1. Analyze the relationship between State and high school academic content standards in reading or language arts, mathematics, and other core academic subjects. The results of this task will identify both matches and gaps among the standards considered.
   
   
2. Select or develop new high school academic standards to fill the gaps identified in task one.
   
   
3. Analyze the relationship between the academic content standards match in number one with State student academic achievement standards. The results of this task will describe the alignment among high school academic content standards and the expectations of students at the basic, proficient, and advanced levels of achievement.
   
   
4. Analyze the relationship between the results of tasks one, two, and three with the teaching and learning strategies used in the high school to deliver the academic content standards. The results of this task will describe both matches and gaps among the academic standards and teaching methods necessary to deliver the academic standards.
   
   
5. Analyze the relationship between results of numbers one through four with sample selected and constructed response assessment items used on State and high school classroom assessments. The results of this task will describe both matches and gaps between academic standards, teaching methods, and assessment items.
   

This alignment study considers the academic standards, including the degree of cognitive complexity, how they are taught, and how well they are measured. With this knowledge base at the high school level, teachers and principals can apply a contextual teaching and learning model to support the needs, interests, and performance of all students, especially economically disadvantaged students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency. Moreover, the alignment study results provide the direction or framework for completing steps two through five.

Step 2: Identify Relevant Content

Contextual teaching and learning develops a link between subject content and realistic life situations. Career and technical educators have historically used contextual learning as a foundation for presenting related academic subjects that are taught in the context of specific occupations. All teachers in collaboration with students can develop relevant content, which helps students relate to real life experiences; learning which allows for exploration and discovery; and learning which can be applied to the home, workplace and community through situational learning activities.

Contextual learning has the following characteristics (Clifford and Wilson, 2000): emphasizes problem solving, recognizes that teaching and learning need to occur in multiple contexts, assists students in learning how to monitor their learning so they can become self-regulated learners, anchors teaching in the diverse life context of students, encourages students to learn form each other, and employs authentic assessment.

Step 3: Support Student Exploration

An effective strategy for presenting learning which is relevant to each student’s needs and interests is through the integration of employability competencies into the academic curriculum. The learning must be extended across disciplines to create a real life perspective. By integrating academic, social, cultural, economic, ethical, technology, and employability competencies into the curriculum, students will find instruction more relevant and in direct support of their life goals. Academic knowledge including numeracy, reading, history, science, and technology can also be presented in the context of a specific career theme. Having students explore critical academic skill requirements through investigation, project-based activities, service learning experiences, and work based learning will assist student understanding of higher education and employer expectations and workplace demands. The understanding gained through research and investigation of the realities of the academic requirements of the workplace, when aligned with assessment standards, makes instruction relevant and interesting.

Step 4: Address the Individual Needs of Students

High school teachers must consider the following factors when implementing contextual teaching and learning. The following concepts are based on cognitive research that has provided a rich knowledge base on how people learn. (Berns and Erickson 2001)

1. Lessons must be developmentally appropriate for all students
   
   
2. Include interdependent learning groups
   
   
3. Provide for an environment that supports self-regulated learning
   
   
4. Include consideration of the diversity of students
   
   
5. Include questioning techniques that enhance student learning and the development of problem solving and other higher-order thinking skills
   
   
6. Include authentic assessment, which evaluates a student’s application of knowledge and complex thinking rather then recall of facts

Step 5: Benchmark Promising Practices and Programs

Many promising practices are available to assist high school teachers and principals to implement contextualized teaching and learning. The following examples may be benchmarked and applied to meet the alignment requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act and broader missions of high schools:

1. The Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) provides mathematics classroom materials to present algebra and geometry concepts through concrete experiences and occupational contexts. The contexts employ an interactive, workplace-centered approach to teaching the foundations of mathematics. Other academic content in science, biology, and chemistry can be effectively presented when applied to life issues related to society, the environment, workplace, and health.
   
   
2. In Alaska, educators, policymakers, and employers have emphasized the value of creating stronger connections between academic and vocational education. The Alaska State Board of Education created employability content standards that are designed to articulate to the State’s academic content standards. Excerpt from Alaska’s State Education Standards.
   
   
3. The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has adopted the philosophy that every student will benefit from the school-to-careers model. The coalition has stated its support for the New Jersey Department of Education's mandate that workforce readiness skills be infused throughout teaching and learning in all academic areas. The coalition believes that systemic change in support of workforce readiness is achieved by focusing on teacher professional development and curriculum reform that results in technology-rich, academically rigorous classrooms that relate learning to the real world. To help educators provide contextual learning opportunities in the classroom, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce participates in:

• an effort to place teachers in the workplace over the summer months (i.e. teacher externship),
  
  
• a partnership with The College of New Jersey to develop business-based academic curriculum under a National Science Foundation grant,
  
  
• a partnership with the Department of Education to provide cash incentives for teachers who implement Cross Content Workforce Readiness Skills into academic teaching and learning, and
  
  
• an effort to encourage businesses to ask job applicants for high school records.

1. The Manufacturing Skilled Trades Work-Based Learning program in Peoria, Illinois has designed a two-year course for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students. Students attend class three hours per day, five days a week. They complete program competencies in an integrated systems technology lab, job shadow skilled trades journeypeople, attend problem-analysis workshops, write reports and complete design projects and supplemental math assignments. Learning has been developed to reflect industry standards and competency requirements The program was originally a partnership program with Caterpillar Inc. and has now grown to include eleven other companies. Students completing the program are also awarded scholarships to the local community college.

These and other promising models for contextualized teaching and learning provide a rich source of information for conducting scientifically based research studies. For example, as States develop new academic standards and student academic achievement levels, information gained from research studies can demonstrate ways to improve upon past practices and to add new components for student success on new State and local assessments.