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21st Century Skills

Formed in 2002, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (the Partnership) is an advocacy organization made up of businesses, education leaders, and policymakers that promotes the incorporation of 21st century skills into high school curriculums. Six elements make up the Partnership's framework, which emphasizes not only mastery of content by students, but also the skills required to continue to learn:

  • Core Subjects. English (reading and language arts), mathematics, science, foreign language, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography
  • 21st Century Content. Global awareness, financial/economics/business literacy, civic literacy, and health and wellness awareness
  • Learning and Thinking Skills. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, communication skills, creativity and innovation skills, collaboration skills, and contextual learning skills
  • Information and Communication Technology Literacy. Information literacy and media literacy
  • Life Skills. Leadership, ethics, accountability, adaptability, personal productivity, people skills, self direction, and social responsibility
  • 21st Century Assessments. Assessments that measure results in the five skills listed above skills by using both standardized tests and classroom assessments

The Partnership also has defined several supports required for successful student outcomes in the areas listed above. These include clear, well-outlined standards that inform curriculum and instruction; assessments that provide feed back on student achievement; and effective professional development and learning communities for teachers.[1] The Partnership launched its state-level initiative in 2005. Each state that works with the Partnership develops its own plan with input from business leaders, higher education leaders, and policymakers, so that each state has its own individual framework to create workers suited to its job market.

Route 21 is the online tool available to states that contains white papers and other resources relating to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills' framework. The user-generated database of materials allows schools, districts, and states to share their efforts and to compare them with efforts in other areas, as well as to receive feedback from a larger community. Route 21 also houses the state projects, including information about each member state's approach to implementing 21st century skills.

The initiative developed its framework through outreach to business leaders and education experts to create a common acceptance around what constitute 21st century skills. Through its work with states and districts, it has developed seven strategies to implement the initiative:

  • High-profile leadership
  • Broad consensus and a shared vision
  • Ongoing professional development in 21st century skills
  • Standards and curriculum aligned with 21st century skills
  • 21st century assessments
  • An effective communications strategy
  • An aggressive implementation strategy

Related Research Base

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a theoretical basis that is explained in the Partnership's white paper The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Framework. The Partnership has not evaluated any implementation of the initiative by any of its member states.

[1] http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/