Potential of system dynamics to strengthen PK-20+ approaches to education policy development

  1. What is this PK-20+ symbol?
  2. Why is it important?
  3. Learning as a Continuous Life-Long Process
  4. Educational Reform
  5. Where to start?

What is this PK-20+ symbol? Educators familiar with K-12, meaning kindergarten through the 12th grade, will easily comprehend the extension of K-12 in both directions to encompass Pre-Kindergarten to 20 years of education and more, that is life-long learning. PK-20+ symbolizes life-long learning.

Why is it important? This PK-20+ symbol is being used to emphasize a new and different definition of life-long learning. In the past, the term 'life-long learning' has usually been used to denote the learning of adults after their formal schooling. By emphasizing PK-20+ we intend to focus on the entire spectrum of learning, starting soon after birth and extending throughout the entire lifetime of a person.

Learning as a Continuous Life-Long Process. We start with a fundamental conviction that learning, more particularly the accumulation of learning, is the distinctive characteristic of human beings, distinguishing us from other living creatures. This learning is a continuous process, though not necessarily an evenly paced process. In contemporary society, the formal aspects of the learning continuum are organized into entirely separate compartments and structures: elementary school, middle school, high school, maybe undergraduate college and graduate university. Inadequate attention is paid to the transitions from one distinct sector to the next. As a result, students fail to make the transitions and drop out along the way, short of their potential to benefit from further education and often short of their own educational aspirations.

We believe that by emphasizing the continuity of the learning process, starting with the early years and continuing over the course of each lifetime, we may be able to do a better job of developing and delivering the educational resources that enable more people to succeed.

Educational Reform. Educational reform focused on just one sector of a segmented educational structure has not often delivered desired results along the entire educational continuum. For instance, impressive gains from Head Start programs may disappear by the later grades. Achievement gains in English, math and science in elementary schools are often not sustained in high schools. And, programs promoting access to college do not necessarily result in higher graduation rates. A broader view of the educational continuum is likely to produce better results from our efforts to improve the process.

Where to start? The Education Special Interest Group proposes to begin an active exploration of the implications of embracing the PK-20+ conception of the educational continuum We are developing a checklist of the areas of needed rethinking and reorientation.

  1. We will need to develop a broader conception of the educational mission, reaching along the entire educational spectrum and attempting to build bridges across the spans separating existing educational structures.
  2. Capitalizing on and integrating K-12 and higher education. The SDS Education SIG embraces both K-12 and higher education. This is an advantage not shared by many education policy centers and one which we should take advantage of more fully in developing colloquia, discussing curricular issues, and planning joint projects and programs.
  3. Recruiting members of the Education SIG. . We can work toward greater coverage of the educational continuum when we recruit members who are open to embracing this new conception of the work to be done.
  4. Consideration of potential projects to undertake. Putting into operation the PK-20+ conception will likely involve increased collaboration among SD members and those active in higher educaton policy analysis inside and outside of the System Dynamics Society and is likely to involve much more inter-disciplinary work.
  5. Research and SD model development. Continued basic research and SD education policy model development should emphasize work to improve the rate of successful transitions along the educational continuum, particularly from middle school to high school and from high school to college, or high school to work, while recognizing the importance and relevance of the entire continuum.
  6. Practical SD work with educators to improve approaches along the entire educational continuum including:
    • Assessment
    • Orientation
    • Advising
    • Placement
    • Teaching and learning, and
    • Evaluation
  7. Additional practical work to help close the gaps in the continuum by helping one level to prepare for the next level by communicating standards, requirements, and expectations across the current gaps.
  8. The SD Education SIG should take advantage of information and communications technology to explore ways to use this technology to improve teaching and learning along the educational continuum.
  9. The SD Education SIG is striving to develop more innovative, comprehensive, and systems-based approaches to the development of education policy.
  10. The SD Education SIG's ambition is ultimately to participate effectively in the education policy process at the local, state, national, and even international levels.