Dysart Unified School District No. 89 - New Century Learner Initiative

NEW CENTURY LEARNER INITIATIVE OVERVIEW

The Dysart Unified School District is undertaking a process to help develop a description of the Dysart graduate who is fully prepared to take on the challenges and reap the rewards of being a citizen of the new century. The New Century Learner (NCL) Initiative established an advisory committee of business and community leaders, government leaders, representatives from higher education, parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff that will is tasked with researching and analyzing information about what skills are needed to prepare students for success in the 21st century.

In the Dysart Unified School District, there is an unrelenting drive to increase in excellence. This goal goes beyond ensuring every child receives an appropriate education in the core subjects. Every student should leave the Dysart Unified School District prepared to take on the challenges and the opportunities of the 21st century. The district's governing board has established a vision, mission and goals that commit the district to addressing the needs of the new century learner.

Dysart has set up an NCL advisory committee to act as an umbrella group, funneling research and information to and from constituency groups with the result being a framework of skills that must be addressed with the new century learner. This information will be critical as the Dysart Unified School District moves forward on a strategic plan. The committee's objectives are as follows:

To create a dialogue among stakeholders about the importance of 21st century skills.
To develop a shared understanding of where the district currently is with bringing 21st century skills into the educational system.
To articulate what new century skills must be a part of the system.
To create a report to provide information for strategic planning.

Schools will be scheduling New Century Learner information and input sessions at the building level and the district will schedule a district forum to provide information and gather input on this topic. Parents and community members interested in learning more and offering input are welcome to attend any of theses sessions. The dates for these sessions will be posted on the "upcoming meetings" web page which can be reached by clicking on the associated button in the upper left hand side of this page.