I am pleased to see that the Profile of a Graduate focuses on getting students ready for real life instead of only meeting some specific testing or content-heavy goals. Although graduation is still based on achieving certain class credits, the standards for those classes have been designed with attention paid to five Cs: critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship (Profile of a Virginia Graduate, n.d.). These 5 Cs remind me of educational trends from early American history and the 1800s, where education started becoming commonly seen as a vehicle for creating an informed citizenry, to the benefit of all. (Groen, 2008; “Historical Timeline,” 2006). It is not enough that students pass tests and show they know information, they must be whole people, ready to contribute to and participate in society.
Virginia’s Profile of a Graduate largely focuses on including authentic experiences which help meet the five Cs as a large part of educational goals, which fits into current teaching trends. By using a framework of realistic applications for conveying educational content, teachers work toward preparing students for college or careers and other elements of life (Parrish, 2019). United States History can be made authentic by analyzing multiple perspectives and human reactions, rather than just memorizing names and dates. Assessments, too, should have realistic connections. In civics, for example, students could be tested on an election unit by having to find certain information from a campaign website, rather than just answer questions about what political campaigns do. Realistic application of content will help students become critical and creative, communicative and collaborative, and good citizens.
References
Groen, M. (2008). The Whig Party and the Rise of Common Schools, 1837-1854. American Educational History Journal, 35(1/2), 251–260.
Historical Timeline of Public Education in The US. Race Forward. (2006, April 13). https://www.raceforward.org/research/reports/historical-timeline-public-education-us
Parrish, N. (2019, July 17). Providing Rich Educational Experiences for All Students. Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/article/providing-rich-educational-experiences-all-students
Profile of a Virginia Graduate. (n.d.). Virginia.gov. Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/profile-grad/index.shtml