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The Development and Assessment of Cognitive Readiness: Lessons Learned from K-12 Education

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Abstract

This chapter shares examples and considers what lessons can be learned from the K-12 education sector’s experience in defining and assessing readiness. Using readiness definitions and assessment strategies at three key transition points, including readiness for kindergarten, college, and challenging work, the chapter identifies commonly required capacities, such as relevant content knowledge; cognitive strategies such as problem solving and analytic reasoning; social competence, including teamwork and leadership; communication; motivation and persistence; and metacognition. The consequences of a mismatch between the capacities needs for readiness and measures of readiness also are considered. Finally, the core elements of training and assessment systems to support readiness are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The work reported herein was partially supported by grants from the Office of Naval Research, Award Number N000140810126, and the Gates Foundation, Award Number 59559. The findings and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Office of Naval Research or the Gates Foundation.

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Correspondence to Joan L. Herman .

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Herman, J.L. (2014). The Development and Assessment of Cognitive Readiness: Lessons Learned from K-12 Education. In: O'Neil, H., Perez, R., Baker, E. (eds) Teaching and Measuring Cognitive Readiness. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7579-8_6

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