Presented at the joint meeting of the Boards of Higher Education and Elementary and Secondary Education on January 26, 2016 at Roxbury Community College.

1. Definition of College and Career
Readiness Incorporating Civic
Learning and Engagement
Joint Meeting of the Boards of Higher Education and Elementary and
Secondary Education
January 26, 2016

2.  2010: TheVision Project launched
with mission to “to produce the
best-educated citizenry and
workforce in the nation”
 2012: Responding to campus
feedback about the initial fiveVision
Project goals, BHE added Preparing
Citizens to goals of theVision Project
 2013: BHE and BESE both adopted the Massachusetts
Definition of College and Career Readiness.
Background
Adding “Civic Preparation” to Massachusetts CCR Definition

3.  2014: BHE approved a Policy on Civic Learning (AAC 14-48)
 Included a definition of Civic Learning: “Civic learning means
acquisition of the knowledge, the intellectual skills and the
applied competencies that citizens need for informed and
effective participation in civic and democratic life; it also
means acquiring an understanding of the social values that
underlie democratic structures and practices”
 Called upon campuses to “incorporate civic learning as defined in
this policy as an expected outcome for undergraduate students”
 Called for DHE to collaborate with DESE, to coordinate work on
civic learning in the public schools with work being done in
community colleges and state universities
Background
Adding “Civic Preparation” to Massachusetts CCR Definition

4. Adding “Civic Preparation” to Massachusetts CCR Definition
 2015–16: Follow-up on this action step has been highly
collaborative between DHE and DESE:
 DHE staff participated in DESE working group
 Working group recommended joining with DHE to revise
Massachusetts Definition of College and Career Readiness to
include readiness for civic life
 BESE accepted this recommendation
 In December 2015, joint DESE/DHE working group drafted
revision to definition to present to both boards in January 2016
DHE/DESE Collaboration