State receives 21st Century Skills Practice of the Year Award
| The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts, and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change. 21st Century Skills Leadership States include: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia. |
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From the Department of Public Instruction
For the first time ever, six states received the 21st Century Skills Practice of the Year Award, which commemorates the country’s preeminent state-led 21st century skills initiatives.
The awards were presented at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills annual Institute.21, a forum for ideas that allows educators and policymakers to share best practices on infusing 21st century skills into every aspect of an education system. This year, the institute brought together over 200 education stakeholders and business leaders from across the country, including representatives from eight Partnership for 21st Century Skills Leadership States.
The 21st Century Skills Practice of the Year Award celebrates industry-leading 21st century skills’ initiatives. Wisconsin, for example, was recognized for creating an outstanding national model for a state-wide standards review process. The state received the award for a second consecutive year for developing a process that provides a solid foundation for how states can best integrate 21st century skills into ongoing education reform efforts.
“It’s great to see our state recognized as a leader in the 21st century skills movement,” said Elizabeth Burmaster, Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “We are also honored to play host and welcome our colleagues to Madison to build upon the growing momentum from the last few years.”
“The work of these states in creating models for establishing 21st century skills, policies and practices will prove invaluable to other states as they follow suit,” said John Box, chair of the
Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Vice President of Product Development and Support for JA Worldwide. “I commend our Leadership States for their continued commitment to preparing graduates to succeed in a globally competitive work force.”
“The 21st Century Skills Leadership States are the pioneers of the 21st century skills’ movement and collectively their work serves as a model for building a world-class education system,” said Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “Likewise, these awards highlight best practices for other states as they follow in implementing 21st century learning environments.”
Posted June 12, 2008