Preparing Every Child

for the 21st Century

Ken Kay, President

Partnership for 21st Century Skills
APEC EdNet – Xi’an Symposium
Xi’an China
January 17, 2008
 Overview

• Why are 21st Century Skills so

important?
• What is the Framework for 21st Century
Skills?
• What should APEC economies do?
• What are some recommendations for
the APEC Education Summit?
• Why are 21st Century Skills so
important?
• What is the Framework for 21st Century
Skills?
• What should APEC economies do?
• What are some recommendations for
the APEC Education Summit?
Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship
Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship
Why are 21st Century Skills so Important?

Global Competition

Global Cooperation

There are new

21st Century Information Growth

Contexts
More Jobs & Careers

Service Economy
 New Context Skills Required
Global Competition: ●Global Awareness
●Self-Direction
●Global Awareness
●Collaboration
Global Cooperation:
●Information & Communication
Technology (ICT) Literacy
●Information Literacy
Information Growth: ●Critical Thinking
●Problem Solving
●Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
More Jobs & Careers: ●Innovation & Improvement
●Flexibility & Adaptability

Growing ●Communication Skills

●Life and Career Awareness Skills
Service Economy:
 Why 21st Century Skills?
Are we asking the right questions?

Are our students critical thinkers and

problem solvers?

Are our students globally aware?

Are our students self-directed?

Are our students good collaborators?

 Why 21st Century Skills?
Are we asking the right questions?

Are our students information and

technology literate?

Are our students flexible and adaptable?

Are our students innovative?

Are our students effective communicators?

Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship
Why 21st Century Skills?

The requirements
of the workforce
are changing
 Why 21st Century Skills?

• What skills are most important for job

success when hiring a high school graduate?

Work Ethic 80%

Collaboration 75%
Good Communication 70%
Social Responsibility 63%
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 58%
 Why 21st Century Skills?

• Of the high school students that you

recently hired, what were their deficiencies?

Written Communication 81%

Leadership 73%
Work Ethic 70%
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 70%
Self-Direction 58%
 Why 21st Century Skills?

• What applied skills and basic knowledge

are most important for those you will hire
with a four-year college diploma?

Oral Communication 95.4%

Collaboration 94.4%
Professional/Work Ethic 93.8%
Written Communication 93.1%
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving 93.1%
 Why 21st Century Skills?

• Of the four-year graduates you recently

hired, how do they rate?
Deficient Adequate Excellent

Oral Communication 9.8 65.4 24.8

Collaboration 8.1 67.3 24.6
Professional/Work Ethic 18.6 64.6 16.8
Written Communication 27.8 56.4 15.8
Critical Thinking/Problem 9.0 63.4 27.6
Solving
 Why 21st Century Skills?

• What skills and content areas will be

growing in importance in the next five years?

Critical Thinking 78%

I.T. 77%
Health & Wellness 76%
Collaboration 74%
Innovation 74%
Personal Financial Responsibility 72%
Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship
• Why are 21st Century Skills so
important?
• What is the Framework for 21st Century
Skills?
• What should APEC economies do?
• What are some recommendations for
the APEC Education Summit?
P21 Members
21st Century Skills Framework
20th Century Education Model
21st Century Skills Framework
 21st Century Skills Framework

Core Subjects 21st Century Themes

- Economics - Global Awareness
- English - Financial, Economic, Business
- Government
& Entrepreneurship Literacy
- Arts
- Civic Literacy
- History
- Geography - Health Literacy
- Reading or Language
- Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- World Languages
- Civics
 21st Century Skills Framework

Learning & Innovation Skills

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

• Creativity & Innovation
• Communication & Collaboration
 21st Century Skills Framework

Information, Media & Technology Skills

• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT (Information, Communications &
Technology) Literacy
 21st Century Skills Framework

Life & Career Skills

• Flexibility & Adaptability

• Initiative & Self-Direction
• Social & Cross-Cultural Skills
• Productivity & Accountability
• Leadership & Responsibility
 21st Century Skills Framework

What’s new about 21st Century Skills?

New Understanding of Coverage New Areas of Emphasis

Critical Thinking and Innovation and Creativity

Problem Solving Skills Skills
for EVERYONE
Life and Career Skills for Information, Media and
EVERYONE Technology Skills
21st Century Skills Framework
How do I find out more?
Route 21
Route 21
Route 21
Route 21
• Why are 21st Century Skills so
important?
• What is the Framework for 21st Century
Skills?
• What should APEC economies do?
• What are some recommendations for
the APEC Education Summit?
 What can the APEC economies do?

1. Develop a “Partnership” Focused on

21st Century Outcomes
Develop a consensus among
the key stakeholders on the
21st Century Skills needed by
your students. Be sure the
business community is
included.
 What can the APEC economies do?

2. Upgrade Professional Development

Create a teacher professional

development strategy for
21st century skills.

http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/
What can the APEC economies do?

3. Upgrade Teacher Preparation

Develop a comprehensive reform

strategy for Colleges of Education and
Higher Education
 What can the APEC economies do?

4. Upgrade Assessments

21st Century Use a full range of

assessments, including
high-stakes and classroom
20th Century assessments, to measure
21st century skills.
 What can the APEC economies do?

5. Invest in Research and Development

• Models for blending content and skills

• 21st Century skill assessments
• Professional development of 21st
Century skills
(e.g. U.K. Stage III ICT Literacy Assessment)
• Why are 21st Century Skills so
important?
• What is the Framework for 21st Century
Skills?
• What should APEC economies do?
• What are some recommendations for
the APEC Education Summit?
Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

1. Focus on general recommendations

for 21st Century skills.
Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

2. Define Global Awareness broadly

Global Awareness
must be broader
than just second
language learning.
 Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

3. Link STEM skills to 21st Century Skills

Use STEM skills to
strengthen critical thinking
and problem solving skills
in all students.

Ensure STEM students have

life, career awareness,
communication, and
collaboration skills.
Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

4. Leverage the core competencies of

vocational education professionals

Bringing life and career awareness

skills to EVERY student.
Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

5. Adopt a rigorous global standard

of ICT literacy

International standard must go

beyond tech competency.
Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

6. Focus on potential areas of global

21st century skills cooperation:
• Develop global benchmarking that emphasizes
21st century skills
• Develop common resources for professional
development and assessment
• Share best practices
• Develop a common rubric for global awareness
 Conclusion
Are our students ready for the 21st Century?

Are our students critical thinkers and

problem solvers?

Are our students globally aware?

Are our students self-directed?

Are our students good collaborators?

 Conclusion
Are our students ready for the 21st Century?

Are our students information and

technology literate?

Are our students flexible and adaptable?

Are our students innovative?

Are our students effective communicators?

 Conclusion

These skills should become

the “design specs” for 21st
Century education in every
APEC economy.
 Contact Us

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

177 North Church Avenue, Suite 305
Tucson, AZ 85701
(520) 623-2466
www.21stcenturyskills.org