21st Century Skills

Students participate in reflections after a day of learning in Julia Kromenacker’s 3rd grade classroom at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Students participate in reflections after a day of learning in Julia Kromenacker’s 3rd grade classroom at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Bullitt County district that includes Old Mill Elementary has incorporated a focus on building more general life skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication, that community members and employers consistently say they want from students coming out of high school.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Even in Academic Classes, Schools Focus on Building Students' Workforce Skills
Schools work on meeting academic standards. What happens when they focus on different sets of skills?
Matthew Stone, October 22, 2024
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11 min read
Jenna Bray, a 1st grade teacher at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., helps her student Lucas Joiner on an online learning assignment on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Jenna Bray, a 1st grade teacher at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., helps student Lucas Joiner on an online learning assignment on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Bullitt County district, which includes Old Mill Elementary, has incorporated a focus on equipping students with more general life skills—like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving—that employers and community members consistently say they want from students coming out of high school.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Preparing for the Workforce Can Start as Early as 1st Grade. What It Looks Like
Preparing students for college and career success starts well before high school—and it doesn’t only involve occupation-specific training.
Matthew Stone, October 22, 2024
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5 min read
NXTLVL virtual classroom with individual student video headshots
Photo provided by NXTLVL
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Classroom Technology Problem-Solving Olympiad Puts Power Skills to the Test
The inaugural NXTLVL Problem-Solving Olympiad brought students together online for a day of spirited competition, pushing them to their true potential. Middle school problem-solvers from four continents, including three of the top ten virtual schools ranked by World Schools, navigated complex challenges in teams. These challenges tested timeless Power Skills like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, and resilience.
Content provided by NXTLVL
Up close photo of report card grades.
E+ / Getty
College & Workforce Readiness What the Research Says Beyond the Carnegie Unit: Schools Are Already Testing Ways to Measure 'Durable' Skills
If you want students to learn to collaborate, organize, be creative, and communicate, you have to measure it.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 21, 2023
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6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Artificial Intelligence Opinion How Will AI Automation Affect Career and Technical Education?
It’s always been important to get education right for all students, but the arrival of ChatGPT means it’s now more important than ever.
Rick Hess, May 25, 2023
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6 min read
Illustration of boy interacting with AI technology.
Getty
College & Workforce Readiness What Skills Should Students Learn in an AI-Powered World?
Five ed-tech company founders discussed how AI will likely change what and how students will learn in school.
Lauraine Langreo, April 18, 2023
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3 min read
Conceptual illustration of a data being examined through a smart phone
Ben Currie for Education Week
Curriculum Opinion Data Science Is the Future. Let's Start Teaching It
The subject needs to be part of rigorous math prep leading to college and careers, argues Freakonomics author Steven D. Levitt.
Steven D. Levitt, January 7, 2022
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4 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Spotlight Spotlight on Critical Thinking 2021
This Spotlight will help you determine ways your district can integrate critical thinking into curriculum and more.
October 6, 2021
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F.Sheehan/Education Week (Images: Getty)
College & Workforce Readiness Top U.S. Companies: These Are the Skills Students Need in a Post-Pandemic World
Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta, Apple, and others make the case for schools to help students develop resilience, adaptability, and empathy.
Mark Lieberman, March 2, 2021
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17 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
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College & Workforce Readiness Microsoft, Verizon, and Other Big U.S. Companies Design Their Ideal High School Courses
Education Week asked executives from some of the biggest and fastest-growing companies to design their ideal high school class.
Michelle R. Davis, February 4, 2020
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23 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
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College & Workforce Readiness Students' 'Dream Jobs' Out of Sync With Emerging Economy
A new 41-country study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finds that students’ career expectations are stuck in the last century.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 22, 2020
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6 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Teens Feel Ready for College, But Not So Much for Work
High schoolers believe that their educational experience is getting them ready for college. But they're less certain that their coursework is preparing them for the world of work.
Alyson Klein, September 24, 2019
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4 min read
Curriculum Can Media Literacy Combat 'Truth Decay'? What Teachers Should Know
A new RAND Corporation report found that there isn't universal agreement on which skills are part of media literacy—making it difficult to evaluate and compare educational programs.
Sarah Schwartz, July 11, 2019
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4 min read
Science Opinion How to Engage All Students in STEM
Many resources are available to help engage all students in STEM learning and help them persist in STEM careers.
Heather Singmaster, July 9, 2019
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7 min read
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