Knowledge-driven Economy Requires Education System to Match

May 2011: OrthoWorx eNewsletter

In the preface to a paper entitled “A Master Plan for Higher Education in the Midwest: A Roadmap to the Future of the Nation’s Heartland,”* James J. Duderstadt puts into perspective the challenge our region faces.

“To achieve prosperity and security in a hypercompetitive global, knowledge-driven economy, the American Midwest faces the challenge of transforming what was once the farming and manufacturing center of the world economy into what could become its knowledge center. Put another way, while the Midwest region once provided the muscle for the manufacturing economy that powered the twentieth century, now it must make the commitment and the investments necessary to become the brains of the twenty-first century knowledge economy.”

Professor Duderstadt, President Emeritus, University Professor of Science and Engineering, and Director of the Millennium Project at the University of Michigan, wasn’t talking specifically about the Warsaw region, but his thesis applies particularly well here. Our region is competing with communities around the world for future orthopedic industry jobs, and the education system has to contribute to the effort.

That’s why OrthoWorx commissioned a comprehensive study of the education system in the Warsaw area here in north central Indiana. In fact, education is one of the focus areas OrthoWorx was founded to address. The 2009 BioCrossroads Study, Warsaw, Indiana: The Orthopedics Capital of the World, that led to the formation of OrthoWorx said:

“A comprehensive K-16 educational strategy should be a strong, initial focus of OrthoWorx. Crucial to both talent development and community enhancement, a robust set of educational options and opportunities should be developed in Warsaw and north central Indiana. Specific deficiencies could be identified and options presented to advance the educational curriculum and implement new models of instruction to ensure that students within the system are gaining the skills necessary to seek employment with the major employers in the region or otherwise becoming adequately prepared to continue to their education pursuits.”

To perform that assessment, OrthoWorx engaged Cambridge Education LLC, a world leader in education evaluation. Cambridge performed an analysis of school performance data and performed school-level reviews for many of the Warsaw Community Schools and selected private schools in the area. As part of the work, Cambridge compared local schools to districts where cluster employees might also choose to live.

Our overall takeaway was that Warsaw-area schools are doing a good job; they are well managed, facilities are excellent and the schools provide a safe, positive environment for students. However, according to the reviews and comparisons with other districts where orthopedic industry employees often choose to live, local schools need to have a greater focus on the future—to develop a strategic vision for even better performance, depth and breadth of curriculum, and quality of academic leadership.

In the orthopedic capital of the world, you might be tempted to guess that the recommendations for education improvements would revolve around science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM), all of which are key to the future growth of the industry. And while those are critical—and they are part of the Cambridge recommendations—a STEM-only emphasis would be far too narrow. The education system doesn’t just exist to provide a conveyor belt of local talent for the industry cluster. The education system is also a critical part of the community’s appeal to employees who are being recruited to the area. Those potential employees want the best for their kids, and they have interests and requirements that are as varied as the individuals themselves.

So the Cambridge recommendations suggest a broadened curriculum, with increased attention on social studies—particularly world languages and cultures, as well as the arts, and integrated teaching across a wide spectrum of subjects. That’s a tall order, but Cambridge suggests the building blocks are here. It’s just a matter of vision and commitment at this point.

Progress is already being made. Dr. Craig Hintz, Superintendent, Warsaw Community Schools, is leading a strategic planning process to define a vision for the future in the Warsaw region. Some curriculum expansion is also underway—Mandarin is being introduced as a language option, for example.

But like the orthopedic industry itself, which is increasingly complex and global, education systems must not stand still. They must constantly assess their competitive position and define a path for the future. That requirement is not unique to this region—it’s a challenge that every community must address to succeed in an information economy, as Professor Duderstadt points out. The Warsaw region has a great deal at stake. Unlike many Midwestern communities that have suffered the end of the industrial economy, our core remains intact. OrthoWorx looks forward to being a part of the process that will assure that our future is just as bright in the new information economy.

More about the study can be accessed at the following link.
https://orthoworxindiana.com/orthoworx-newsroom/

*From The Heartland Papers, Chicago Council on Global Affairs