The Wright City R-II School District is moving forward in its efforts to better prepare students for entering the workforce.The board approved the five key focal points presented as most critical by employers during the monthly meeting Dec. 19. They will be the foundation for what the district considers the ideal profile of a graduate.A diverse committee consisting of 17 individuals representing teachers, administrators, community members and business people conducted a study group to determine what characteristics and qualities employers most value. Superintendent Dr. David Buck said the plan is to integrate the five identified qualities into curriculum and create new programs to foster growth in those areas.“Our next step is to build these five areas into experiences for our students to assess proficiency at the middle school and high school levels,” said Buck.The five identified areas were: being a critical thinker and problem solver, showing initiative and being self-directed, being a knowledgeable and empathetic communicator, taking personal responsibility, and being flexible and adaptive.“The profile of a graduate cuts across all types of careers and jobs,” said Buck. “It focuses on more than proficiency in math and reading, diving into those communication and efficiency pieces.”Buck says the committee discovered that employers are looking for employees who are willing to take risks, care about their colleagues and are able to self-manage.“A lot of employers don’t want to have to tell their employees what to do all the time,” said Buck. “They want people who are self-sufficient and always looking for areas to contribute.”While there are newer buzz words coming up, such as empathy, one of the core qualities — communication — remains important in the job market.“Communication was a huge piece for the entire committee,” said Buck. “This is not just in person but also in writing and the media. They even discussed the difference between persuasive or defensive versus informative communication.”Buck said the district will evaluate how it promotes these five identified areas from the board level down to the elementary.He added there are plans to create a project-based learning system at the middle school level, wherein small groups would create action research projects.“The students will bring their findings to community members, who will then score them on their employability,” said Buck. “It’s all in an effort to help better equip our students for the career field.”At the elementary level there are hopes of implementing a fifth-grade camp that would integrate those five initiatives over a three-day, two-night outing.Committee members are still discussing how to best promote these characteristics at the high school. What has become evident is the importance of participating in extracurricular activities.“Research has found that involvement in two or more extracurricular activities correlates strongly with success in the workforce,” said Buck.Wright City School District logo