Guest Viewpoint: Today’s students need 21st century skills

7/12/05 -- The work force of today and the work force of tomorrow demand new and different competencies.

Fifty years ago, most people held one or two jobs over their lifetime, and our education system focused on teaching core subject mastery to address this work-force need.

Today’s students will hold 10 to 15 jobs over their lifetime. As a result, our students need more than core subject knowledge of math, English, and science to cope with the work and life demands of the new economy.

Today’s students need to know how to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world environment by building a bridge from their core subjects. How? By thinking critically, analyzing information, comprehending new ideas, communicating, collaborating in teams, and solving problems -- all in the context of modern life. We call these skills 21st century skills.

Fortunately, there is a growing effort under way to foster 21st century learning in our schools and classrooms. Twenty of America’s leading education, business, and technology organizations have formed the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

This organization is focused on integrating 21st century knowledge and skills into K-12 education. It is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the broader education community, including the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.

Three years ago, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills set out to define the precise skill set that students need to succeed as citizens and workers in today’s knowledge-based, global economy.

We garnered input from teachers, students, business leaders, community groups, university faculty and researchers, policymakers, and representatives from underserved communities and after-school programs.

As a result, our vision represents a collective consensus about the knowledge and skills Americans need to prosper today and tomorrow.

The partnership’s framework includes 21st century learning skills, such as analytic thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration; information and communications technology literacy; 21st century content, such as global awareness, civic engagement, and financial literacy; and assessments that measure 21st century skills.

The partnership has developed a set of comprehensive tools to help education stakeholders convert the 21st century framework into real progress in their own communities.

We have issued three reports, most recently, The Assessment of 21st Century Skills: The Current Landscape. In addition, numerous resources are available on the partnership’s website, www.21stcenturyskills.org.

The partnership’s vision is clear: We must improve student achievement through learning environments aligned to the 21st century. In order to accomplish this goal, we are working with state education leaders to promote 21st century skills in state standards and pedagogy, create professional development for teachers that supports 21st century learning environments, and bring assessment of 21st century skills to education.

For example, the partnership recently launched a joint effort with the state of North Carolina to create the nation’s first-ever Center for 21st Century Skills.

This public-private partnership will help infuse 21st century skills into schools by redesigning preK-14 curricula, teacher training, and student assessments in North Carolina to better meet the demands of the global economy.

Since issuing our landmark report, Learning for the 21st Century, in 2002, we have returned to communities across the country to gauge their progress in preparing young people to succeed as citizens and workers. While every school, district, and state still has more to accomplish, many are laying the foundation for a 21st century education -- and achieving results.

In consulting with local employers, the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township in Indiana determined that its high school graduates did not have the skills needed to succeed as entry-level workers.

In response, school officials created the Digital Literacy Project to give youths the skills needed to succeed in the workplace and community.

The program starts with professional development for teachers and administrators. By training “21st century skill coaches,” who in turn train their peers, schools are improving their pedagogy on 21st century skills and beginning to successfully integrate 21st century skills in the classroom.

Similarly, the business community in Napa, Calif., became frustrated with the lack of skilled local employees and determined that no child should graduate from high school without critical 21st century skills, such as effective communication and critical thinking.

Business leaders supported the local school district’s efforts to create the New Technology High School, where the curriculum reflects a 21st century approach to education.

New Tech High has successful embedded 21st century skills into the assessment process and is effectively intervening with students to improve these skills.

We applaud these districts as national models for 21st century education. They are excellent examples of the business community, school board leaders, and educators working together to determine the skill set their local children will need to succeed as citizens and workers and putting a system in place to produce these skills.

We urge education and business leaders to work together to create an education system that better prepares today’s students for tomorrow’s workplace.

Our framework for 21st century learning is not a one-size-fits-all model. Rather, the partnership’s vision should spark a dialogue among local community leaders as they work to bridge the gap between the knowledge and skills students are acquiring in schools and those needed to succeed in the increasingly global, technology-infused world.

This is our vision for a bold new direction in public schools. Now is the time to take action to ensure that students emerge from our schools with the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century.