Community Conversations

Working toward a college- and career-ready Arizona will take the efforts of business, education, civic leaders, and parents alike. In order to achieve college and career readiness, students will have to perform well on a new and rigorous set of expectations, the Arizona College and Career Readiness State Standards (formerly known as the Common Core Standards). These standards are internationally benchmarked and signal what researchers are calling a “sea change” in what students will be needing to know and do; a change in how teachers will teach; and a change in how assessment is done.

ABEC has embarked upon a series of public forums – Community Conversations - around the state, convened by local business and education leaders. Generally, the goals of the forums will be:

1. To educate the local business leaders (and media) about the implementation of the State standards in their local schools and implications for economic development;
2. To engage local business and education leaders in discussion of ways the business and civic leader communities can help in achieving success for all students through partnerships; and
3. To bring ABEC business leader presence to rural communities.

ABEC undertook these Community Conversations as a response to the data from Arizona Higher Performing Schools Recognition Project and the impending assessment of the Arizona College and Career Readiness State Standards.  For the most part, the scores that indicate students are meeting expectations on the AIMS fall far below the scores needed on AIMS to be college and career ready.

Arizona’s educational system is in a transition. Our educators and our students will be successful and are already preparing for this shift.  It is important that the business community and civic leaders are well-informed on this transition, in order to support their local schools as they move into an entirely new assessment process.