Success in the 21st Century - National Perspectives

Educating Leaders for a Global Society, The Goldman Sachs Foundation.
"Today's students will be working in a global marketplace and living in a global society. In order to succeed and to become leaders in this new world, they must acquire a far different set of knowledge, skills, and perspectives than previous generations. . . In short, we need to develop a whole new definition of education for success in the early 21st Century. This conclusion may have been drawn before, but the urgency with which we must act has never been more acute."

Partnership for 21st Century Skills
High schools need a relentless focus on the results that matter for student success in the 21st century according to The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (the Partnership). The Partnership issued a new national report, “Results That Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform,” outlining a compelling framework for 21st century learning that focuses on the results that matter for today’s high school graduates.
National Report

Michigan Department of Education: Leading Change
Currently, the United States has a critical need to continue to foster problem solving and creativity in its workforce. While problem solving and creativity have long provided our country an edge in the global economy, failure to address this need in our schools could weaken our national and international strength and prosperity. These collective talents must be paired with individual abilities to learn and adapt in the world of the 21st Century.

North Central Regional Education Laboratory
As society changes, the skills needed to negotiate the complexities of life also change. In the early 1900s, a person who had acquired simple reading, writing, and calculating skills was considered literate. Only in recent years has the public education system expected all students to build on those basics, developing a broader range of literacies (International ICT Literacy Panel, 2002). To achieve success in the 21st century, students also need to attain proficiency in science, technology, and culture, as well as gain a thorough understanding of information in all its forms.

Digital Age Literacy

New Horizons for Learning

Globalization and advancements in technology are driving changes the in the social, technological, economic, environmental and political landscapes at a rate and magnitude too great, too multiple to ignore. Learners equipped with skills and perspectives designed to help them anticipate change and plan accordingly will be better prepared to thrive in a world characterized by rapid continuous change. Futures Studies offers learners a unique set of tools and perspectives, which empowers them to anticipate and prepare for our change-ridden world.

Peter Senge, senior lecturer Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"A simple question to ask is, 'How has the world of a child changed in the last 150 years?" And the answer is, "It's hard to imagine any way in which it hasn't changed! But if you look at school today versus 100 years ago, it is more similar than dissimilar."

21st Century Workforce Commission National Alliance of Business
"The current and future health of America's 21st Century Economy depends directly on how broadly and deeply Americans reach a new level of literacy-'21st Century Literacy'-that includes strong academic skills, thinking, reasoning, teamwork skills, and proficiency in using technology."

WSU Perspective

WSU Perspective