51萝莉

The Promise-Keeper blog series is part of 51萝莉's 鈥�Promise in Action鈥� back-to-school campaign, celebrating 51萝莉 members who are delivering on the commitments they make to their school communities through courageous decisions, transparent leadership, and student-centered action.

For far too long, public education has been defined by a single metric: the test score. But what if I told you there鈥檚 a movement underway to shift the focus from a "testing hamster wheel" to a holistic view of student readiness?

At Coxsackie-Athens Central School District (C-A), a rural district in New York, we鈥檝e made it our mission to redefine what it means to be ready for college, career, and life. We鈥檙e putting students at the center and creating the conditions for lasting success.

Measuring What Matters

At C-A, education now begins with the student. For students, this means moving beyond a single GPA to a comprehensive Readiness Dashboard that tracks growth in multiple areas. Our dashboard measures academic achievement alongside other crucial indicators like attendance, community service, and participation in clubs and extracurricular activities. Students utilize an online portfolio and dashboard that tracks their progress, a tool used by teachers to monitor student progress and parent communication. 

This shift empowers students to become self-directed learners who explore their passions and build skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and financial literacy鈥攚hat we call "The New Basics."

For teachers and staff, our work is centered on empowering them to design innovative learning experiences. We support our team with high-quality professional development, a daily professional learning period, and leadership opportunities. The focus is on fostering strong relationships with students and guiding them through a learning journey that integrates social, emotional, and academic growth. We know that student success depends on our ability to recruit and retain talented, passionate professionals.

This shift empowers students to become self-directed learners who explore their passions and build skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and financial literacy鈥攚hat we call "The New Basics."

Aligning with the New York State Portrait of a Graduate

We believe that education must start with the student. We must move beyond the traditional metrics of success and measure what truly matters for student growth. This vision aligns powerfully with the recently released New York State Portrait , which emphasizes adaptability, innovation, and civic responsibility. 

We seek to ensure every student graduates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to pursue the personal, academic, social, and career goals they set for themselves.

Community Collaboration

We cannot do this work alone, and we strive to be the hub of our community, where families, businesses, and civic leaders collaborate to support our students. Parent engagement through advisory councils, open houses, and frequent communication ensures families have a voice in shaping student success. The Readiness Dashboard is not just a school tool; it reflects our shared vision for our community's future, as we move towards our .

Evidence of Success

After moving students off the "testing hamster wheel," we have evidence that our approach is building college, career, and life-ready persons ready for their future. 

These numbers tell a clear story: our students are not just graduating鈥攖hey鈥檙e graduating ready for whatever path they choose in life.

We're proud to share some of our results:

• College Ready: Since 2017, C-A has witnessed a powerful trend: more and more students are stepping into college-level learning before graduation. In fact, every student in the graduating classes of 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 took at least one college course. Among the class of 2024, 64% of students graduated with 15 or more college credits already under their belts. And back in the 2018鈥�2019 school year, 218 students (that鈥檚 52% of the high school) enrolled in College in the High School courses, earning a combined total of 1,595 college credits.

• Career Ready: Our readiness metrics track participation in extracurricular activities, completion of career-clustered courses, and internships, ensuring students are "job ready.鈥� Recently, more than 45% of graduating seniors demonstrated career readiness. 

• Life Ready: We track indicators like community service, co-curricular participation, and holding leadership positions, helping students become "global citizens" who understand the power of community.

These numbers tell a clear story: our students are not just graduating鈥攖hey鈥檙e graduating ready for whatever path they choose in life.

Integrating Technology and AI

As a rural district, our context has shaped the evolution of this work. We have been able to offer "big school opportunities in a small school setting" by leveraging community partnerships and technology to provide rich, hands-on learning. 

As an Apple Distinguished School, technology is seamlessly integrated into our classrooms, supporting project-based learning and providing students with the tools to become creative innovators and critical thinkers. This use of technology, and recently AI tools, supports our student-centered learning model by allowing for personalized instruction and varied ways for students to demonstrate their readiness.

Tips for Other District Leaders

As I complete my 20th year overall as a superintendent, my advice to other district leaders just beginning their journey is this: focus on the "why." Ground your work in a clear set of principles and remember that change is a process, not a single event.

Here are some tips and insights to get you started:

• Prioritize Student-Centered Learning: Put each learner at the center by providing them with voice, choice, and challenge.

• Emphasize "The New Basics:" Go beyond test scores to focus on real-life competencies like critical thinking, financial literacy, and teamwork.

• Invest in Your People: Attract and retain the best educators and staff through high-quality professional development and a shared vision of continuous growth. Provide them time to collaborate and learn from each other. 

• Build Highly Engaged Partnerships: Collaborate with families, businesses, and civic leaders to create real-world experiences for students. Become involved yourself in community groups. 

• Measure What Matters: Use a comprehensive dashboard to understand the full picture of student growth, including both academic and social-emotional development.

By being future-directed and focusing on continuous development and real-world readiness, we are committed to supporting each student's journey toward achieving their extraordinary success.

As I complete my 20th year overall as a superintendent, my advice to other district leaders just beginning their journey is this: focus on the "why." Ground your work in a clear set of principles and remember that change is a process, not a single event.