69传媒

College & Workforce Readiness

Report: Broader Skills Best for College Grads

By Alyson Klein 鈥 January 11, 2007 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

As the federal government begins to nudge the higher education system toward greater accountability for student learning, a report released here last week outlines the skills college graduates need to be successful in the global economy and suggests how colleges can impart them.

is posted by the .

Whether students majored in art history or nursing, their degrees should signal that they have a firm grasp of critical thinking, teamwork, and written communication, as well as an understanding of civics, ethics, and different cultures, according to the report by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. The Washington-based organization represents 1,100 colleges, many of them focused on the liberal arts.

The report, issued Jan. 10, was the work of the leadership council of Liberal Education and America鈥檚 Promise, an initiative sponsored by the AAC&U. The panel included college presidents, business and nonprofit leaders, and policymakers.

The learning outcomes embraced in the report have generally been the hallmarks of a strong liberal arts education. But the report argues that all students can benefit from them, particularly because workers tend to switch jobs鈥攁nd, in some cases, careers鈥攎ore frequently than ever. Employers, it says, don鈥檛 want 鈥渢oothpick鈥 graduates: those whose focus is deep but narrow. Instead, they want students with broad skills that can help them adapt to the changing job market.

鈥淚t really matters very little if students can perform well on multiple-choice tests,鈥 said Wayne C. Johnson, the vice president of university relations for the Hewlett-Packard Co., the Palo Alto, Calif.-based technology company, and a member of the council. 鈥淲e need more of them to be able to communicate, analyze, think critically.鈥

While the report focuses the bulk of its recommendations on colleges, K-12 schools must work toward similar learning outcomes, said Carol G. Schneider, the president of the AAC&U. 鈥淭his really is a framework for P-16,鈥 she said, referring to the span of education from prekindergarten through a four-year college.

Guidance on Assessment

The report also recommends that college educators create diagnostic, interim, and final assessments, specific to students鈥 chosen fields, to give them a sense of their progress. But it cautions against relying too heavily on standardized tests.

Such tests were endorsed in a report released in August by the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The panel, established by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, made long-range recommendations for the nation鈥檚 colleges (鈥淒epartment Seeks Input on Higher Ed. Panel鈥檚 Suggestions for Change,鈥 Aug. 30, 2006.)

The report says that standardized tests outside the curriculum are, 鈥渁t best, a weak prompt to needed improvement in teaching, curriculum, and learning. 鈥 The tests themselves don鈥檛 necessarily point to where or why the problem exists.鈥

It suggests that curriculum-based assessments might do a better job of identifying students鈥 strengths and weaknesses. Standardized tests could supplement those efforts, the report says.

Joni E. Finney, the vice president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, based in San Jose, Calif., called the report鈥檚 cautious language surrounding standardized tests 鈥渁 bit schizophrenic,鈥 given its emphasis on learning outcomes.

鈥淭he fact that you need to assess these outcomes, and the fact that it needs to be comparable, is a step they didn鈥檛 take and probably should have,鈥 she said.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the January 17, 2007 edition of Education Week as Report: Broader Skills Best for College Grads

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness Can the AP Model Work for CTE? How the College Board Is Embracing Career Prep
The organization known for AP courses and the SAT is getting more involved in helping students explore potential careers.
5 min read
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024. Long an institution invested in preparing students for college, the College Board increasingly has an eye on illuminating career options.
Ileana Najarro/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness The Way 69传媒 Offer CTE Classes Is About to Change. Here's How
The revision could lead to significant shifts in the types of jobs schools highlight, and the courses students are able to take.
4 min read
Photo of student working with surveying equipment.
E+
College & Workforce Readiness Even in Academic Classes, 69传媒 Focus on Building 69传媒' Workforce Skills
69传媒 work on meeting academic standards. What happens when they focus on different sets of skills?
11 min read
69传媒 participate in reflections after a day of learning in Julia Kromenacker鈥檚 3rd grade classroom at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
69传媒 participate in reflections after a day of learning in Julia Kromenacker鈥檚 3rd grade classroom at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Bullitt County district that includes Old Mill Elementary has incorporated a focus on building more general life skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication, that community members and employers consistently say they want from students coming out of high school.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Preparing for the Workforce Can Start as Early as 1st Grade. What It Looks Like
Preparing students for college and career success starts well before high school鈥攁nd it doesn鈥檛 only involve occupation-specific training.
5 min read
Jenna Bray, a 1st grade teacher at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., helps her student Lucas Joiner on an online learning assignment on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Jenna Bray, a 1st grade teacher at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., helps student Lucas Joiner on an online learning assignment on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Bullitt County district, which includes Old Mill Elementary, has incorporated a focus on equipping students with more general life skills鈥攍ike communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving鈥攖hat employers and community members consistently say they want from students coming out of high school.
Sam Mallon/Education Week