Schools should teach 21st century skills

Advocates for high school and after-school programs say students need more high-level skills -- such as critical thinking, organization, and communication skills -- that are relevant to their future careers and lives.

At a Nov. 2 forum on Capitol Hill, leaders of two organizations, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Citizen Schools, called on federal, state, and local policymakers to work with educators and community members to find ways to teach those skills.

A broad alliance -- including school boards, community-based organizations, parents, and educators -- is needed to further define the skills and find ways to teach them, said Ken Kay, the cofounder and chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and Eric Schwarz, the president and CEO of Citizen Schools.

Those two groups began working together when they realized 21st century skills also needed to be taught outside of school, and after-school activities offered a good opportunity.

“We haven’t been able to fully develop 21st century skills in schools alone,” Schwarz said. In addition to having more time after school to teach these skills, “we realized that after-school [programs] are also a great way to engage the community.”

As the field of groups seeking to have an impact on high school reforms has become more crowded in recent years, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has been promoting more relevant coursework and teaching, rather than emphasizing new standards or more tests.

Teachers are embracing the 21st century skills’ framework because it gives them more creativity in teaching, rather than merely teaching to tests, said panelist John Wilson, a Partnership for 21st Century Skills board member and the executive director of the National Education Association.