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Jon Erickson, president of the Education Division of ACT, on the debate over how young is too young when it comes to career preparedness and testing.
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-- kids have the skills necessary for college.
And the workforce.
Joining us now John Ericsson president of ACT's education division.
John I have an eight year old entering third grade at home and a ticker fifteen minutes to figure out what she wanted for breakfast this morning but.
And so we're going to determine what this town is gonna do for the rest of her life somehow.
Well let me actually put that into a little context there's a large skills gap that we all recognize between.
OK twelve education is preparing students in what.
It's expected for colleges and four with the workplace.
A problem with that is there's a lot of testing going on in most of it is hap hazard scattered not connected.
And for parents for students for teachers.
Doesn't make much sense so what we're doing is putting together -- next generation system that looks at the whole student.
And should result in -- -- -- readiness for everywhere we testing for strengths and weaknesses and -- -- not necessarily testing to say hey.
She's gonna end up as a funeral director for the rest of her -- absolutely not went well we're about here is exploring options.
How -- helping students set goals.
Looking at where their skills are and where they need to improve their skills and and tying that to instructions what's really a teacher friendly and it's a student improvement is it lake and the Myers Briggs personality tests isn't that something maybe they should be -- Well that's a personality test what we're about his actual achievement so we're looking at teachable -- -- skills.
As well as academic behaviors and interest.
To look at the whole student to help them develop so that's the important part.
Because we we -- kids and being critical thinkers.
We need our kids to get at a school who cares what they want to do we need to then to be able to think out of the box so that they can figure out what they they're meant to do.
I couldn't agree with you -- what we're about is developing those 21 century skills for all students.
Regardless of the -- they go into but we know that a student's career choice.
Is a motivate her for them as they work and school that you -- a sell these tests is schools that are struggling and have tight budget constraints heading -- that.
Well actually will be working primarily with states but it's a way to look at the whole student -- just career -- -- career skills as well as academic skills.
It could serve for accountability purposes it could -- teacher improvement but it's really about teaching and learning it's interesting stuff I would love to know how my daughter ranks after this -- this -- -- -- and.
And a conversation dot accent of AZT thank intervene and very much they're emailing stuff very simple.
Waffles are -- Count Dracula is that wrap things are clearly this hour the Dow still down triple digits -- -- back from an analysis time alongside them.
