The Anaheim Collaborative

The Anaheim Collaborative, which involves K–12 systems, higher education, city government, and private industries in Anaheim, California, is redefining how a student’s college and career readiness is assessed with a focus on student agency and lifelong learning. The collaborative is reimagining ways to measure student readiness and talent centered on student reflections instead of accountability systems based on standardized tests or other metrics that are narrow in scope.

The Anaheim Collaborative is using generative artificial intelligence (AI) features to measure five critical skills for college, careers, and life (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and character/compassion) to connect accountability systems, instructional practices, and community engagement strategies. This tool is being developed in partnership with researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Education. Since 2017, the Anaheim Union High School District has seen more than a 6 percent increase in graduation rates and more than a 12 percent increase in students’ completing career and technical education pathways.