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Putting the World Into World-Class Education: State Innovations and Opportunities

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Putting the World Into World-Class Education: State Innovations and Opportunities Putting the World into World-Class Education: State Innovations and Opportunities WWA18757.inddA18757.indd 1 99/12/08/12/08 33:25:50:25:50 PPMM Preface Across the country, business, education, and political leaders are grappling with the ques- tion of how to produce workers and citizens who can remain competitive in a world that is shrinking before our eyes. Today’s students will be working in a global marketplace and living in a globalized society. In order to succeed and become leaders in this new world, they must acquire a far diff erent set of knowledge, skills, and perspectives than previous genera- tions. Th ey must be able to compete — but also to cooperate with international peers. As the realization that we need to better prepare our students for these new global realities sets in, states have been working individually and collectively on initiatives to integrate international knowledge and skills into schools. Th is paper provides examples of state-led innovations to promote international education. It is not intended to be comprehensive but illustrative — drawing from the work of the 25 states that have participated in the States Network on International Education in the Schools. States have sought to raise awareness, identify resources and leaders, and begin to put in place new policies and programs to pro- mote international knowledge and skills. Activities include task forces, statewide summits, reports, surveys, policy statements and legislation, integration of international content into state standards and high school redesign, expansion of world languages, internationaliza- tion of teacher preparation and professional development, international benchmarking initiatives, and innovative uses of technology and exchanges. While these activities hold real promise, all states must build on the important progress chronicled here in a more sys- tematic way. Th is paper is just a beginning; in the future we would like to include policies and programs from all 50 states. States are realizing that they must give all their citizens the tools to succeed and provide leadership in the new global environment. Some states are already making strides in this area — but these eff orts need to be expanded and brought to scale. Th e stakes involved in meeting these challenges could hardly be higher. Gene Wilhoit Vivien Stewart Executive Director Vice President, Education Council of Chief State School Offi cers Asia Society For more information or to download this report, please visit: www.AsiaSociety.org/Education and www.CCSSO.org WWA18757.inddA18757.indd 2 99/12/08/12/08 33:25:52:25:52 PPMM Introduction: The Global Imperative Across the United States, states are grappling with the question of how to produce workers who can be competitive in the 21st century global economy. A converging set of powerful economic, technological, demographic, and national security developments requires a citizenry and workforce that are far more in- ternationally knowledgeable, competent, and adept in world languages and cultures — able both to compete and to collaborate internationally. Education is at the core of our response to globalization. What are the Challenges that Require a Citizenry with International Knowledge and Skills? Global Economy: Today, goods and services move seamlessly across borders. Already, one in fi ve U.S. jobs is tied to international trade1 and the economies of China, India, and Japan, which represented 18 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2004, are expected to represent 50 percent of the world’s GDP within 30 years.2 Th e majority of future growth for small, medium, and large businesses is overseas. According to the Committee for Economic Development, a non-profi t organization of more than 200 business leaders and university presidents, “to compete successfully in the global market- place, both U.S.-based multinational corporations as well as small businesses, increasingly need employees with knowledge of foreign languages and cultures to market products to customers around the globe and to work eff ectively with foreign employees and partners in other countries.”3 Security and Global Citizenship: Today the world is interconnected as never before. Every major issue faced by the United States has an international dimension — from en- vironmental degradation and global warming, to pandemic diseases, to energy and water shortages, to terrorism and weapons proliferation. Th e eff ects of poverty, injustice, and lack of education elsewhere spill across borders. What we do aff ects others and the actions of others aff ect us. Th e only way to solve today’s challenges will be through international collaboration among governments and organizations of all kinds. U.S. graduates will need language and cross-cultural communication skills to be eff ective problem-solvers in today’s global context. U.S. citizens will also increasingly vote and act on issues requiring greater knowledge of the world. Cultural Diversity within the United States: Not only will U.S. citizens need to work with citizens of other countries, but increasingly interact and work with people from vastly diff erent backgrounds and cultures within their own communities. From 1993–2003, the population of minority students enrolled in U.S. public schools increased from 34 percent to 41 percent. Th e public school systems of California, Hawaii, Texas, and Washington D.C. enroll more than 60 percent minority populations, while the minority enrollments in Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, and New Mexico, all exceed 50 percent.4 Even small towns in the South are experiencing increased diversity with new populations from Asia and Latin America. STATE INNOVATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 1 WWA18757.inddA18757.indd SSec1:1ec1:1 99/12/08/12/08 33:25:52:25:52 PPMM Th e Growing Global Talent Pool: In this increas- The Need for Global Competence ingly interconnected world, there is a growing global talent pool. Organisation for Economic Co-operation Th e accelerating forces of globalization and interdepen- and Development (OECD) international comparisons dence have produced a whole new world that make it st have shown that the United States is 21 in the world in imperative that our students receive a world-class educa- rd high school graduation rates and 23 in student math tion that includes global knowledge and skills. Global performance. Asia Society and National Geographic competence has become a core competence for the 21st Society surveys have also shown that compared with century. While defi nitions of “global competence” and their peers in other industrialized countries, U.S. high “international/global education” vary, it is generally school students lag behind their peers in knowledge of agreed to include: other countries and cultures.5 And while learning a sec- ond language is standard in other industrial countries, ● knowledge of other world regions, cultures, only 50 percent of U.S. high school students study any economies, and international issues; foreign language.6 ● skills to communicate in languages other than English, to work in cross-cultural teams, and to Our students are clearly at risk of being unprepared for assess information from different sources around the demands and opportunities of the global economy. the world; and Th is is especially true for disadvantaged youth for whom American schools have historically fallen short. ● values of respect for other cultures and of For low-income and minority students, closing the civic engagement. basic skills gap is an essential step, but real equality of International or global education includes teaching opportunity will require all students to become college and learning about other world regions through arts ready and globally competent.7 As education systems and culture, language, economics, geography, history, rapidly expand and improve in many parts of the world, mathematics, and science. It is not a separate discipline, we must engage all of our talent pool. Transforming but is a perspective that informs and modernizes every our schools into learning communities for the 21st discipline. International education also encompasses century requires policies and practices to ensure that we study abroad, academic and professional exchanges, and not only produce more high school graduates, but that collaborations on every level.8 those graduates are globally competent citizens, ready to take their place in the world community. “ Every major problem we face — from economic growth and the environment to public health, reducing poverty and improving homeland security — will require greater international knowledge and collaboration than ever before. States need a plan to maintain a competitive edge and prepare innovative, internationally competent young people for a new economy.” – JAMES B. HUNT, JR., FORMER GOVERNOR OF NORTH CAROLINA, 1977–1985, 1993–2001 “ In our global economy, American students, workers, and businesses face new and fi erce competition from around the world. We live in a changing world, with changing technology, changing culture, and changing economies. [As a result, U.S. citizens need] to better understand language, culture, and foster relationships; and of course a big part of that is having an educational system that is aware of those trends. We need to prepare our educational curriculum.” – TIM PAWLENTY, GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA “ In today’s global economy, foreign language skills have become vital to our children’s future as members of the workforce and to our nation’s future
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