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During the past decade, 21st Century Skills have been described, debated, and, unfortunately, downplayed when one considers their overall impact on instruction and assessment practices in our public schools. Organizations such as the Partnership of the 21st Century and the former North Central Regional Laboratory have successfully articulated a set of well-defined skill sets targeting needed student outcomes for the 21st Century workplace; yet, a careful scrutiny of district curriculum manuals, pacing guides, and scope & sequence charts reveals little evidence of their existence.  

For Steven L. Paine, state superintendent of schools for West Virginia, 21st century learning is not an option; it's a necessity for students who must go out and compete on a global level. "Students deserve it. The world demands it," he told an audience at the FETC Virtual Conference & Expo, held Thursday. And to make it happen, he said, changes need to be made in the way we assess students and in the way we develop teachers.

Check out the CEO Forum's final report, the Year 4 Report: Key Building Blocks for Student Achievement in the 21st Century or take the K-12 interactive STaR assessment.

Plan, teach, and report on student technology literacy in an integrated, 21st century context. techSteps includes a district technology literacy framework, a sequential, project-based curriculum for K-8 technology literacy development and authentic assessment and reporting tools. For information go to www.techsteps.com