
continues
to

be
a
requirement
for
college
and
career”
(LK).

Seven
of
the
eight
recent
graduates
listed

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
104

time
management
as
an
essential
skill
for
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Recent
graduate

ST
says
that
“it
is
necessary
to
manage
your
time
well,
to
be
organized
and
have
a
schedule

planned
out
for
every
day
of
the
week
and
to
be
able
to
balance
your
work
load.”

In
order

to
balance
everything,
students
“will
need
to
make
time
for
all
aspects
of
their
life”
(DN),

and
“make
sure
they
balance
time
between
studying,
working,
socializing,
and
family
time”

(LN).

Students
should
learn
to
be
punctual
“because
no
one
likes
to
work
with
someone

who
will
arrive
to
work
or
an
appointment
late”
(DN).

Communication

Five
of
the
six
community
members
listed
communication
as
an
essential
skill
for

College
and
Career
Readiness.

Community
member
MN
stated
that
students
must
be

proficient
in
communication,
interpersonal,
and
social
skills
and
RT
states
that

communication
is
essential
for
presentations
and
conveying
ideas.

Three
of
the
three

educators
also
listed
communication
as
an
essential
skill
because
it
is
necessary
to
convey

ideas
(LR),
and
to
successfully
communicate
with
others
(LK
&
KA).

Finally,
six
of
the
eight

recent
graduates
listed
communication
as
an
essential
skill
because
it
is
needed
“to
work

effectively
and
efficiently
to
get
the
job
done”
(LN).

Students
need
to
be
able
to

communicate
because
“it
is
what
employers
look
for
in
potential
candidates
and
it
will
give

the
student
an
edge
and
allow
them
to
get
a
job,
succeed
in
their
job,
and
possibly
move
up

in
the
ranks”
(KK).

After
listing
communication
as
an
essential
skill,
a
recent
graduate
was

asked
to
further
explain
why
communication
is
so
important.

His
response
was
as
follows:

Communication
is
necessary
for
networking
and
being
professional;
if
you
lack
the

social
skills
needed
to
communicate
effectively,
it
may
close
doors
by
reducing
your

job
offers
since
it
is
unappealing
(especially
in
the
world
of
business).

Cooperation

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
105

is
key
because
we
always
work
alongside
other
people
and
you
need
to
be
able
to

tolerate
and
communicate
with
different
people
with
different
ideas
and
strategies

for
tackling
problems.

(ST,
personal
communication,
March
3,
2014).

Another
recent
graduate
stated
that:

It
is
very
important
for
students
to
be
able
to
communicate
effectively
and
work

with
others
so
that
they
can
move
up
in
their
career
field.

When
a
student
can
work

alone
effectively
and
learn
by
themselves
it
will
show
that
they
can
problem
solve

when
they
need
to
and
be
relied
upon
by
others
in
the
work
place.

(DN,
personal

communication,
March
10,
2014).

The
common
perception
seems
to
be
that
communication
is
an
essential
skill
because
the

acquisition
of
this
skill
allows
for
further
opportunities
and
is
portrayed
as
an
essential

quality
for
future
employment.

Self-‐Directed
Learning

Being
a
self-‐directed
learner
means
being
responsible
for
one’s
own
learning.

Self
–
directed
learners
set
priorities
and
establish
achievable
goals,
they
plan
and
manage
their

time
and
resources
in
order
to
achieve
goals,
and
they
monitor
progress
and
evaluate
their

learning
experiences
(DOE
GLOs).

Four
of
the
six
community
members
listed
self-‐directed

learning
as
an
essential
skill
for
College
and
Career
Readiness.

College
and
Career
Ready

students
will
be
able
to
“discipline
themselves”
(DN),
“use
self-‐reflection
for
self

improvement”
(SH)
and
“build
on
ideas
and
articulate
their
own
ideas
through
self-‐directed

learning”
(MN).

According
to
community
member
MN,
College
and
Career
Ready
students

“must
be
proficient
in
new
areas
of
research
and
study
and
they
must
be
engaged
and
open

minded
with
sound
reasoning.”

One
of
the
three
educators
listed
self-‐directed
learning
as

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
106

essential
skill
and
stated
that
a
students
ability
to
take
initiative
“involves
recognizing
a

need
or
a
problem
and
deciding
to
do
something
to
help
address
it
without
having
been

told
to
do
it”
(LR).

When
asked
to
provide
further
explanation
as
to
what
it
means
to
be
a

self-‐directed
learner,
an
educator
provided
a
scenario
of
what
a
self-‐directed
learner
would

look
like:

He/she
is
determined
to
learn
and
attends
class
even
though
“attendance”
is
not

taken.

He/she
takes
good
notes
during
lectures,
reads
texts,
does
problem
sets,

evaluates
his/her
own
homework,
and
seeks
help
when
needed
–
approaching

teachers
or
others
with
knowledge,
or
using
research
skills
in
libraries
or
the

computer).

He/she
knows
exactly
when
the
assessments
are
due
or
administered

and
prepared
to
do
well
at
each
evaluation.

(KT,
personal
communication,
March
6,

2014).

Five
of
the
eight
recent
graduates
also
listed
self-‐directed
learning
as
essential
College
and

Career
Readiness
skill.

In
order
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready,
“a
person
needs
to
be
able

to
be
a
self-‐directed
learner
and
an
effective
problem
solver”
(DN,
personal
communication,

March
10,
2014).

Students
need
to
“have
the
initiative
to
take
extra
measures
to
meet

expectations
(KI)
and
“take
initiative
in
doing
one’s
duties”
(LN).

Analysis
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
that
were
listed
by
the
seventeen

interviewees
emphasize
the
importance
of
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
as
necessary
for

College
and
Career
Readiness.

Results
indicate
that
time
management,
communication,
and

the
ability
to
be
a
self-‐directed
learner
are
perceived
as
extremely
essential
for
College
and

Career
Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
107

Discussion:
Individual
Perceptions

Although
individuals
from
the
three
interview
groups
came
from
different

backgrounds
and
perspectives,
results
indicate
that
they
have
similar
perceptions
in

regards
to
how
College
and
Career
Readiness
should
be
defined
and
what
skills
are

necessary
in
order
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready.

Results
indicate
that
definitions
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
should
include
the
need
for
both
basic
and
practical

knowledge,
the
application
of
certain
identified
skills
and
practices,
and
should
be
obtained

before
a
student
graduates
from
high
school.

Results
also
indicate
that
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
should
include
“soft”
interpersonal
skills
in
addition
to
academic
skills
and

should
place
heavy
emphasis
on
time
management,
communication,
and
self-‐directed

learning.

These
results
lead
to
two
findings
in
regards
to
College
and
Career
Readiness
at

Lailanie
High
School.

First,
results
from
the
interviews
in
regards
to
defining
College
and
Career

Readiness
provides
enough
preliminary
data
for
the
school
to
begin
the
process
of
creating

their
own
definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Second,
results
from
the
interviews

in
regards
to
identifying
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
provides
a
foundation
from

which
the
school
can
create
a
list
of
skills
they
would
like
to
prioritize.

Lailanie
High

School’s
self-‐study
describes
their
decision-‐making
process.

Their
Leadership
Team

creates
a
foundational
document
and
ensures
that
it
is
in
alignment
with
their
academic

plan
and
visionary
plan,
which
outlines
the
overall
goals
of
the
school.

Once
a
document
is

created,
it
is
then
presented
to
the
faculty
and
staff
for
review
and
feedback.

The
document

is
then
presented
to
the
School
Community
Council
for
review
and
feedback
and
then

student
groups
for
review
and
feedback.

Results
from
this
study,
which
includes
a

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
108

structural
roadmap
for
a
definition
and
potential
essential
skills,
provides
enough

foundational
data
for
the
Leadership
Team
to
possibly
create
a
preliminary
definition
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
that
includes
specific
skills
that
students
must
be
able
to

employ.

The
Conceptual
Framework
developed
for
this
study
was
created
based
on
the
goals

and
practices
that
were
already
in
place
at
Lailanie
High
School.

One
of
their
prioritized

school
outcomes
is
to
produce
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Defining
College
and

Career
Readiness,
including
a
list
of
essential
skills,
will
provide
a
stronger
foundation
in

producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

The
development
of
a
clear
definition
and

a
listing
of
skills
will
help
guide
the
development
of
their
individual
school
elements
like

Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments.

The
development
of
clear

definition
and
a
listing
of
skills
will
also
help
guide
and
focus
their
school
practices,
which

includes
promoting
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
with
implementation
practices.

Individual
School
Elements:
Project-‐Based
Learning

Research
Question
Two
asked
how
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
perceive
the
success
of
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)

in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills?

This
research
question
relates
to
the
second
tier
of
the
Conceptual
Framework,
which

refers
to
the
school’s
individual
school
elements
that
are
aligned
to
the
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness.

The
two
school
elements
are
Project-‐based
learning
and

blended
learning
environments.

This
section
will
focus
on
results
relating
to
Project-‐based

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
109

learning.

Results
for
blended
learning
environments
will
be
presented
as
part
of
research

question
three
results.

The
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
will
manifest
differently
in
every

school
environment.

When
looking
at
Lailanie
High
School,
there
are
two
school
elements

that
serve
as
the
conduits
for
College
and
Career
Readiness:

Project-‐Based
Learning
and

blended
Learning
Environments.

Lailanie
High
School
currently
uses
a
project-‐based

learning
program
called
the
Senior
Project
to
aid
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

One
of
the
key
features
of
this
program
is
that
it
operates
as
a
blended

learning
environment.

As
previously
stated
in
my
Conceptual
Framework,
the
incorporation
of
Project-‐
based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
in
relationship
to
College
and
Career

Readiness
is
a
significant
tool
for
understanding
how
community
members,
educators,
and

recent
graduates
perceive
the
college
and
career
readiness
of
12
th

grade
students.

The

results
presented
in
the
previous
section
provided
a
foundational
understanding
of
how

community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
defined
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
how
they
described
the
skills
necessary
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready.

Interviewees
were
asked
to
use
their
understanding
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
to
aid
in
their
discussion
of
Project-‐based
learning
and

blended
learning
environments
as
aiding
or
impeding
students’
development
of
College

and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Results
in
this
section
on
Individual
School
Elements
will
be
divided
into
two

sections.

The
first
section
will
focus
on
results
related
to
project-‐based
learning

(specifically
the
Senior
Project
program),
which
will
be
presented
as
part
of
the
research

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
110

question
two
results.

The
second
section
will
focus
on
the
results
related
to
blended

learning
environments
and
will
be
presented
in
research
question
three
results.

Project-‐based
learning
is
a
project
that
organizes
a
student’s
learning
experiences

around
projects
that
are
based
on
challenging
questions
or
problems;
it
involves
students

in
design,
problem
solving,
decision
making,
or
investigative
activities,
and
gives
students

the
opportunity
to
work
relatively
autonomously
over
an
extended
period
of
time,
which

culminates
in
a
realistic
product
and
presentation
that
demonstrates
college
and
career

readiness
(Jones,
Rasmussen,
&
Moffin,
1997;
Thomas,
Mergendoller,
&
Michaelson,
1999).

As
a
project-‐based
learning
experience,
students
are
expected
to
be
interactive
learners

that
construct
knowledge
through
exploration
(Chang
&
Lee,
2010).

The
Senior
Project

program
at
Lailanie
High
School
is
based
on
the
Project-‐based
learning
model
and

incorporates
the
elements
presented
in
the
research.

Jones,
Rasmussen,
and
Moffin
(1997)

state
that
the
Project-‐based
learning
model
is
based
on
challenging
questions
or
problems

that
involves
students
in
the
problem-‐solving
process.

Lailanie
High
School’s
Senior

Project
program
“is
centrally
focused
around
an
individual
project
that
is
driven
by

essential
questions
and
the
attainment
of
goals”
(school
senior
project
website,
2014).

Students
must
individually
conduct
investigations
that
address
real-‐world
problems
that

they
have
identified
in
their
communities,
which
follow
the
Project-‐based
learning
model

that
emphasizes
students
getting
involved
in
the
design
and
decision-‐making
process
of

their
investigation.

According
to
their
Senior
Project
website,
the
program
was
created
to

ensure
that
students
are
graduating
College
and
Career
Ready.

Six
community
members,

three
educators,
and
eight
recent
high
school
graduates
were
asked
how
they
perceive
the

success
of
the
Senior
Project
program
in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
111

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
order
to
gain
a
deeper
understanding
of
the

effectiveness
of
the
program
at
Lailanie
High
School.

An
examination
of
the
interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
revealed
two
prominent
perceptions
about
the
Senior
Project
as
supporting
or

impeding
the
College
and
Career
Readiness
of
12
th

grade
students:

1)
Community

members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
believe
that
the
Senior
Project
supports
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students;
2)
community

members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
believe
that
it
is
important
to
demonstrate
these

skills
through
a
project-‐based
learning
experience
rather
than
other
modes
of
preparation.

The
Senior
Project
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

First,
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
believe
that
the
Senior

Project
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students.

Community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
were
initially
asked
if
they
thought

that
the
Senior
Project
program
helps
to
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

All

seventeen
individuals
unanimously
agreed
that
the
Senior
Project
program
supports
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students.

According
to

interview
results,
the
Senior
Project
program
aids
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career

readiness
skills
by
providing
a
specific
environment
in
which
students
can
focus
on

developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
and
providing
a
specific
assignment
in

which
students
can
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

The
Senior
Project
provides
a
specific
environment
in
which
students
can
focus
on

developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

According
to
the
Senior
Project
website,

Senior
Project
candidates
are
enrolled
in
an
elective
course
and
placed
in
a
Senior
Project

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
112

Advisory
class
that
meets
approximately
once
a
week.

Students
also
have
access
to
a

Senior
Project
Edmodo
page
where
students
can
access
assignments,
resources,
and

conduct
online
conversations.

When
asked
how
the
Senior
Project
supports
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students,
numerous

interviewees
referenced
the
environment
as
being
ideal
for
developing
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

Community
member
KT
said
that
“other
forms
of
activities,
such
as
classroom

activities
and
extra-‐curricular
activities
will
give
students
the
opportunity
to
build

important
college,
career,
and
life
skills.

The
Senior
Project,
however,
is
superior
because
it

is
comprehensive
and
allows
for
personalization.”

Community
member
RT
said
that
“the

Senior
Project
provides
an
environment
with
self-‐directed
study”
and
community
member

GN
said
that
“the
Senior
Project
is
an
excellent
vehicle
to
apply
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
for
12
th

grade
students.”

Community
member
MN
provided
a
more
in

depth
explanation
of
how
the
Senior
Project
provides
an
environment
that
is
ideal
for
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
the
following
statement:

Students
have
the
opportunity
to
immerse
themselves
in
becoming
more
proficient

in
basic
content
or
communication
skills
and
culminate
their
journey
with

confidence.

The
school
has
effectively
developed
this
program
with
supports
and

encouragement
throughout
the
process.

The
program
is
set
up
with
teacher
and

community
mentors
along
with
support
from
families
to
help
keep
students
focused

on
their
goals.

The
Senior
Project
offers
a
huge
challenge
and
opportunity
to
stretch

their
learning
experience;
it
is
an
environment
where
students
can
apply
skills
in

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
113

meaningful
ways
and,
in
the
process,
expand
their
learning
experiences
to
better

prepare
them
for
college
and
jobs.

Educator
LR
said
that
the
Senior
Project
“provides
an
environment
where
students
show

growth
and
are
able
to
demonstrate
that
they
are
ready
for
the
next
level.”

LK,
a
former

educator
at
Lailanie
High
School,
said
that
the
Senior
Project
“offers
an
environment
where

students
demonstrate
that
they
are
able
to
take
the
skills
learned
throughout
his/her

school
career
and
apply
those
skills;
it
develops
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
that

it
gives
students
an
opportunity
to
practice.”

When
asked
how
the
Senior
Project
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students,
recent
high
school
graduates
also
referred
to
the
ideal

environment
that
is
provided
by
the
Senior
Project
program.

Recent
graduate
KK
stated

that
“the
Senior
Project
gives
students
the
opportunity
to
take
on
more
responsibility,
to

manage
their
time,
to
deal
with
stress,
and
to
contribute
to
their
community.”

Recent

graduate
DN
said
“the
Senior
Project
provides
an
environment
that
is
suitable
for
training

students
in
these
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

It
is
a
good
environment
for
them
to

start
learning
how
to
communicate
with
the
world
as
adults
rather
than
children.”

Recent

graduate
KI
gave
a
slightly
different
perspective
on
the
environment
as
aiding
in
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
the
following
statement:

The
Senior
Project
was
an
entirely
different
experience
from
the
rest
of
my
High

School
workload.

Nothing
required
the
motivation
and
initiative
like
the
Senior

Project.

Especially
due
to
the
fact
that
the
Senior
Project
didn't
have
immediate

gratification,
it
was
difficult
at
times
to
persevere
through
the
challenges.

I’ve

noticed
similarities
with
my
first
year
of
college
–
the
environment
is
the
same.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
114

Interview
results
also
indicated
that
the
Senior
Project
program
aids
in
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
by
providing
a
specific
assignment
in

which
students
can
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

When
referencing
the

Senior
Project
as
an
assignment,
community
member
DN
stated
that
“students
will
learn
to

discipline
themselves
by
managing
time,
dealing
with
people,
speaking,
and
writing.

The

Senior
Project
would
incorporate
all
of
the
skills
mentioned
either
directly
or
indirectly.”

Community
member
RT
says
that
“the
Senior
Project
is
an
excellent
way
to
demonstrate

the
application
and
expertise
of
the
desired
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills”
and

community
member
GN
says
that
“the
project-‐based
learning
format
is
an
excellent
means

to
demonstrate
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.”

Community
member
MN
provides
a

more
in
depth
explanation
of
how
the
Senior
Project
serves
as
an
ideal
assignment
in
which

students
are
able
to
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
the
following
statement:

The
Senior
Project
encourages
application
of
basic
knowledge
and
skills
and
offers

the
guidance
and
support
needed
as
students
build
and
expand
their
experiences.

Upon
completion
of
their
projects,
students
are
better
prepared
to
independently

face
the
many
challenges
ahead.

The
Senior
Project
allows
students
to
apply
life

skills
in
reaching
their
goals,
which
includes
application,
collaboration,
time

management,
and
organization.

Project-‐based
learning
is
meaningful
and
relevant

to
the
students.

They
are
able
to
apply
basic
content
knowledge
and
skills
from
all

areas
of
their
curriculum.

They
are
empowered
to
choose
their
subjects
and
goals,

which
helps
them
to
take
responsibility.

Educators
also
expressed
a
similar
sentiment
in
support
of
the
Senior
Project
as
an

assignment
that
develops
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

LR
explains
that
the
Senior

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
115

Project
“helps
to
assess
if
the
student
has
acquired
the
necessary
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
needed
to
succeed
in
college
or
the
work
place
and
also
provides
an

opportunity
to
showcase
their
skills;
students
need
to
think
on
their
feet
and
defend
their

decisions.”

LK
explains
that
“the
project
is
a
means
for
demonstrating
how
prepared
they

are;
pointing
out
what
needs
to
be
improved
upon
and
gives
them
practice
in
the
process
of

critical
thinking.”

When
asked
how
the
Senior
Project
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students,
recent
high
school
graduates
also
referred
to
the

assignment
as
an
ideal
situation
for
developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Recent

graduate
DN
says
that
“the
Senior
Project
helps
develop
the
skills
for
College
and
Career

Readiness
because
it
forces
the
student
to
work
with
adults,
work
with
their
peers,
and

when
presenting
their
project,
to
present
their
work
in
a
professional
manner.”

Recent

graduate
LN
states
that
“the
self-‐directed
nature
of
the
project
allows
students
to
make

many
of
the
decisions
and
take
responsibility
for
keeping
up
with
deadlines
and
gives
them

an
opportunity
outside
of
the
classroom
to
apply
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.”

Recent
graduate
KK
provides
a
more
in
depth
explanation
of
the
Senior
Project
as
an
ideal

assignment
to
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
the
following
statement:

Students
must
be
able
to
be
responsible
for
their
own
learning
and
being
able
to

handle
new
and
uncomfortable
situations.

The
Senior
Project
seeks
to
make

students
more
prepared
for
college
and
their
future
career.

It
is
important
for
these

skills
to
be
performed
through
means
of
a
project
because
the
only
way
students

will
learn
these
types
of
skill
is
through
action.

It’s
one
thing
to
understand
what

skills
are
necessary
for
college
and
career,
but
it’s
the
application
that
is
important.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
116

Although
recent
graduates
believed
that
the
Senior
Project
program
supports
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
many
of
them
did
not
come
to
this

conclusion
until
after
they
graduated
from
high
school.

One
recent
graduate
stated
that

“you
are
always
told
to
hold
these
skills
and
practice
it
in
high
school,
but
you
won’t
fully

appreciate
that
encouragement
until
you
get
to
college
and
realize
that
all
that
time
in
high

school,
you
were
essentially
building
perfect
college
ready
habits”(KC).

Another
recent

graduate
stated
that
“while
it
is
reasonable
to
expect
12
th

grade
students
to
attain
these

skills
in
high
school,
they
will
not
fully
understand
the
necessity
and
extent
of
these
skills

until
they
are
actually
in
college
or
in
their
career”
(KI).

Demonstrating
CCR
skills
through
project-‐based
learning
is
important

Second,
Community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
believe
that
it
is

important
to
demonstrate
these
skills
through
a
project-‐based
learning
experience
rather

than
other
modes
of
preparation.

Summers
(1989)
states
that
through
the
project-‐based

learning
experience,
students
learn
to
apply
their
knowledge
to
a
specific
project
of
their

own
choosing,
which
emphasizes
the
learning
process.

Elliot,
Meisel,
and
Richards
(1998)

state
that
the
Senior
Project
allows
students
an
opportunity
to
link
the
knowledge
and

perspectives
acquired
throughout
their
high
school
experience
with
the
problem
of
their

choosing
and
then
make
decisions
based
on
their
analysis
and
findings.

As
a
Project-‐based

learning
experience,
the
Senior
Project
serves
as
an
active
learning
experience
where

students
are
encouraged
to
develop
learning
skills
through
collaboration
and
the

exploration
of
their
chosen
project
(school
senior
project
website,
2014).

The
Senior

Project
is
intended
to
promote
awareness
and
allow
opportunities
to
demonstrate
College

and
Career
Readiness
skills
through
the
project-‐based
learning
experiences
(school
senior

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
117

project
website,
2014).

Documentation
provided
by
Lailanie
High
School
outlines
the

requirements
of
the
Senior
Project
as
a
project-‐based
learning
experience,
but
does
not

give
insight
into
the
effectiveness
of
the
program
in
terms
of
developing
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

Interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
revealed
that

all
interviewed
groups
believe
that
it
is
important
to
demonstrate
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
through
a
project-‐based
learning
experience.

Community
member
MN

stated
that
the
Project-‐based
learning
“is
meaningful
and
relevant
to
the
student
because

they
are
empowered
to
choose
their
subject
and
goals,
which
helps
them
take

responsibility.”

Community
member
GN
states
that
the
project-‐based
learning
format
“is

an
excellent
means
to
demonstrate
the
skills
they
have
learned
throughout
the
process
and

involves
many
variables
of
learning;
they
become
better
in
every
facet
of
life.”

It
is

important
to
demonstrate
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
the
form
of
a
project

“because
that
is
what
is
expected
in
both
a
career
and
in
college
and
the
project
itself
helps

students
to
practice
completing
a
project
and
clearly
shows
the
students
his/her

deficiencies;
whether
a
student
decides
to
take
the
time
to
fill
in
those
deficiencies
further

demonstrates
a
student’s
readiness
for
college
or
career,”
which
as
stated
by
educator
LK.

Recent
graduates
also
agree
with
the
sentiment
that
it
is
important
to
demonstrate

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
through
a
project-‐based
learning
experience.

It
is

important
for
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
“to
be
performed
through
means
of
a

project
because
the
only
way
students
will
learn
these
types
of
skills
is
through
action”

(KK);
“it
is
an
experience
to
research
and
create
something
that
is
of
the
students
interest”

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
118

(DN).

Another
student
stated
that
“the
self-‐directed
nature
of
the
project
allows
students

to
make
many
of
the
decisions
and
take
responsibility
for
keeping
up
with
deadlines”
(LN).

As
in
previous
sections,
results
indicate
that
community
members,
educators,
and

recent
graduates
have
similar
perceptions
in
regards
to
the
success
of
project-‐based

learning
experiences
like
the
Senior
Project
as
supporting
the
development
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
skills.

According
to
these
results,
all
interviewees
agreed
that
the
Senior

Project
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students

and
they
all
believe
that
it
is
important
to
demonstrate
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills

through
a
project-‐based
learning
experience
like
the
Senior
Project.

These
results
lead
to
a

single
finding
in
regards
to
Project-‐based
learning
at
Lailanie
High
School.

Results
from
the
interviews
in
regards
to
the
success
of
Project-‐based
learning

programs
as
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
confirms
that
the
Senior
Project
program
is
an
ideal
school
element
through

which
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
can
be
developed
and
applied.

The
Conceptual

Framework
developed
for
this
study
identified
Project-‐based
learning
as
one
of
two
school

elements
that
would
be
used
to
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
the
hopes
of

attaining
the
prioritized
school
outcome
of
producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Individual
School
Elements:
Blended
Learning
Environments

Research
Question
Three
asked
how
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
perceive
blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills?

This
research
question,
like
research

question
two,
relates
to
the
second
tier
of
the
Conceptual
Framework,
which
refers
to
the

school’s
individual
school
elements
that
are
aligned
to
the
development
of
College
and

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
119

Career
Readiness.

This
section
will
focus
on
results
relating
to
Blended-‐learning

environments.

A
blended
learning
environment
is
an
environment
that
focuses
on
optimizing
the

achievement
of
learning
objectives,
specifically
College
and
Career
Readiness,
by
applying

the
most
fitting
learning
technologies
in
order
to
transfer
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills.

At
Lailanie
High
School,
the
Senior
Project
program
has
been
developed
as
a
blended

learning
environment
in
order
to
accommodate
for
the
lack
of
a
physical
class.

Senior

Project
candidates
are
placed
in
a
common
advisory
program
that
meets
once
a
week.

All

other
information
is
disseminated
through
a
Learning
Management
System
called
Edmodo

(school
Senior
Project
Website).

Although
the
Senior
Project
is
considered
an
elective

course,
students
are
not
required
to
report
to
a
designated
class
period
outside
of
Advisory.

In
order
to
extend
time
and
stretch
resources
that
provide
additional
support
for
these

students,
Edmodo
is
utilized
as
an
extension
of
the
regular
classroom.

Blended
learning

allows
for
flexibility
of
access
in
terms
of
location
and
time
(Cole,
2000),
which
fits
the

needs
of
the
Senior
Project
program
and
Lailanie
High
School.

An
examination
of
the
interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
revealed
two
prominent
perceptions
about
blended
learning
environments
as

supporting
or
impeding
the
College
and
Career
Readiness
of
12
th

grade
students:

1)

Community
members
and
educators
believe
that
technology
supports
the
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students;
2)
recent
graduates
perceive
blended

learning
environments
as
necessary
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
120

Technology
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

First,
community
members
and
educators
believe
that
technology
supports
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Blended
learning
has
been
defined
as

a
formal
program
in
which
a
student
learns
at
least
partly
through
online
delivery
with

some
element
of
student
control
over
time,
place,
path,
and
or
pace
and
at
least
in
part
at
a

brick-‐and-‐mortar
location
(Innosight
Institute).

Blended
learning
that
integrates
online

and
face-‐to-‐face
instruction
could
create
an
effective
teaching
and
learning
experience
for

both
instructors
and
students
(Shih,
2011)
and
has
the
potential
to
engage
the
learner
and

promote
learning
if
done
right
(Rossett,
2002).

One
of
the
goals
of
this
study
was
to

determine
if
the
blended
learning
environment
employed
by
the
Senior
Project
program
is

perceived
as
supporting
or
impeding
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills.

In
the
case
of
community
members
and
educators,
it
was
difficult
to
determine
their

perceptions
because
the
concept
of
blended
learning
was
completely
foreign.

Community

members
and
educators
were,
however,
extremely
confident
in
their
belief
that
technology

supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Six
community
members
and
three
educators
were
asked
how
they
perceive

blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
in
order
to
gain
a
deeper
understanding
of
the

effectiveness
of
the
Senior
Project
program
at
Lailanie
High
School.

An
examination
of
the

interviews
of
community
members
and
educators
revealed
that
community
members
and

educators
believe
that
technology,
not
necessarily
the
blended
learning
environment,

supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students.

According
to
interview
results,
technology
aids
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
121

Readiness
skills
by
providing
a
specific
environment
in
which
students
can
utilize

technology
to
facilitate
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

According
to
one
of
the
interviewed
educators,
the
utilization
of
technology
and

“proficiency
in
the
use
of
technology
is
almost
a
prerequisite
to
success”
since
it
is
“part
of

daily
college
and
career
operations”
(LR).

Another
interviewed
educator
stated
that

technology
“is
useful
in
preparing
students
for
college
and
career
because
general
Internet

research,
work
processing,
and
presentation
software
are
used
relatively
regularly
for
all

career
and
college
classes”
(LK).

Community
member
MN
stated
that
in
today’s
global

society,
“you
must
be
able
to
respond
to
varying
demands
of
tasks
and
audiences
and
must

employ
technology
to
communicate,
collaborate,
and
problem
solve”
(MN);
“the
use
of

computer
and
data
analysis
software
helps
develop
College
and
Career
Readiness
and

enhances
students
learning
experience”
according
to
community
member
RT.

Community

member
SH
stated
that
no
matter
what
exposure
students
are
getting,
“students
experience

with
technology
definitely
supports
their
ability
to
engage
in
College
and
Career
Readiness

preparation”
(SH).

When
asked
to
elaborate
on
technological
features
that
are
helpful
in
supporting

College
and
Career
Readiness,
community
members
and
educators
listed
proficiency
in

word
processing,
power
point,
and
excel.

They
also
emphasized
the
importance
of
knowing

where
and
how
to
look
for
information
and
using
technology
to
communicate.

Results

regarding
blended
learning
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development
of
College

and
Career
Readiness
skills
were
inconclusive,
however,
it
can
be
determined
that
the

incorporation
of
technology
in
general
is
perceived
as
supporting
College
and
Career

Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
122

Blended
learning
environments
are
necessary
in
developing
CCR
skills

Second,
recent
graduates
perceive
blended
learning
environments
as
necessary
in

their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Recent
graduates
had
a
more

complete
understanding
of
blended
learning
environments
and
how
it
has
impacted
their

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

According
to
interview
results,
the

incorporation
of
the
blended
learning
environment
aids
in
the
development
of
College
and

Career
Readiness
skills
by
providing
a
unique
experience
that
is
similar
to
what
they
would

be
experiencing
after
high
school.

One
recent
graduate
stated
that
“it
was
excellent
to
have

prior
knowledge
on
how
to
use
LMS
sites
because
it
makes
it
easier
for
me
time
wise
and

always
keeps
me
informed
on
my
progress;
it
helps
me
to
schedule
my
time
because
I
don’t

have
to
go
on
to
campus
to
get
my
work
done
–
it’s
much
more
convenient”
(CC).

The

blended
learning
environment
“worked
well
in
preparation
for
college
since
I’ve
noticed

that
much
of
our
homework
and
assignments
are
online
rather
than
hard
copies”
(KI).

The

blended
learning
environment
“is
a
great
resource
for
students
to
have
in
order
to
be
able

to
track
how
they
are
doing
in
their
classes;
students
in
college
are
expected
to
learn
how

to
navigate
in
such
an
environment”
(KK).

An
additional
finding
that
emerged
from
interviews
of
recent
graduates
was
their

initial
frustration
with
the
blended
learning
environment.

As
high
school
graduates,
they

believe
that
the
blended
learning
supported
their
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

However,
as
high
school
students,
they
expressed
difficulty
getting

adjusted
to
blended
learning
environment
because
“it
was
not
used
by
all
classes
and
I

wasn’t
familiar
with
how
to
use
the
virtual
classroom”
(ST).

Another
graduate
stated
that

the
blended
learning
environment
was
“unfamiliar,
so
I
don’t
believe
I
worked
as
efficiently

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
123

as
I
could
have.

A
lot
of
my
time
was
spent
getting
familiar
with
how
to
work
the
site
and

overcoming
the
technical
difficulties”
(KI).

Results
indicate
that
community
members
and
educators
have
a
slightly
different

perception
than
recent
graduates
in
regards
to
the
success
of
blended
learning

environments
as
supporting
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

According
to
these
results,
community
members
and
educators
agreed
that
technology
(not

necessarily
blended
learning)
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in

12
th

grade
students.

Recent
graduates
believe
that
blended
learning
supported
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
however,
they
expressed
their
initial

frustration
with
the
blended
learning
environment
as
high
school
students
who
were

unfamiliar
with
the
learning
environment.

Results
from
research
question
three
lead
to
two
findings
in
regards
to
blended

learning
environments
at
Lailanie
High
School.

First,
results
from
community
member
and

educator
interviews
confirm
that
the
incorporation
of
technology,
not
necessarily
blended

learning
environments
specifically,
is
an
essential
element
in
the
development
of
College

and
Career
Readiness.

Second,
results
from
recent
graduate
interviews
confirms
that
the

incorporation
of
the
blended
learning
environment
is
an
ideal
school
element
through

which
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
can
be
developed
and
applied.

The
Conceptual

Framework
developed
for
this
study
identified
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended

learning
environments
as
individual
school
elements
that
work
in
conjunction
with
the

identified
school
practices,
which
will
lead
to
the
prioritized
school
outcome
of
producing

College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
124

Discussion
Individual
School
Elements

Although
individuals
from
the
three
interview
groups
came
from
different

background
and
perspectives,
results
indicate
that
they
have
similar
perceptions
in
regards

to
how
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
support
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Results
indicate
that
the
Senior

Project
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade
students

by
providing
an
environment
to
focus
on
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
and
providing

an
assignment
that
specifically
develops
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Results
also

indicate
that
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
believe
that
it
is

important
to
demonstrate
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
through
a
project-‐based

learning
experience
rather
than
other
modes
of
preparation.

These
results
lead
to
a
single

finding
in
regards
to
Project-‐based
learning.

Results
from
the
interviews
in
regards
to
the

success
of
Project-‐based
learning
programs
as
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
confirms
that
the
Senior
Project
program
is

an
ideal
school
element
through
which
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
can
be

developed
and
applied.

Results
from
community
member
and
educator
interviews
indicated
that

technology
supports
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
12
th

grade

students
by
providing
a
specific
environment
in
which
students
can
utilize
technology
to

facilitate
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Results
also
indicate
that

recent
graduates
perceive
blended
learning
environments
as
necessary
in
their

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
by
providing
a
unique
experience
that

is
similar
to
what
they
would
be
experiencing
after
High
School.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
125

These
results
lead
to
two
findings
in
regards
to
blended
Learning
at
Lailanie
High

School.

First,
results
from
community
member
and
educator
interviews
confirm
that
the

incorporation
of
technology,
not
necessarily
blended
learning
environments
specifically,
is

an
essential
element
in
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Second,
results

from
recent
graduate
interviews
confirms
that
the
incorporation
of
the
blended
Learning

Environment
is
an
ideal
school
element
through
which
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills

can
be
developed
and
applied.

The
seventeen
community
member,
educator,
and
recent
graduate
interviewees

utilized
their
own
definitions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
their
own
descriptions
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
to
assess
their
perceptions
of
the
school’s
Project-‐based

learning
program
and
the
blended
learning
environment
as
supporting
the
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness,
which
resulted
in
the
confirmation
of
the
two
school

elements
as
an
essential
step
towards
developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
and

achieving
the
school
outcome
of
producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

As
stated
previously,
the
Conceptual
Framework
developed
for
this
study
is
strongly

influenced
by
the
goals
and
practices
that
are
already
in
place
at
Lailanie
High
School.

One

of
their
prioritized
school
outcomes
is
to
produce
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Thus
far,
results
of
the
study
have
provided
a
preliminary
structure
for
the
development
of

a
College
and
Career
Readiness
definition
and
a
listing
of
essential
skills
for
Lailanie
High

School.

Results
have
also
confirmed
the
success
of
Project-‐based
learning
programs
(like

the
Senior
Project)
and
the
use
of
blended
learning
environments
as
supporting
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
126

School
Practice:
Critical
Thinking
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

The
third
tier
of
the
Conceptual
Framework
refers
to
school
practices
that
were

identified
by
the
school
through
their
self-‐study
report
(2014).

The
first
practice
is
to

promote
a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
the
second
practice
is
to
build
College
and

Career
Readiness
skills.

The
self-‐study
report
also
states
that
promoting
a
school
culture
of

critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
with
implementation

practices
is
an
essential
step
towards
producing
graduates
that
are
College
and
Career

Ready.

Critical
thinking
is
referenced
as
an
essential
skill
for
post-‐secondary
success
by

numerous
researchers
(Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005;
Bloom,
2004;
Dunlap,
2005;
NACE,

2007;
Arsendorf,
2009;
Conley,
2010)
and
was
often
referred
to
during
the
interview

process.

An
examination
of
documents
provided
by
Lailanie
High
School
and
the

interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
verified
the

importance
of
promoting
critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

According
to
the
self-‐study
report,
Lailanie
High
School
recently
developed
their

Instructional
Leadership
Team,
which
is
comprised
of
Department
Heads,
Leadership
Team

members,
and
Administration.

They
were
tasked
with
the
job
of
creating
a
targeted

instructional
area
that
would
serve
as
a
main
focus
for
the
school
and
after
involving

faculty
members
in
a
discussion
process,
the
faculty
chose
critical
thinking
as
their
targeted

instructional
area.

This
targeted
instructional
area
serves
as
a
common
focus
for
all
subject

areas
and
includes
a
quarterly
peer
walkthrough
to
evaluate
the
progress
of
critical

thinking
in
the
classroom.

Interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
indicated
that
time
management,
communication,
and
the
ability
to
be
a
self-‐
directed
learner
were
essential
skills
when
determining
College
and
Career
Readiness,

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
127

which
was
established
in
the
results
for
research
question
one.

Although
critical
thinking

was
not
mentioned
as
part
of
the
top
three
skills,
it
would
be
mentioned
as
part
of
the
top

five.

Because
critical
thinking
was
chosen
as
a
targeted
instructional
area
by
Lailanie
High

School’s
faculty,
it
has
been
listed
as
a
primary
school
practice
for
the
purposes
of
my

Conceptual
Framework.

Building
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
is
embedded
in
numerous
documents

presented
on
the
Lailanie
High
School
website.

The
school’s
accreditation
report
also

emphasizes
the
importance
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
as
supported
by
such

programs
as
the
Senior
Project,
Advanced
Placement,
extra-‐curricular
activities,
their

Science
Learning
Center,
and
other
co-‐curricular
activities
sponsored
by
the
school.

As

stated
in
my
Conceptual
Framework,
schools
that
are
able
to
promote
a
school
culture
of

critical
thinking
and
College
and
Career
Ready
practices
will
be
able
to
maintain
a
sense
of

vision
and
clarity
of
both
long-‐
and
short-‐term
school
goals,
create
an
environment
that

offers
academic
support
and
intellectual
safety,
and
nurtures
educators
who
model
college

and
career
ready
application
in
real-‐world
scenarios.

As
part
of
my
Conceptual

Framework,
I
argued
that
developing
a
school
culture
that
is
focused
on
critical
thinking

and
college
and
career
readiness
was
an
essential
practice
if
an
individual
school
is
to

produce
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

As
mentioned
in
their
self-‐study
report,

Lailanie
High
School
has
developed
a
walkthrough
protocol
that
measures
student’s

engagement
levels
and
ability
to
demonstrate
critical
thinking
through
questioning,

discourse,
and
reasoning.

Their
recently
published
accreditation
report
verifies
that
they

have
been
successful
in
their
promotion
of
critical
thinking
as
a
school
culture
and
practice

as
demonstrated
by
their
graphs
to
showcase
progress.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
128

According
to
the
school’s
self-‐study
report,
the
Department
of
Education’s
emphasis

on
College
and
Career
Readiness
has
changed
school
practices
at
Lailanie
High
School.

Educators
are
shifting
from
the
Hawaii
Content
Performance
Standards
to
the
Common

Core
State
Standards,
which
emphasizes
College
and
Career
Readiness
through
academic

knowledge
and
skill
building.

Research
has
shown
that
in
order
to
produce
College
and

Career
Ready
graduates,
students
must
have
both
academic
and
practical
(or
“soft”

interpersonal)
skills.

The
ability
to
think
critically
is
listed
as
an
adaptability
skill
by
the

American
Society
for
Training
and
Development.

It
is
also
listed
as
a
College
and
Career

Readiness
skill
by
numerous
researchers
(Casner-‐Lotto
&
Barrington,
2006;
Conley,
2010;

Dunlap,
2005;
NACE,
2007;
Andrews
&
Wooten,
2005;
Arsendorf,
2009).

Results
from

research
question
one
indicates
that
community
members,
educators,
and
students
would

agree
that
critical
thinking
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
are
essential
practices
if
a

school
is
to
produce
college
and
career
ready
graduates.

Documentation
and
Interview
data
implies
that
the
two
school
practices
(promoting

a
school
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
building
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills)

should
be
working
in
conjunction
to
produce
the
school
outcome
of
producing
College
and

Career
Ready
graduates.

Interviews
of
community
members,
educators,
and
recent

graduates
indicates
that
the
majority
of
the
individuals
agree
that
critical
thinking
should

be
an
emphasis;
especially
within
the
context
of
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Community

members
emphasized
the
importance
of
critical
thinking
as
an
essential
element
in

developing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Community
member
MN
stated
that
“the

application
of
critical
thinking
and
problem
solving
skills
are
necessary
to
enhance
and

support
a
coherent
and
cohesive
college
experience
to
enable
successful
careers
in
our

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
129

diverse
global
environment.”

According
to
community
member
RT,
critical
thinking
is

important
“because
students
must
be
able
to
differentiate
between
issues”
and
understand

that
being
able
to
think
critically
is
part
of
the
“essential
skills
that
are
the
synergy
to

success,”
which
was
stated
by
community
member
GN.

A
former
educator
stated
that
“to

be
able
to
navigate
and
successfully
contribute
and
constructively
support
a
healthy
global

society,
our
students
today
must
become
critical
thinkers
and
responsible
citizens
and
be
a

part
of
a
collaborative
effort
to
improve
the
quality
of
life”
(MN,).

Lailanie
High
School
has
already
named
critical
thinking
and
College
and
Career

Readiness
as
school
practices.

Results
from
this
study
provide
verification
that
these

school
practices
are
essential
when
working
towards
producing
College
and
Career
Ready

graduates.
Documentations
provided
by
Lailanie
High
School’s
website
provides
further

verification
of
the
relevancy
of
these
school
practice
as
playing
an
integral
role
in

producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Chapter
Four
Summary

The
results
derived
from
documentation
and
interview
suggests
that
there
is
an

intersection
among
individual
perceptions,
individual
school
elements,
and
school

practices
that
lead
a
student
to
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Results
regarding
individual

perceptions
revealed
a
foundational
understanding
of
how
community
members,

educators,
and
recent
graduates
define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
they

describe
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Results
from
the
individual
perceptions

section
provided
a
framework
for
understanding
how
individual
school
elements
and

school
practices
are
perceived
to
intersect
in
order
to
lead
to
the
school
outcome
of

producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
130

In
the
next,
and
final,
chapter
of
this
dissertation
I
offer
a
discussion
of
the
ideas
that

have
emerged
as
a
result
of
this
case
study
as
well
as
address
the
implications
for
the

school
and
its
community.

I
will
also
offer
recommendations
for
further
research
in
this

area
of
study.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
131

CHAPTER
FIVE:

DISCUSSION

This
study
examined
how
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates

define
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
how
they
describe
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐
secondary
success;
how
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceive

the
success
of
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)
in
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills;
and
how

community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceive
blended
learning

environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

A
qualitative
case
study
was
employed
to
answer
the
following
research

questions:

• How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
define
College
and

Career
Readiness
and
how
do
they
describe
the
skills
necessary
for
post-‐secondary

success?

• How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceive
the
success

of
project-‐based
learning
programs
(like
the
Senior
Project)
in
aiding
12
th

grade

students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills?

• How
do
community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
perceive
blended

learning
environments
as
supporting
or
impeding
students’
development
of
College

and
Career
Readiness
skills?

To
answer
these
questions,
data
was
collected
at
a
single
high
school
and
was
comprised
of

interviews
of
multiple
groups
and
document
collection
(Merriam,
2009).

Pseudonyms
for

the
school
site
and
all
participants
were
created
to
ensure
that
all
participants’
identities

were
protected.

All
data
collected
was
transcribed
and
coded
into
an
Excel
spreadsheet

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
132

that
was
then
used
for
inductive
analysis
focusing
on
themes
outlined
in
the
Conceptual

Framework
for
this
study.

This
final
chapter
will
look
at
the
comprehensive
lessons
learned
as
a
result
of
this

study.

The
remaining
sections
of
this
chapter
summarizes
the
study’s
findings,
addresses

the
implications
for
the
school
and
its
extended
community,
as
well
as
offer
a
discussion

emerging
from
the
findings.

Recommendations
for
further
study
are
also
offered
to

conclude
this
chapter.

Summary
of
Findings

The
findings
from
this
case
study
suggest
that
there
is
an
intersection
among

individual
perceptions
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness

skills,
individual
school
elements,
and
school
practices
that
lead
a
12
th

grade
student

towards
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Individual
perceptions
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
is
an
essential
element
in
understanding

the
relationship
between
school
elements
and
school
practices
that
lead
towards
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Findings
in
regards
to
College
and

Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
were
as
follows:

1)
Results
from

the
interviews
in
regards
to
defining
College
and
Career
Readiness
provided
enough
data

for
the
school
to
create
their
own
definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness;
2)
Results

from
the
interviews
in
regards
to
identifying
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
provided
a

foundation
from
which
the
school
can
create
a
list
of
skills
they
would
like
to
prioritize.

Students’
participation
in
project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning

environments
were
perceived
as
supporting
their
development
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills.

In
the
case
study
for
Lailanie
High
School,
the
data
revealed
that

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
133

community
members,
educators,
and
recent
graduates
believe
that
the
school
practices
are

essential
when
working
towards
producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Findings

in
regards
to
Project-‐based
learning
and
blended
learning
environments
as
leading
to
the

development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
were
as
follows:

1)
Results
from
the

interviews
in
regards
to
the
success
of
Project-‐based
learning
programs
as
aiding
12
th

grade
students
in
their
development
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
confirms
that
the

Senior
Project
program
is
an
ideal
school
element
through
which
College
and
Career

Readiness
skills
can
be
developed
and
applied;
2)
Results
from
community
member
and

educator
interviews
confirm
that
the
incorporation
of
technology,
not
necessarily
blended

learning
environments
specifically,
is
an
essential
element
in
the
development
of
College

and
Career
Readiness;
3)
The
incorporation
of
the
blended
learning
environment
is
an

ideal
school
element
through
which
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
can
be
developed

and
applied.

Implications
for
Practice

There
are
two
implications
for
future
practice.

First,
developing
a
definition
for

College
and
Career
Readiness
and
identifying
specific
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
is

an
integral
step
towards
attaining
the
school
outcome
of
producing
College
and
Career

Ready
graduates.

Second,
project-‐based
learning,
specifically
in
the
form
of
the
Senior

Project
program
and
its
blended
learning
environment,
has
the
potential
to
be
an
essential

element
in
building
a
culture
of
critical
thinking
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
and

should
be
developed
further
to
be
in
alignment
with
their
definition
and
listing
of
essential

skills.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
134

As
discussed
in
Chapter
2
and
my
Conceptual
Framework,
there
is
a
need
to
develop

a
common
definition
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
that
fits
the
needs
of
the
school
and

its
students
as
well
as
meets
the
goals
and
expectations
set
forth
by
the
state.

Conley

(2010),
Dunlap
(2005),
Arsendorf
(2009),
and
Casner-‐Lotto
&
Barrington
(2006)
are
just
a

few
of
the
researchers
who
have
published
various
definitions
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
listings
of
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

In
the
case
of
Lailanie
High

School,
little
attention
has
been
paid
to
developing
a
definition
for
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
listing
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
which
would
enable
the
school
to

set
clear
measurable
and
attainable
goals
that
would
lead
to
producing
College
and
Career

Ready
graduates.

Watson
(2003)
claims
that
it
is
becoming
increasingly
important
for

graduates
to
be
able
to
apply
what
they
know
and
the
skills
they
have
learned
in
real-‐world

situations
like
college
and
the
workplace.

Providing
students
with
a
clear
definition
of

what
it
means
to
be
College
and
Career
Ready
and
what
skills
are
needed
would
support

Lailanie
High
School’s
school
practices
that
are
meant
to
instigate
an
organizational
change

towards
producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Research
offered
by
Rossett
(2002),
Newcombe
(2010),
and
Chang
&
Lee
(2010)

discuss
the
importance
of
finding
the
right
technological
tools
and
instructional
practices
to

create
an
environment
that
produces
optimal
results
for
that
particular
learning

environment.

In
the
case
of
Lailanie
High
School,
their
Senior
Project
program,
which
has
a

developing
blended
learning
environment,
has
the
potential
to
be
an
essential
element
in

producing
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Results
indicated
that
while
the
Senior

Project
program
was
relatively
structured,
the
blended
learning
aspect
of
the
program

needed
improvement
if
it
is
to
be
used
effectively
and
with
greater
results.

Rossett
(2002)

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
135

states
that
blended
learning
has
the
potential
to
engage
the
learner
and
promote
learning
if

done
right
and
Singh
&
Reed
(2001)
discussed
studies
that
emphasized
the
importance
of

providing
an
optimal
match
between
how
a
learner
wants
to
learn
and
the
learning

program
that
is
offered.

Little
attention
has
been
paid
to
determining
and
offering
quality

supports
that
enable
a
school
to
be
able
to
fulfill
the
responsibilities
expected
of
them
in

developing
College
and
Career
Readiness
in
their
12
th

grade
students,
thus
ensuring
that

they
are
graduating
College
and
Career
Ready.

Bailey,
Schneider,
and
Vander
Ark
(2013)
describe
blended
learning
as
a

fundamental
redesign
of
instructional
models
to
accelerate
learning
towards
College
and

Career
Readiness
by
personalizing
the
education
experience
to
ensure
that
the
right

resources
and
applications
reach
the
right
students
at
the
right
time.

Bailey,
Schneider,
and

Vander
Ark
(2013)
also
outline
10
drivers
of
blended
learning:

1)
improve
ability
to

personalize
learning;
2)
potential
for
individual
progress;
3)
improve
student
engagement

and
motivation;
4)
shift
to
online
state
tests
starting
in
2015;
5)
need
to
extend
time
and

stretch
resources;
6)
potential
to
extend
the
reach
of
effective
teachers;
7)
ability
to

improve
working
conditions;
8)
decrease
device
costs;
9)
student
and
parent
adoption
of

learning
apps;
10)
interest
in
narrowing
the
digital
divide.

Not
every
element
listed
above

is
relevant
to
Lailanie
High
School’s
learning
environment,
however,
Bailey,
Schneider,
and

Vander
Ark’s
list,
in
accordance
with
findings
from
this
case
study,
can
be
used
to
help

pinpoint
areas
of
improvement
in
developing
a
blended
learning
environment
that
meets

the
needs
of
Lailanie
High
School’s
particular
demographic.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
136

Recommendations
for
the
Research
Community

The
study’s
findings
point
to
one
implication
for
the
research
community
that

involves
an
opportunity
to
explore
what
is
believed
to
be
a
relatively
new
area
of
inquiry.

While
the
field
of
research
has
focused
on
various
components
of
College
and
Career

Readiness
and
the
relationships
between
project-‐based
learning,
blended
learning

environments,
and
an
organizational
change
towards
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates,

the
research
community
has
yet
to
study
in-‐depth
the
emerging
complexities
that
exist

within
the
interactions
between
individual
perceptions
and
practices
and
how
those

elements
lead
to
the
possibility
of
organizational
change
towards
College
and
Career
Ready

graduates.

While
this
study’s
findings
are
constrained
by
the
conditions
surrounding
time

spent
in
the
field
collecting
data
and
the
amount
of
data
available
within
that
limited
time

frame,
the
findings
provide
an
opportunity
to
conduct
more
longitudinal
examinations

using
larger
data
sets
and
a
wider
range
of
educational
environments
in
order
to
study
and

confirm
the
integrity
of
the
Conceptual
Framework
I
proposed
for
this
particular
study.

A

quantitative
measurement
could
be
used
to
investigate
College
and
Career
Readiness

through
a
different
lens,
assessments
could
be
developed
to
determine
College
and
Career

Readiness
growth
(pre/post
surveys),
or
studies
could
be
conducted
to
compare

performance
between
seniors
who
completed
the
project
and
those
who
did
not.

There
is

also
a
need
for
studies
that
seek
to
determine
actual
post-‐secondary
success.

This
study

determined
that
stakeholders

believe
that
the
Senior
Project
aids
in
the
development
of

College
and
Career
Readiness
and
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills,
however
it
does
not

actually
measure
whether
or
not
these
students
are
successful
after
high
school.

Future

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
137

studies
could
also
look
at
the
application
of
blended
learning
environments
in
other
subject

areas
in
terms
of
building
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills.

Finally,
future
studies
could

look
into
the
cultural
aspects
that
affect
College
and
Career
Readiness.

Furthermore,
the
majority
of
the
focus
for
this
study
was
placed
upon
the
individual

school
and
the
programs
that
were
implemented
within
that
particular
organization.

Future
studies
would
further
benefit
from
exploring
multiple
educational
sites
and

programs
that
support
the
development
of
College
and
Career
Ready
graduates.

Additional

studies
in
this
area
of
inquiry
will
help
to
confirm
the
ideas
and
implications
presented

here
in
order
to
produce
more
generalizable
findings.

Considering
that
literature
involving
the
interaction
between
College
and
Career

Readiness,
project-‐based
learning,
and
blended
learning
environments
is
limited,
the

research
community
can
now
be
tasked
with
conducting
further
inquiries
in
this
area
and

test
the
set
of
ideas
examined
in
this
particular
study.

As
the
culture
and
climate
of
public

education
increases
its
focus
on
College
and
Career
Readiness,
responsibility
rests
within

the
research
community
to
assist
educators
in
developing
successful
programs
and

practices.

Doing
so
will
enable
schools
to
produce
the
level
of
College
and
Career
Ready

graduates
that
society
is
calling
for
and
in
so
doing,
improve
the
quality
of
learning
for
all

students.

Conclusion

Many
more
questions
emerged
as
a
result
of
this
study.

Having
had
the
opportunity

to
spend
two
months
conducting
interviews
and
delving
into
school
documents,
I
have
also

begun
to
ponder
the
potential
for
growth
in
the
fields
of
project-‐based
learning
and

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
138

blended
learning
environments
not
only
in
this
particular
learning
environment,
but
in

other
public
school
environments
as
well.

As
discussed
in
my
Conceptual
Framework,
I
argued
that
the
students
ability
to

demonstrate
College
and
Career
Readiness
skills
is
influenced
by
three
factors:
1)
his/her

understanding
of
previous
learning
experiences
and
its
purpose
in
the
real
world;
2)

his/her
perceived
level
of
knowledge
of
what
is
needed
to
succeed
at
the
post-‐secondary

level;
3)
his/her
perceived
ability
to
become
an
independent
learner,
manage
the

experiences,
and
reflect
on
his/her
own
practice.

If
further
interviews
were
conducted
of
a

wider
range
of
students
(including
current
12
th

grade
students),
how
would
they
envision

demonstrating
these
skills
to
prove
that
they
are
College
and
Career
Ready?

McCarthy
&

Kuh
(2006),
Arsendorf
(2009),
and
Altbach
&
Knight
(2007)
all
discuss
the
growing

concern
that
high
school
graduates
do
not
possess
the
knowledge
and
skills
necessary
to

perform
successfully
at
the
post-‐secondary
level.

Findings
in
this
study
provided
an
outline

as
to
what
a
College
and
Career
Ready
student
would
look
like
at
Lailanie
High
School,
but

these
findings
are
specific
to
a
single
public
school.

It
would
be
interested
to
determine
if

the
findings
could
be
replicated
in
other
school
environments.

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
139

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151

Appendix
A

State
of
Hawaii
–
Department
of
Education

General
Learner
Outcomes
(GLO)

GLO
1:
Self ‐Directed
Learner

The
ability
to
be
responsible
for
one’s
own
learning

• 1.1:

Sets
priorities
and
establishes
achievable
goals
and
personal
plans
for

learning

• 1.2:

Plans
and
manages
time
and
resources
to
achieve
goals

• 1.3:

Monitors
progress
and
evaluates
learning
experiences

•

GLO
2:
Community
Contributor

The
understanding
that
it
is
essential
for
human
beings
to
work
together

• 2.1:

Respects
people’s
feelings,
ideas,
abilities
and
cultural
diversity

• 2.2:

Cooperates
with
and
helps
and
encourages
others
in
group
situations

• 2.3:

Understands
and
follows
rules
of
conduct

• 2.4:

Analyzes
conflict
and
applies
methods
of
cooperative
resolution

• 2.5:

Demonstrates
responsible
and
ethical
behavior
in
decision
making

• 2.6:

Reasonably
implements
a
solution

GLO
3:
Complex
Thinker

The
ability
to
perform
complex
thinking
and
problem
solving

• 3.1:

Applies
prior
learning
experiences
to
new
situations

• 3.2:

Considers
multiple
perspectives
in
analyzing
and
solving
a
variety
of

problems

• 3.3:

Generates
new
and
creative
ideas
and
approaches
to
developing
solutions

• 3.4:

Evaluates
the
effectiveness
and
ethical
considerations
to
a
solution
and

make
adjustments
as
needed

GLO
4:
Quality
Producer

The
ability
to
recognize
and
produce
quality
performance
and
quality
products

• 4.1:

Recognizes
and
understands
what
quality
performances
and
product
are

• 4.2:

Understands
and
sets
criteria
to
meet
or
exceed
Hawaii
Content
and

Performance
Standards

• 4.3:

Produces
evidence
that
meets
or
exceeds
Hawaii
Content
and
Performance

Standards

ASSESSING
COLLEGE
AND
CAREER
READINESS
152

GLO
5:
Effective
Communicator

The
ability
to
communicate
effectively

• 5.1:

Listens
to,
interprets,
and
uses
information
effectively

• 5.2:

Communicates
effectively
and
clearly
through
speaking,
using
appropriate

forms,
conventions,
and
styles
to
convey
ideas
and
information
for
a
variety
of

audiences
and
purposes

• 5.3:

Reads
with
understanding
various
types
of
written
materials
and
literature

and
uses
information
for
various
purposes

• 5.4:

Communicates
effectively
and
clearly
through
writing,
using
appropriate

forms,
conventions,
and
styles
to
convey
ideas
and
information
for
a
variety
of

audiences
and
purposes

• 5.5:

Observes
and
makes
sense
of
visual
information

GLO
6:
Effective
and
Ethical
User
of
Technology

The
ability
to
use
a
variety
of
technologies
effectively
and
ethically

• 6.1:

Uses
a
variety
of
technologies
in
producing
an
idea
or
a
product

• 6.2:

Uses
a
variety
of
technologies
to
access
and
manage
information
and
to

generate
new
information

• 6.3:

Understands
the
impact
of
technologies
on
individuals,
family,
society,
and

the
environment

• 6.4:

Uses
the
appropriate
technologies
for
communication,
collaboration,

research,
creativity,
and
problem
solving

• 6.5:

Understands
and
respects
the
legal
and
ethical
issues

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study provides an in‐depth review of individual perceptions of College and Career Readiness, College and Career Readiness skills, and the effectiveness of Project‐based learning and blended learning environments as supporting or impeding College and Career Readiness in 12th grade students. The purpose of this study was to further define College and Career Readiness and describe identified skills and to determine if current programs, like the Senior Project, are successful. The purpose is also to look at how the use of blended learning environments are supporting or impeding the development of these skills. An interview protocol was used with 17 participants in order to gain a deeper understanding of College and Career Readiness at a particular school site. Publicly available documentation was also analyzed to clarify and confirm findings derived from the interview protocol. Findings from this study suggests that there is an intersection among individual perceptions of College and Career Readiness and College and Career Readiness skills, individual school elements (like Project‐based learning and blended learning environments), and school practices (like creating a culture of critical thinking and College and Career Readiness) that lead a 12th grade student towards College and Career Readiness. This study begins to address a need to further define College and Career Readiness and College and Career Readiness skills in high school systems, and contributes to a new area of research that looks at how high schools can produce graduates that are ready for both College and Career.

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