Codifying a Next-Generation Education System: Jefferson Parish Public School System

Overview & Synopsis

Using innovative strategies in collaboration with national and international education partners and school districts in Mississippi and Louisiana, Cisco Systems, Inc. (Cisco), has experimented with 21st Century education system reform ideas and strategies for the past four years. The Cisco 21S Initiative seeks to transform current approaches to school leadership and administration, teaching and learning practices, and community involvement by creating a next-generation education model that focuses on teaching 21st Century skills and establishing full-community participation-district staff, school staff, parents, and local businesses-in the education process. The 21S Initiative has three interrelated components: (1) Connected schools; (2) Connected learning; and (3) Connected community. Helping districts and schools make connections across all three components of the program is central to the 21S Initiative. Through the implementation of these program components in the Gulf Coast region, Cisco has learned how to effect rapid 21st Century education transformation in real education systems. As a result, Cisco's education and technology leadership have articulated a concrete vision and framework for a 21st Century education system (Cisco Systems, 2008). In conjunction, they have developed tools to manage better the process of education transformation. The principles of 21st Century education fall into four key categories: (1) 21st Century curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment; (2) High-quality infrastructure and technology; (3) Policies, procedures, and management; and (4) Leadership, people, and culture. Appendix includes: Interview Protocol. (Contains 6 figures, 3 tables and 2 footnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Cisco Global Education Group.]