Overhead Contents

"Minnesota's vision is to create a seamless system
of education and workforce preparation for all learners,
tied to the needs of a competitive economic marketplace"


MN STW Initiative Contract Pg. 1

Glossary of Terms

"Graduation Rule"
Part I Basic Standards & Testing
8th grade - math, reading
10th grade - writing
Part II High Standards/ "Profile of Learning"

"Learning Areas" - 10 Areas of Learning in the Profile
1. Read, View, Listen
2.Write & Speak
3. Literature & the Arts
4. Math Applications
5. Inquiry
6. Scientific Application
7. People & Cultures
8. Decision Making
9. Resource Management
10. World Languages (optional)

"Standards" - Define what a learner should know and be able to do in each learning area.

"Academic Level" -
Primary K-3
Intermediate 4-5
Middle 6-8
High School 9-12

Glossary of Terms

"Assessments" - Assignments and activities that assess the student knowledge of a standards or standards.

"Performance Package" - Up to 80 pages of described tasks that demonstrate what the student knows about the standard. Can also be called the "assessment".

"Rubrics" -- 1-4 scoring system
4 = Performance on this standard achieves and exceeds expectations of high standard work.
3 = Performance on this standard meets the expectations of high standard work.
2 = Work on this standard has been completed, but all or part of the student's work is below high standard level.
1 = Work on this standard has been completed, but performance is substantially below high standard level.
(No package score is recorded until ALL parts of the package have been completed.)

"Results-Oriented-Education" = Outcome Based Education

BUZZ WORDS & KEY PHRASES

SEAT TIME

REGURGITATION

A WORK IN PROGRESS

LOCAL CONTROL

LEARNING TO LEARN

LIFELONG LEARNING

CRITICAL THINKING

WORK-BASED LEARNING

CONSENSUS

COMMUNITY SERVICE

"Minnesota was one of the first recipients of federal funds to establish a "One-Stop" Workforce Center System statewide. Initiated in 1994, the Minnesota vision of the system is to provide a skilled workforce for the state's economy."

pg. 8 contract

"Minnesota's Graduation Standards serve as the "cornerstone" of Minnesota's STW System, by articulating the integration of academic and school-based, work-based learning skills and competencies. As the Graduation Standards are implemented over the next several years, instruction will become more learner-centered and connected to the real world."

pg. 6 contract

"Essential to the success of the local/regional programs is the integration of school-based and work-based learning, established within the framework of the Minnesota Graduation Standards.....Legislation enacted in 1995, places a priority on the development of curriculum based on Minnesota's graduation standards.....This also involves the alignment of industry skill standards and graduation standards. These standards serve as the basis for curriculum development."

pg. 16 STW contract

"The delineation of career clusters provides a useful organizing framework for program planning, curriculum development, placement strategies, and other system design issues."

pg. 15 contract

"The graduation standards provide the essential mechanism for continuing to integrate school-based learning with early career development experiences of elementary school learners."

pg. 18 contract

"Minnesota's STW state plan, which is aligned with the Minnesota goals 2000 plan and the state's graduation standards initiative, was approved by the National School-To-Work Office in June 1995."

last paragraph of the abstract

"The Graduation Standards based on SCANS and other state and national sources provide the foundation upon which Minnesota's STW System will integrate its school-based and work-based programs. The alignment of academic, technical, and occupation skills based on the framework of the Graduation Standards is a leading component to the STW System's design and implementation."

pg. 7 of the contract

"Over the next several years, content standards relating specifically to foundational work skills, and occupational skills will be incorporated within the overall framework."

pg. 7 of the contract

"The Governor's Workforce Development Council will have oversight responsibility for Minnesota's STW Initiative and will develop policy that supports this effort."

from the contract abstract

"In 1991, the state Legislature called for the merger of Minnesota's technical colleges, community colleges, and state universities.....No other state system in the nation combines technical colleges, two-year and four-year institutions, and master's programs into a single system.....this merger benefits Minnesota's STW System in several ways."

pg. 8 of the contract

"These include: [first point] MnSCU is currently aligning its admission standards and criteria with high school graduation standards. This is a major shift away from using traditional grade point averages to basing admissions on skills and competencies learners have developed."

pg. 8 of the contract

"In accordance with legislation passed in 1995, and effective on October 1, 1995, the Minnesota Department of Education was abolished, and the Department of Children, Families, and Learning (CFL) was established.....The new department retains learning programs formerly housed in the Minnesota Department of Education. Additionally, 16 programs from other Minnesota state agencies are being transferred into CFL from the Department of Human Services, Economic Security, Corrections, Public Safety, as well as from the Office of Strategic and Long-Range Planning."

pg. 7 of the contract

"The Governor's Workforce Development Council (GWDC) and Interagency Leadership Team have been directed to ensure that each and every learner statewide fully participates in Minnesota's STW System."

pg. 30 of the contract

"All Minnesota learners will develop a lifework plan which will be included as one component of the stated Profile of Learning."

pg. 20 of the contract

"We seek the full, 100% participation of employers statewide."

pg. 25 of the contract


"...governance boards for local/regional must include majority represenation of local/regional employers."

pg. 29 of the contract

"Credentialing of Learners - The Department of Labor and Industry and CFL are jointly developing a skills certificate for secondary age learners..."

pg. 23 of the contract

"Minnesota system performance standards evaluation will be managed internally by the Evaluation Specialist."

pg. 60 of the contract