Appendix A (Resolution No. 200395

APPENDIX A Resolution No. 200395

Authorizing the Committee on Education to conduct hearings to investigate curriculum realignment opportunities within the School District of Philadelphia to ensure preparedness for Post-COVID-19 career opportunities based upon Philadelphia’s labor market forecast.

WHEREAS, In the wake of the devastation to the economy and job market caused by COVID19, long term income stability, and poverty-reducing job growth will depend on strong education, skills development, and changes to the educational curriculum in Philadelphia that are reflective of the reality we face in a transition to a post-COVID-19 workforce; and

WHEREAS, Between March 10, 2020, when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Philadelphia and May 31, 2020, nearly 172,000 Philadelphian residents filed initial claims for unemployment compensation. Over 32,000 of those applications were filed by Philadelphians that were under the age of 25; and

WHEREAS, An open dialogue and partnership with the School District of Philadelphia wherein we share information and assist them with redeveloping a curriculum that is necessary to support our young people in finding and creating the jobs that will support them and their families moving forward; and

WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic threatens the health and economic well-being of Philadelphians. It exacerbates preexisting inequities that young adults and their communities have long faced, leaving many with few opportunities to protect their health and continue earning a paycheck to support their families; and

WHEREAS, Since the Pennsylvania Governor’s Stay at Home Order on March 13, 2020, young adults have experienced a disproportionate share of job loss and are likely to remain unemployed even after the shutdown ends; and

WHEREAS, Young adults fared poorly during and after the 2008 recession, never fully recovering from the economic damage; and

WHEREAS, Thousands of Philadelphia residents have been laid off and numerous businesses have been forced to close. In fact, in April, the unemployment rate within Philadelphia County reached 16.5%; and

WHEREAS, The financial effects of COVID-19 have been particularly detrimental to individuals experiencing poverty, since their earnings are already not satisfying their financial obligations. A loss of hours or layoffs simply adds to the burden faced by communities in poverty; and

WHEREAS, The shutdown and quarantine has revealed that Philadelphia may need to rethink some of its strategies in improving curriculum and preparation for entry into the labor market and determining how best to prepare the workforce for the types of jobs that will emerge as a result of the pandemic; and

RESOLVED, THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby authorizes the Committee on Education to conduct hearings to investigate curriculum realignment opportunities within the School District of Philadelphia to ensure preparedness for Post-COVID-19 career opportunities based upon Philadelphia’s labor market forecast.

APPENDIX B Alexandrea Robinson Rogers and Michelle Armstrong School District Testimony Committee on Education

Hearing on Resolution No. 200395

Written Testimony of Alexandrea Robinson Rogers, ED of Postsecondary Readiness

With support from Michelle Armstrong, ED of Career and Technical Education

November 12, 2020

Good afternoon Councilwoman Richardson and members of the Committee on Education. My name is Alexandrea Robinson-Rogers and I am the Executive Director of Postsecondary Readiness for The School District of Philadelphia. Thank you for allowing my colleague Michelle Armstrong, Executive Director for Career and Technical Education and I, to provide written testimony on resolution number 200395.

Preparing students for Careers that Matter requires us to combine rigorous academics with a strong curriculum, work-based learning opportunities, and ensure students are supported by focused career planning and guidance. The School District of Philadelphia has established a broad vision around the work of preparing students for life after high school. Senate Bill 1095 signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on October 24, 2018 changed the reliance on high-stakes testing as a graduation requirement to provide alternative pathways for high school students to demonstrate readiness for postsecondary success. Our focus has shifted to include the following:

1. Developing access to pathways resources and systems to ensure all students can make use of these alternate pathways to graduation and have the appropriate support;

2. Ensuring all students transition from high school and into postsecondary experiences that lead to high demand careers through increased career awareness, exposure and immersion: via college, military or work;

3. Provide opportunities for all students to meet the profile of a graduate characteristics which include being a critical thinker, creative and innovative practitioner, great communicator, skillful and knowledgeable professional, culturally competent citizen and a healthy human;

4. Focus on aligning all postsecondary supports to Future Ready PA as outlined by the PA Department of Education.

The most recent ways that the School District of Philadelphia is working to ensure all students are prepared for life after high school are through career infused curricula, Career Connected Learning and Pathways to Success. Students need to gain real life experiences and understand the connection of skills to careers. We have started on the journey to ensure that career and education work standards are embedded into core content areas, and that core content and industry standards are deeply rooted and highlighted in Career and Technical Education curriculum; ensuring that a deep

commitment to learning is being distributed with equity and that the needs of special education students and English language learners are prioritized. We also understand that no single institution can provide district students with everything they need to succeed in jobs of the future. Through Career Connected Learning the district is building strong partnerships with the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Works, workforce training partners and post secondary institutions to ensure all students can succeed in high school, postsecondary, and eventually their career. This partnership has already started to springboard opportunities to operationalize systems for shadowing opportunities, mentorships, internships and apprenticeships. Moreover, we are supporting this work through the development of Pathways guidance which has recently been released on The School District website and allows students to explore career interests and connect that to high school selection and specialized programs like CTE, JROTC and Dual Enrollment programs.

Rigorous coursework prepares students by teaching them skills useful in school, the business world, and in life. Strengthening the rigor of courses and increasing access to these courses is critical in our goal of raising student achievement levels, particularly for students who have historically been underrepresented in those courses. Students who complete a pathway which includes any of the rigorous coursework strategies are positioned to take advantage of postsecondary opportunities and are better prepared to enter the job market. Career and Technical Education is one of multiple rigorous coursework strategies. In previous years, the School District made Career and Technical Education a priority, with the goals of improving the quality and access of CTE programs. That work continues not only in CTE classes but in our dual credit and early college programs, many of which are career focused and driven through partnership with The City of Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia and other institutions of higher learning.

The School District of Philadelphia is committed to preparing all students for the workforce of tomorrow. Pathways that prepare students for college and career readiness include CTE concentrations, dual credit opportunities, and early college high schools. Career embedded curriculum and accelerated learning will help students remain on-track and will be more critical in mitigating the impacts of possible learning loss that may result from the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving access to these pathways requires us to expand and increase efforts to prepare students early and often and requires a broad commitment on the behalf of the city at large to ensure students have access to work-based learning opportunities, by working with employers to join the effort.