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Illinois Community College
Curriculum Integration Summit
James R Stone III
Director
Let’s begin at the beginning…
15 year olds in the US on the PISA:
Performed below average in mathematics in 2012 and is ranked
26th among the 34 OECD countries
Showed no significant change in this performance over time.
Have particular weaknesses in performing mathematics
tasks with higher cognitive demands,
such as taking real-world situations,
translating them into mathematical
terms, and interpreting mathematical
aspects in real-world problems
U.S. Adults Have
Mediocre Reading,
Math, and Tech
Skills: Does It
Matter?
The Atlantic, Oct 2013
The Real Skills Gap
Business Roundtable Survey 2009
Gap Between Importance of Skill & Workers’ Current Skill Level (As Perceived By Employers )
Severe
Deficit
Moderate
Deficit
Small
Deficit
No
Deficit
Q17: You are going to see a list of skills and attributes that employees could have. Please rank how important each skill or attribute
is for your employees to have right now using a 7 point scale. Q18: Indicate the level of your current employees’ skills overall, for each
of the following skills, using a 7 point scale. (Showing difference between 6+7s)
12
Is Algebra Necessary?
There are many defenses of algebra and the virtue of learning it. Most of
them sound reasonable on first hearing; many of them I once accepted.
But the more I examine them, the clearer it seems that they are largely
or wholly wrong — unsupported by research or evidence, or based
on wishful logic. (I’m not talking about quantitative skills, critical for
informed citizenship and personal finance, but a very different ballgame.)
This debate matters. Making mathematics mandatory prevents us from
discovering and developing young talent. In the interest of maintaining
rigor, we’re actually depleting our pool of brainpower. I say this as a
writer and social scientist whose work relies heavily on the use of
numbers.
Andrew Hacker, NYT July 29, 2012
College & Career Readiness
WHAT HATH SCHOOL
REFORM WROUGHT
Rigor = More
A narrow curriculum
High school has become the new middle
school
Where Have We
Been: 30 Years of
“Reform”
Solution?
Pile on more academics
Since the mid-1980s we have:
Added the equivalent of one full
year of core academics (math,
science, language arts) to high
school graduation requirements.
 (NAEP) Reading scores have not
improved or significantly
declined*
 (NAEP) Science scores have not
improved or significantly
declined*
 (NAEP) Math scores have
remained relatively unchanged
*Depends on the starting and ending timeframe
Taking more math is no guarantee
• Only 26% of students who took Alg I, II &
Geometry scored a 22 (ACT Benchmark) on
the ACT exam scoring an average of 17.71
• Adding Trig; 37% pass with an average score
of 19.91
• Not until calculus is added, does the
average score exceed 22 – 5 years of high
school math for 55% to achieve benchmark
score
1. ACT, Inc (2004) Crisis at the Core
2. ACT, Inc. (2007) Rigor at Risk.
Conclusion?
Doing more of the
same is not
working!
Doing more of the
same is doing
something
however . . .
While test scores remain flat, Student
Engagement plummets
76%
61%
44%
Brandon Busteed, Executive Director of Gallup Education
Presentation at the NASDCTEc October 21, 2014
Unintended consequences: More high school
math, science linked to more dropouts
As math and science requirements for high school
graduation have become more rigorous, dropout
rates across the United States have risen, The
tougher requirements appear to
have had a major effect on high
school graduation rates of
Hispanic and African-American
males.
Plunk AD, Tate WF, Bierut LJ, Grucza RA. Intended and
unintended effects of state-mandated high school science
and mathematics course graduation requirements on
educational attainment. Educational Researcher, vol. 43(5),
June/July 2014
Rhetoric & Reality
Goal:
Productive Adult
in a Global
Economy
If your
assumptions
about a
problem are
wrong, then
it is very
likely your
solution will
be as well
This is why we need contextualized learning
 Of the 19.0 million new jobs between 2004 and 2014, 9.0 million are
expected to involve higher level literacy (America’s Perfect Storm:
Three Forces Changing our Nation’s Future, ETS)
http://www.ets.org/perfect_storm/
 More current studies suggest this trend is continuing
17
The Problem Comes to Your Door:
Community College Remediation
 68% of beginning CC students took one or more
remedial courses (BPS data, 2009)
 59% of Achieving the Dream CCs required
developmental math; 33% required developmental
reading (CCRC, 2008)
 20% of students referred to developmental math
and 37% referred to developmental reading pass
relevant “gateway college courses (Bailey et al,,
2008)
 Resulting in students feeling like they are …
All This Raises
Two Questions
Preparing Students for the Workplace: Today & Tomorrow
Academic
Mathematics
Science
Communications
Technical
Job specific
skills valued by
employers
Occupational
SCANS
21st Century Skills
“Soft” Skills
Employability Skills
Stone & Lewis, 2012
The Research: Workplace Academics
 The Hechinger Report, 2011
 Mayo, 2012
 NCEE, 2013
 Stone & DiMattina, 2014
For remedial students, algebra or
statistics? – An Experiment
Random assignment of low
performing students into (3 Groups)
 Remedial Algebra
 Traditional Algebra with 2hour weekly support
workshop
 Regular statistics
Study reported in: The Hechinger Report, 12/6/2011
http://communitycollegespotlight.org/tags/remedial-math/
Results – How many passed?
 39% passed
 45%
 56%
Two Views of Math
Conventional View
 You need a lot of math to get a good job
 Taking advanced math gives you the ability
to apply math
 School degrees are a good predictor of
who will perform well on the job
Workplace Skills View
 You have to be able to apply math – 6th
grade level
 Pre & Post Testing of college math courses
shows zero gain in applied math skill
 School degrees predict 1-10% of work
performance variation.
Mayo, 2012
Scoring Scheme is Different
30o
What is the sin of 30 0?
2+2=?
B. What is the sum of 2+2?
School Math View: Problem A is harder than Problem B because A is
trigonometry (taught in high school) and B is arithmetic (taught in 2nd grade)
Workplace Math View: Problem A and Problem B are the same.
Both require simple memorization of a fact. There is no way to solve either
problem using reasoning or deduction.
Thus, both questions measure math skill at a sub-literate level.
Workplace math is “critical thinking” as applied to math
Surprising Reality:
Most US Jobs Require
Little Math
What does it really mean to college and
work ready?
(NCEE, 2013)
Mathematics
 Mastery of Algebra II is not a prerequisite for
success in college and careers.
 Placement tests used by CCs assume that all
students should be expected to be proficient in
the sequence of courses leading to calculus.
 Fewer 5% of American workers and an even
smaller percentage of community college
students will ever need to master the courses in
this sequence in their college or in the
workplace
 Mathematics needed is mostly middle school
mathematics
 Mathematical modeling, statistics and
probability, complex measurement, schematics
and geometric visualization needed in many
community college programs but not now taught
in most schools
Reading
 College texts written at 11th -12th grade
levels; most high school graduates cannot
understand them
 College instructors reduce material in the
textbooks to Power Points, videos and flash
cards
 Reading that is required demands little more
than searching for basic facts
 Most college courses require very little
writing
 Most community college tests involve little
complex thinking and no writing
 Industry courses rarely require students to
do the kind of writing required of workers in
the industry for which they are training
Academic Skills Needed for College
are the Same Needed for Careers . . . ?
Career Ready (the academic side)?
• ACT Work Readiness Assessment
(based on O’Net data) measures:
• Reading for information
• Locating information
• Applied math
• Zone 3 Jobs, Level 5 Math Skills
 Fundamental knowledge of PC and Server Operating Systems.  Tech Skills
 Tech Skills
 Strong Electronics and Mechanical background
 WBL
 Highly motivated and energetic
 Soft Skills
 Strong communication skills and work ethic
 Soft Skills
 Strong organizational skills
 Soft Skills
 Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
 Tech Skills
 Excellent troubleshooting skills
 Tech Skills
 Experience with IBM POS equipment
 WBL
 Experience with Lexmark printers
 WBL
 Experience with Toledo and Hobart scale systems
 WBL
 Experience with Nortel BCM and Toshiba CTX systems
 WBL
 Experience with Fujitsu Self Checkout systems
 WBL
 Experience with Cisco routers and HP network switches
 WBL
Skills
Requirements
Career Ready
Electronic
Technician –
Level 5*
 Fundamental knowledge of networking principles.
Level Characteristics of Items
5 Problems require several steps of logic and
calculation (e.g., problem may involve
completing an order form by totaling the
order and then computing tax)
Skills
•Decide what information, calculations, or
unit conversions to use to solve the
problem
•Look up a formula and perform singlestep conversions within or between
systems of measurement
•Calculate using mixed units (e.g., 3.5
hours and 4 hours 30 minutes)
•Divide negative numbers
•Find the best deal using one- and two-step
calculations and then compare results
•Calculate perimeters and areas of basic
shapes (rectangles and circles)
•Calculate percent discounts or markups
The Occupational Expression
of Academics
The Study
Summary of Findings
 Mapped the content associated with  Math associated with an ACT score
an ACT score of 22 against syllabi
from TX, CA & MA
 Mapped the math embedded in
employment tests for 8 middle skill
occupations (non-random selection)
of 22 is mostly middle school math,
Algebra I and some geometry.
 Math associated with middle skill
job employment tests is higher than
that required for an ACT score of 22
but still found in middle school
math, Algebra I and some geometry
Stone & DiMattina, 2014
Work Math – Middle Skill Occupations
ACT
Course
Algebra 1
Common
Core 8th
grade
ACT Topic
Occupation
Requirement
California,
Massachusetts &
Texas
Add, subtract,
multiply and divide
rational numbers,
including integers,
fractions, and
decimals, without
calculators. (ACT
score 16-19)
Telecomm Jr. tech
Nursing
HVAC
Survey tech.
Plumbing
Auto tech
RESNET Field Inspector
Electrical Apprentice
Addressed in 7th grade
curriculum: Apply and
extend previous
understandings of
operations with fractions
to add, subtract, multiply,
and divide rational
numbers
Career Ready Math Skills: Getting the job*
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Telecommunication Junior
Technician
Nursing
HVAC
Survey Technician
Plumbing
Automobile Technician
Survey Technician
Plumbing
Automobile Technician
Nursing
HVAC
Telecommunication Junior
Technician
Stone & DiMattina, 2014
What to take from all of this?
What is the Evidence?
RESEARCH SUPPORTING
CURRICULUM INTEGRATION
Can Curriculum Integration Improve Needed
Academic Skills?
Mathematics
Literacy
Science
NRCCTE Experimental Test of Math Integration
Students in the experimental classes
• Scored significantly higher on Terra Nova and
Accuplacer
• The effect: 71st percentile & 67th percentile
• No negative effect on technical skills 11% of class time
devoted to enhanced math lessons
Focus on Reading
• Significant improvement
from both approaches
• Teachers with two-years
experience in method
had greater effect
Science Integration: Experimental Studies
• Overall, no effect
• Significant effect for nonwhite males and females
Community College Curriculum
Integration Research
Caveat
- The Research Challenge
Most rigorous research conducted in
secondary schools
• PS Education does not have a consistent
“dependent variable”
• PS faculty are increasingly part-time
(72% in Illinois; NEA Almanac of Higher
Education, 1999; 68% nationally, ).
• Increasing use of on-line “learning” (1/3
of Illinois completers in 2008, ICCB,
2010)
WA I-BEST MODEL: INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING
 A collaborative model in which basic skills and CTE faculty jointly teach, develop plans to
achieve integrated program outcomes, jointly plan curricula, and jointly assess students’
learning and skill development.
 I-BEST challenges traditional notions that students must complete all levels of Adult
Basic Education before they can advance in workforce education training programs.
 Students earn college-level credits that are part of a career pathway while at the same
time as mastering critical basic skills identified by employers. (WA SBCTC)
 TX, MD and KS have adapted I-Best in their Community Colleges
Community College Examples with Data - I-Best
•
•
The Program
Students enrolled in non-credit,
ABE while simultaneously enrolled
in occupational course that
integrated occupationally related
reading writing & math
Occupational and basic skills
instructor both present in basic
skills class
Findings (Correlational, self-selection)
After 2 years, I-BEST students:
• Took more credit-bearing courses
• Earned credits toward credential
• Persisted to next year
• 18 point higher improvement compared to ABE
students
• 9 point higher improvement compared to ABE
students who took an occupational course
• 55% I-Best earned CTE certificate; 15% for non IBest**
**Davis Jenkins, Matthew Zeidenberg and Gregory Kienzl, 2009
Other I-Best Examples: Clover Park TC
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intensive program for ABE and ESL
students in Levels 1-3 to jumpstart
their learning.
I-BEST model with team teacher.
Includes math and computers with
intensive writing
Programs include
Nursing Asst (NA-C)
Chemical Dependency Specialist
Computer Aided Design
•
•
67% of students had at least a level gain
in NRS levels in one quarter, 96% had at
least a 5 point gain on CASAS scores.
Program model is community
partnership with Tacoma/Pierce County
Goodwill Industries.
Community College Examples with Data
Project Quest
• A community-inspired economic development program created in 1992 by a
partnership of state and local government, business and industry, and
community organizations.
Mission
• To demonstrate the substantial social and economic benefits that can be
achieved through investments in long-term training for those who otherwise
would not have the opportunity.
• Defines the skills required to succeed in targeted, hard-to-fill occupations and
then recruits, trains, and develops adults so that they will be qualified and ready
to fill industry needs.
• Provides comprehensive educational support (paid tuition, books, fees) and
intensive case management and professional development to low income
individuals
Project Quest Contextualized Courses
ACCD and QUEST developed an innovative educational pathway that
utilizes context-based teaching in a learning community format
resulting in a three-tiered cohort-based program:
•
•
•
•
Cross-disciplinary, content-infused developmental education
Cohort-based pre-requisite general academics
Cohort-based core course work
Instructors in traditionally separate disciplines of reading, English, and math,
developed an accelerated cross- disciplinary, content-infused curriculum.
Project Quest Contextualization (cont)
• Students begin classes as a cohort, taking their contextualized developmental
course work.
• Each subject teaches required competencies while applying healthcare specific
concepts and examples.
• Students benefit from this arrangement because nursing and allied health
instructors are involved in the delivery of the developmental education courses.
• A learning community is formed because all relevant disciplines interact in the
instruction and development of the student.
Project Quest Results: Retention and Math
Rad Techs
• 100% Retention and 100% Pass rate in Math
Licensed Vocational Nurse
• 80% Retention for Cohort I and 100% Retention for
Cohort II
• 80% Pass Rate in Math for Cohort I; 62.5% for Cohort II
• AccuPlacer scores for both groups showed dramatic
improvements
Project Quest Results: Retention and Reading
Licensed Vocational Nurse
• 85% retention
• 100% achieved class exit levels and passed course
• 95% achieved a 12 (grade level equivalent) on Nelson Denney Reading
Test
Rad Techs
• 100% retention
• 100% achieved class exit levels and passed course
• 91% achieved a 12 (grade level equivalent) on Nelson Denney Reading
Test
The Community College CTL Research
• Lots of anecdotes (See Baker, Hope
& Karandjeff, 2009)
• Some correlational studies
• More in the K-12 system
• Conclusions?
Recommendation
 Use Workkeys
 Use Employment Tests
 Work with your advisory
committees
To identify essential academic
skills actually needed in the
workplace
Moving Ahead
Why Curriculum Integration Should Work:
Theory of Change
INPUTS
CTE and
Academic faculty
receive PD on
Curriculum
Integration
(Community of
Practice).
PROCESS
The PD increases
the CTE faculty's
knowledge and
skills about
teaching the
academics in
CTE curricula.
OUTPUTS
Faculty use new
knowledge and
skills to improve
content of approach
to instruction.
PROXIMAL
OUTCOMES
Improved student
learning in the
context of CTE
programs.
DISTAL
OUTCOMES
CTE student
academic
performance,
persistence, and
program
completion rates
improve.
Stone, et al, 2010
Approaches & Models
Two Broad Approaches to Curriculum
Integration
 Stand Alone Classrooms
 Linked Courses/Learning
Communities
 Infusing academics in
occupational education
(NRCCTE Math-in-CTE)
 Cohorts of students; two or more
courses linked in content (I-BEST,
Academies)
Stand Alone Classroom: Integrating Mathematical
Concepts in Culinary Arts
Math 091 Kitchen Lab #2 –
Yield Percentage of Food Items
Example: determining which of 3 fruits had
the highest percentage of edible portion
Chef Michael McGreal, Math Instructors Linda Padilla & Erica
Kwiatkowski-Egizio
Two-semester bridge program integrating basic skills math
and English with preparation for biotech employment
and/or college-level coursework. Instruction includes basic
skills math and English integrated with preparation for
employment as a Biotech Lab Assistant and/or advanced
biotech coursework
https://sites.google.com/site/ccsfbiotechnology/certificateprograms/biotechnology-lab-assistant
 Instruction includes:
 Cabinet and Furniture Making for the
Trades.
 ESL, Workplace English, Wood
Technology Vocabulary, English vs
Metric Measurement & Shop Math.
 Faculty: Wood Technology, ESL, Math and
a Bilingual Assistant Instructor
 Leading to: entry level crafts positions and
continued education in Advanced
Woodworking and Furniture Making
A mathematics department course taught by mathematics faculty.
Course information:
 Includes all of Elementary Algebra, parts of Geometry and Trigonometry
 Course developed by mathematics and auto tech faculty to meet student
needs
 Applications and word problems are from Auto Tech and CAD disciplines
 Non-transferrable, 7 quarter units, meets graduation requirement
 Terminal course (i.e. not a substitute for Intermediate Algebra)
http://www.deanza.edu/
Linked Courses, Learning Communities
A Career Advancement Academy program integrating math,
English, construction and work readiness skills to prepare
students for employment in construction/utilities and/or
continued education.
Instruction includes:
short, intensive training program to prepare students for entry
into the construction trades and/or utilities or continued
education
http://college.lattc.edu/
Los Angeles Healthcare Career Advancement Academy
 Partnership: LAVC-LACC-ELAC-L.A.
County Hospital-SEIU-Community
Organizations
 Curriculum contextualized to Healthcare
 Career Counseling
 Intensive Support Services
 Clear Transitions to Continuing Education and
Career Advancement
 Targets low income, underprepared youth and
adults
Healthcare Career Advancement Academy
Bridge Training Core Curriculum
1. Basic Reading Comprehension &
Writing for Healthcare Employees
2. Basic Math for Healthcare Employees
3. Critical Thinking & Rational DecisionMaking for Healthcare Employees
(Embedded in Curriculum)
4. Customer Service / Communication
Skills
5. Computer Applications for Healthcare
Industry
Community College Curriculum Integration
Challenges
 High percentages of adjunct faculty in certain CTE and academic programs
 Full-time faculty may not be accustomed to or receptive to extensive and ongoing
professional development, including curriculum planning
 Faculty may not feel that they can spare even 8-10% instructional time to
enhanced teaching of the academics inherent in their CTE curricula; they may be
concerned about devoting all their instructional time to meeting accreditation or
occupational requirements
 Like high school teachers, postsecondary faculty typically do not collaborate
across departments
 In many CTE programs, students can be part-time or full-time, and course
sequences can be rigid or flexible; thus, student dosage of or exposure to the
intervention will vary thus, student dosage of or exposure to the intervention will vary
Stone, et al, 2010
 Finding books: e.g., Math for the Trades, Open Educational Resources
(i.e. free online materials)
 Enrollment & Scheduling – meeting student needs for related classes
 Multi-college and multi-campus districts
 Meeting industry specific criteria (ex. Toyota says …..)
 Motivating academic faculty to teach vocational education
applications
Illowsky (nd).
Innovative Educators
 Deciding on FTE allocation for cross-listed courses
 Deciding instructor minimum qualifications for cross-listed courses
 Finding enough related content and relevancy issues for assignments
 Marketing sections of related academics to get enough students from
similar occupational education fields (Creating a cohort)
 Compensation for faculty for developing the curriculum in partnership
 Faculty may feel intimidated by the idea of teaching new subjects
 And more …
Curriculum Integration (Potential)
Solutions
 Create conditions for interdisciplinary collaboration (Perin, 2011)
 Provide on-going PD (Perin, 2011), (Mazzeo, Rab & Alssid, 2003)
 Cultivate instructional leadership (Mazzeo, Rab & Alssid, 2003)
 Include basic or academic skill assessments with assessments used in
occupational courses (Perin, 2011)
Basic Curriculum Integration Tools
 Curriculum Maps of what CTE faculty actually teach (syllabi,
textbooks, etc.) cross walked with industry and/or academic
standards.
 Lesson Plans for the academic-enhanced lessons, embedding
academics following the NRCCTE model
 Lesson Calendars showing when the lessons will be taught (Scope
and Sequence to ensure systematic implementation)
Collect Data: Build Your Case
 PD Evaluations
 Academic Faculty Pre-Teaching Reports
 CTE Faculty Post-Teaching Reports
 Focus Groups or Interviews with CTE and Math Faculty
 Focus Groups or Interviews with Selected Students
 Student Academic Assessments
 Student Outcomes - Select
What can faculty do to
incorporate math contextually?
• Use authentic tasks
• Start lessons with workplace situations
• Teach and apply problem-solving skills
• Use graphic organizers
• Use project based learning
• Rather than …
• Talk with occupational education faculty about areas of
interest to subject area and students
 Occupational education faculty – write up situations &/or
applications students will encounter in their profession
 Mathematics faculty – write the word problems using the
mathematics of the course
 Make applications from different fields, give choice of labs
and projects (same mathematics, different applications)
 Encourage “hands on” and visual pedagogy
Infuse Career Related AAI
Contextual Writing
ELA: Write a paper explaining infection control practices and procedures
documenting examples of when safety protocols were violated.
Science: Conduct a study of local health care facilities to determine how
medical waste is disposed.
Social Sciences: Study the impact of war-time medical care on the
advancement of medical techniques.
Math: Compute the number of calories in a pizza and beer meal and then
calculate how long a person would have to walk to burn off those calories
to maintain body weight
• Talk with occupational education faculty about literature of interest to subject area and
students
• English and occupational education faculty go to a bookstore together to choose
literature for the course. English faculty decide if the level of writing and length is
appropriate for the course. CTE faculty and English faculty discuss and mutually
determine whether the literature and ancillary materials are truly of interest
• Papers and projects need be in area of CTE interest
• Targeted and intentional teaching of a smaller number of goals for mastery
Final Thoughts
 The evidence of the need for improved numeracy and
literacy is all around
 The evidence of what is effective, especially at the
postsecondary level is limited (NOTE: Fund more
research!)
 The evidence that “remedial” education is of little value,
especially to occupational program students is growing.
 Integrating mathematics, reading, writing and
communication skills with occupational preparation if not
evidence-based is at least logical.
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