Debating “21st Century Skills”
Hot Topics
A Challenge to P21
A group of prominent scholars, teachers, education reform advocates, and union leaders — including American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, former Boston University President John Silber, New York University education historian Diane Ravitch, and Democrats for Education Reform co-founders Kevin Chavous and Whitney Tilson — issued a statement today expressing concern about the program put forth by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) and calling for its revision.
The Partnership for 19th Century Skills
Do you think civility, honor, self-discipline, industriousness, and idealism are — and always have been — important qualities? And ones that should be promoted in our schools? Diane Ravitch suggested as much in a blog she wrote for Common Core this summer. So we’ve decided to launch P19, a group that advocates for 19th century skills now. Click here to join.
Common Core has been critical of the idea that our children’s education should be organized around a set of so-called “21st century skills” instead of core academic subjects such as history, science, and the arts. Read more about this debate:
- UCLA's Mike Rose explains the troubling implications of the 21st century skills movement.
- Andy Rotherham and Dan Willingham explain the challenges facing the 21st century skills movement in Educational Leadership.
- Education experts weigh in on the 21st century skills movement at National Journal.
- Read the full text of remarks from our February 24, 2009 panel on 21st century skills, featuring Diane Ravitch, E.D. Hirsch, Jr., and Dan Willingham. (PDF format)
- View highlights of our February 2009 panel:
Click here for video of the complete panel discussion (approximately 2 hours). - USAToday covers our February 2009 panel discussion on 21st century skills.
- EducationWeek provides comprehensive coverage of the same event.
- Emory University’s Mark Bauerlein declares that the 21st century skills movement erodes cultural literacy.
- Renowned education historian Diane Ravitch calls for a new partnership for 19th century skills. Want to join the 19th century skills movement? Click here.
- We encourage everyone to read the Pioneer Institute’s outstanding policy briefs on 21st century skills here and here.
- The Washington Post’s Jay Mathews thinks that 21st century skills is the “latest doomed pedagogical fad.”
- How long have “21st century skills” been around? For about 21 centuries, says EducationSector’s Andy Rotherham.
- Find out what P21 says about its program when it thinks no one’s listening.
- Follow our coverage of the 21st Century Skills Incentive Fund Act here and here.
- Learn how the board members of P21 stand to profit from skill-based education: here and here.
- Find out why the Boston Globe believes everyone should be skeptical of the 21st century skills movement: A 21st-Century Caution • 21st-Century Skeptics
- And learn why the Boston Herald opposes the effort to dumb down Massachusetts’ standards by introducing 21st century skills.
- Education writer Alfie Kohn has a modest proposal — students need to get 22nd century skills.
- Sandra Stotsky, in a letter to EdWeek, echoes Why We’re Behind – we should build on models that provide a content-rich education rather than embrace faddish 21st century skills.
- Check out Robert Pondiscio’s “21st Century Skills: A Guide for Clear Thinkers” at the Core Knowledge blog.
- Find out why Thomas Birmingham and E.D. Hirsch believe that the 21st century skills movement will dumb down education.
- Read Charles Chieppo and Jim Stergios in the Boston Globe, arguing that we need to teach content before skills.
Blog
News
February 20 • In this Education Week webinar Lynne Munson talks about how the arts can play a powerful role in CCSS implementation. To register for the archived webinar, sign in here. Or view Lynne’s PowerPoint where she unveils high school-level TDQs comparing two works of art.
February 11 • This morning on Rick Hess’s Straight Up blog is a “thoughtful conversation” he had with Student Achievement Partners Founding Member Jason Zimba on CCSS, math in particular. Lynne Munson commented on the interview, and her views also can be read in today’s Common Core blog
December 17 • Check out Education Week’s article “Arts Education Seen as Common-Core Partner.” Education Week
July 18 • Common Core has announced that the New York State Department of Education has awarded the organization a third contract to develop 6th-12th grade mathematics curriculum and corresponding professional development aligned to New York State’s Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). News release.
May 7 • Common Core receives glowing reviews for professional development offered in Beaufort County, NC. Read the full story in the Washington Daily News.
April 25 • Common Core’s Lynne Munson comments on the pressures of high stakes testing and the effect it can have on student learning in Roberta Munoz’s article “Make it of Break it: High Stakes Testing Pros and Cons” on Education.com
April 4 • Common Core has announced that the New York State Department of Education has awarded it two contracts to develop
Pre-Kindergarten-5th grade mathematics curriculum aligned to NY State’s Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). News release.
April 3 • Common Core Creating Math Maps for New York State. News release.
March 27 • Common Core has announced that it is developing a series of CCSS-aligned K-8 curriculum maps in history and geography. News release.
March 21 • Check out Education Week’s coverage of Common Core’s “Truant From Schools: History, Science, and Art” event!
March 15 • Common Core releases data showing curriculum narrowing affecting all students.
March 9 • Common Core celebrates Virginia’s decision to abandon SB185, a bill that would have eliminated state mandated science and social studies testing for third graders. You can read more about this issue, and Common Core’s advocacy work, in this recent blog entry.
December 8 • Check out Education Week’s coverage of Common Core’s recent national survey of school teachers.
November 14 • Read Lynne Munson’s response to the latest NAEP results. Joanne Jacobs’s “Linking and Thinking on Education” and the Core Knowledge blog also highlighted her piece.