Leadership magazine May/June 2015 V 44 No 5 | Page 20

Critical
thinking
in a global society
By integrating a global perspective into the implementation of CCSS, this
district has helped students better understand the world in which they will work.

T

he Common Core State Standards were developed to
ensure all students are prepared to succeed in college,
career and life. It is almost certain that today’s students
will be collaborating at various levels with those in other
countries, but many students currently don’t have the means to venture beyond their neighborhoods or local communities. Their reality is not connected to a world outside the boundaries in which they
live.
For the nation to stay competitive and prosper, students not only
have to be able to problem-solve, think critically and creatively and
work collaboratively, but also need an understanding of other countries. It is important that international awareness and global competence are addressed and integrated into lesson planning through
experiential learning opportunities.
As the new standards are implemented, it is imperative that education leaders understand the value of the relationship that the
Common Core Anchor Standards of College and Career Readiness (CCAS/CCR) have to the complex national economy. Broadening students’ understanding of the world in which they will live
and work is a necessary part of their learning within the context of
CCSS. It will truly prepare them for a world that is shrinking as new
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Leadership

technology benefits systems that have a presence in international
communities and marketplaces.
One extraordinary example of integrating a global perspective in
the implementation of the CCAS/CCR by district, school site and
governing board leadership is in the Antelope Valley Union High
School District. The Digital Design and Engineering Academy, located at William “Pete” Knight High School in Palmdale, is one of
the many programs within the district that has infused college and
career ready prospects for all students.

Integrating innovative instruction and quality career tech ed
Since its inception, the Digital Design and Engineering Academy, a California Partnership Academy, has integrated innovative
instructional practices within the context of a quality career technical education program. It has enlisted the tenets of linked learning:
rigorous and high-level technical and academic coursework, workbased learning and support services within its structure. This has
allowed the academy to offer opportunities to engage all students

By Elizabeth McKinstry