District 214 staff showcase innovative curriculum to education leaders

Superintendents and other school leaders from 12 states visited High School District 214 at the end of April to see Redefining Ready! in action.

The national Redefining Ready! initiative supports the idea that students are more than just a standardized test score; it aims to redefine college, career and life readiness by using multiple measures to assess students’ postsecondary potential.

The visit marked the first AASA (The School Superintendents Association) Redefining Ready! cohort gathering, which included superintendents, administrators and principals from more than 30 school districts from around the nation. Cohort members learned about Redefining Ready! and how to implement the initiative in their home states.

“We practice Redefining Ready! every day in District 214 because we believe our students should have different ways to demonstrate college and career readiness,” said District 214 Superintendent Dr. David R. Schuler. “It’s amazing that educators from across the country want to see our work in action as we lead the way in redefining student success beyond high school.”

The group visited Rolling Meadows and Wheeling high schools; toured facilities including nanotechnology and manufacturing laboratories, health science classrooms and entrepreneurship incubator labs; and met with staff from across District 214.

They also heard from three District 214 students who had completed internships coordinated by the District’s Center for Career Discovery. The students shared how workplace learning experiences helped determined their future plans.