"Learn More Now, Do More Now, Earn More Later"
Company/Organization: New Jersey Business Coalition for Educational Excellence
CEO/Board Chair: Dana Egreczky, Vice President, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Level of Involvement: State
State: New Jersey
Type of Initiative: Advocacy & Expertise
Target Education Priority: Prepare All High School Graduates for College and Careers
"In this globally competitive economy, our students need to be prepared for any possible future. Given the unprecedented convergence of the knowledge and skills needed for college or work, LEARN DO EARN challenges students to use their time in middle and high school to build the foundation they will need to succeed - whatever path they choose." -- Steve Morgan, president Jersey Central Power & Light
Overview
The mission of the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is to ensure all students achieve at high levels, become productive citizens and are well prepared to succeed in the workplace. Recognizing the organization was ill-prepared to provide advice and support to New Jersey's schools without first identifying the gaps between the needs of the business community and the skills and content taught in high school, the BCEE kicked off its initiative by conducting a Workforce Pipeline Survey.
By going straight to the source, the BCEE was able to explore how satisfied employers were with the quality of training recent high school graduates had and how well the employees thought those graduates could translate the skills gained in high school into success in the workplace. The BCEE found that only 53 percent of New Jersey employers felt that a New Jersey high school diploma was a reliable indicator of "basic" preparedness for the workplace. A mere 23 percent felt that most of the recent high school graduates they had either interviewed or hired had learned the "basics" for success in the workplace. Armed with this information, and the fact that almost 90 percent of employers said students should demonstrate essential proficiencies through rigorous testing in order to earn a diploma, the BCEE began to develop a comprehensive credentialing program to address this major preparation gap.
Strategies for Success
The Learn More, Do More, Earn More (LDE) initiative is a comprehensive approach to promote advanced knowledge and skills, critical thinking, problem solving, computer skills and fiscal responsibility to prepare all students for success in both higher education and the workplace. LDE is a powerful, web-based suite of tools that will help inform, motivate, and guide students and their parents through the challenging decisions that middle and high school students will have to make. LDE provides students with a statistical rationale and makes a compelling case for why they have no choice but to work hard if they want to be ready for college, ready for work, and ready for life. The website address is www.learndoearn.org.
LDE has five programmatic components: World Class Students, Math Challenge, School Counts, Technology Challenge and Work the Money. World Class Students is a series of presentations and model curricula that urges all students to enroll in rigorous courses by linking achievement to success after high school. It evolved from the State Scholars program, a business-led effort that exists in more than 20 states that encourages students to complete a rigorous sequence of courses in high school. The Math Challenge offers students the opportunity to benchmark their math knowledge against essential content of key math courses like Algebra II with online exercises that sample math problems used by top-performing high schools. School Counts awards certificates to students that demonstrate many of the "soft skills" desired by employers (such as attendance, punctuality and doing more than minimum levels of work). Technology Challenge allows students to earn certificates based on their performance on online challenges that test students' computer skills in common business software. Work the Money is a program focused on financial literacy that is currently in development.
The business community in New Jersey has visibly and vocally gotten behind the BCEE's efforts by providing resources and experiences, such as virtual field trips and job shadowing experiences, all of which are available on the Learn Do Earn website. This relationship is mutually beneficial; students learn about the preparation required to pursue specific careers at partnering companies while the corporations themselves ultimately benefit from a more qualified pool of potential employees.
The LDE initiative leverages strategic business expertise and advocacy tools recommended by Business Toolkit for Better Schools, including,
- Lend corporate influence and prestige to key organizations and activities
- Define the skills and knowledge graduates need to get and keep well-paying, family-supporting jobs
- Advise on subject-matter issues, such as academic standards, curriculum and assessments, especially in mathematics and science
- Join or start local or statewide nonprofit coalitions of like-minded business leaders to advance education reform
Indicators of Success
The Learn More, Do More, Earn More program is still relatively new and has not yet undergone a formal evaluation. However, early anecdotal evidence and enrollment numbers from the first round of schools that piloted World Class Students suggest that the initiative is gaining traction. In participating schools, there have been increases across the board in the numbers of students taking Algebra, Algebra II, Biology, and Chemistry. In one school, enrollment in Economics increased by 220 percent. And in two schools, the percentage of students taking Physics went up by 250 percent. Recognizing the importance of rigorous evaluations, the BCEE has recently secured a grant from the W. K, Kellogg Foundation to conduct a four-year impact study of LDE, with a particular focus on how well the program is reaching and helping students in high-need schools.
Next Steps
LDE is scalable and replicable; multiple schools within six other states already have adopted World Class Students modules and the BCEE is working to more formally align the LDE model with efforts in other states. With over 60 high schools in New Jersey having taken up various elements of the LDE program, the BCEE will continue to provide hands-on support and expertise to ensure the alignment between academic rigor and the needs of the business community is well-articulated and well-received.
Materials for the Public
Updated: March 2007
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