Accounting for the Whole Child

Stephen M. Smith

With our new president and the anticipation of a new agenda for the future of education, now is the time to rethink the role of accountability in education policy. No Child Left Behind has shown us the power of data, standards, and high expectations. So, how do we build on what we have learned so far?

To be ready for success in the 21st century workplace, today's students need to be able to think creatively and critically; learn to manage data and technology; communicate effectively in writing, speech, and other media; commit to a lifelong learning process; and understand globalism and its implications (National Center on Education and the Economy, 2007). To cultivate graduates with mastery in these areas, schools must change the way they view students and instruction. They must look beyond test scores and start to see the whole child--building from children's strengths, undergirding their weaknesses, and cultivating and expanding their natural interests. 

To do this effectively, schools need to serve students as individuals and use technology appropriately to support teachers and school staff in developing individualized learning plans (ILPs) to ensure that all high school graduates are fully prepared for careers and/or higher education. A true system of accountability needs to view students through multiple lenses of data, not just test scores. In addition, schools must create environments that are safe and caring, fully engage students in their education, and are able to provide the support and intervention necessary to give them the best chance of optimizing their potential. 

In our current assessment-driven education system, students too often feel that they attend school simply to pass tests. Too often, we forget that the purpose of education is to prepare students to be lifelong learners, which means fully engaging them in their own learning. Students should be planning for life after graduation and defining success for themselves. To assist in this process, schools must work with young children in thinking about goals and future careers, support middle school students through self-discovery, and provide middle and high school students with the resources and support to develop a plan for life both in school and after graduation that they will find fulfilling and rewarding.

School staff should work with students as early as middle school to plan postsecondary goals. For example, a guidance counselor or other appropriate staff person can advise a student who is interested in being a pediatrician on courses he should take. Using the student's personal goal, the staff person can have a conversation about the implications classes taken in middle school will have on meeting his goals. The student will better understand the decision to take algebra in 8th grade once he understands that doing so means he can complete AP Calculus and AP Biology (or equivalent IB coursework) in 12th grade, which will, in turn, increase the likelihood of being accepted to a selective college and later into medical school. Principals can also use this information about students' interests to increase the rigor of course pathways. Such purposeful learning is student centered and focused squarely on optimizing student achievement.

Purposeful learning can transform a school by changing the conversation between students, parents, and staff. Students expect more from themselves as they understand the importance of education to their future lives. Setting goals for their academic achievement, personal/social growth, and future careers—and tracking as each goal is met—will encourage students to understand the implications of their current decisions and provide a richer context for adults to understand the growing child. 

Parents and school staff can better appreciate and understand students and communicate with, motivate, and engage them as these data are shared from elementary to middle and from middle to high school. Staff can work together so students experience seamless transitions and keep focused on their future and all of the possibilities within reach. ILPs and purposeful learning provide the opportunity to see and nurture the whole child.

Reference

National Center on Education and the Economy (2007). Tough choices or tough times: The  report of the new commission on the skills of the American work force. Washington, D.C.: Author.

Stephen M. Smith is chief executive officer of Naviance, a leader in fostering student achievement through a structured approach to course, career, and college advising.