Chapter 26: A Changing Nation in a Changing World "The New College Try"

Introduction After a 1983 presidential commission on education found that American students lagged behind students in other industrialized nations, politicians and educators began to focus on improving the public education system. To raise the academic performance of students, school districts initiated school-choice programs, standards for core disciplines, and incentives for teachers. This article from Time.com discusses a program that achieved some impressive results: K-16 partnerships. Read this article to find out how K-12 schools and universities teamed up to reform education. Destination Title: The New College Try Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window. Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips. Directions Start at The New College Try Web site. Browse through the article, taking notes as you go. After you have read through the information, answer the following questions. 1. What are K-16 partnerships and how do they work? 2. Describe the ways in which K-16 partnerships have been successful. 3. What challenges do partnerships face? 4. How do partnerships benefit colleges? 5. Partner with other members of your class to brainstorm ways that the partnership model could be applied to remedy other social problems, such as addressing the needs of minorities and the poor, assimilating immigrants, and improving the quality of life for the elderly. What organizations would partner with those in need? Define the guidelines of the partnership and the challenges it would face. Then make an oral presentation to the class of your group's proposal.