P21’s Statement on Developing Transferable Knowledge & Skills in the 21st Century Report

Washington, D.C. – July 18, 2012 - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) - the leading national organization advocating for 21st century readiness for every student is proud to support the release of National Research Council’s (NRC) new report – Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21^st Century.

P21 commends the National Research Council (NRC) and the sponsors of the report, as the most comprehensive research-based articulation of the case for 21st Century skills.

The caliber and breadth of the research community brought together on this effort speaks to not only its importance in the future of our education system, but to the impact these findings will have across the K-12 education spectrum.

Having defined 21^st century skills and competencies within P21’s seminal Framework for 21^st Century Learning, P21 applauds the alignment of the 21^st century competencies highlighted in the report with those which P21 and its coalition of education, business, association, state and federal leaders recognize as essential for developing student readiness for college, citizenship, and career. The 4Cs of creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking, directly correlate to the three categories of 21^st century competencies outlined by the report, which show “consistent, positive correlations with desirable education and career outcomes.”

P21 also welcomes the report’s recommendations for further research and for the involvement of the Federal government in continuing to pursue the important questions at the heart of the report.

This report represents a strong conceptual shift signaling the continued growth of 21^st century skills movement – and should be regarded as a testament to the hard work being done by states, districts and schools in aligning curriculum and interdisciplinary integration across subject areas. Of particular interest are the real world interconnections inherent in 21^st century teaching and learning, which emphasize not just the acquisition, but the application of content knowledge, and skills.

“P21 is delighted that the research community has recognized and validated not only what the Partnership has been advocating, but strengthens what P21 has been hearing from the business, higher education and military communities,” stated Lillian Kellogg, Chair of P21 and Vice President of Education Networks of America. “We now have added confirmation from the research community on the importance and value of an education that includes both knowledge and skills.”

P21 is pleased to see the NRC and the P21 Leadership States embrace these shifts as critical to preparing students for life and careers in the 21st century. P21 looks forward to working with the NRC, our 17 P21 Leadership States and our many partners to ensure the next steps are taken to support the development of learning environments to clearly define, assess, and develop 21^st century competencies and skills.

P21 media contact: Tatyana Varshavsky ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-312-6430)

About P21: P21 is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school.

21st Century Leadership States: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

P21 Members: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Inc., The College Board's Advanced Placement Program (AP), Crayola, Dell, Inc., EdLeader21, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Follett Software, Ford Motor Company Fund, GlobalScholar, Goddard Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, Knovation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, LEGO Group, National Academy Foundation, National Education Association, Pearson Foundation, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, Verizon Foundation, VIF International Education and Wireless Generation.



P21 in the News Press Releases Upcoming Events Speakers Bureau Institute.21	Home Events & News Press Releases P21’s Statement on Developing Transferable Knowledge & Skills in the 21st Century Report P21’s Statement on Developing Transferable Knowledge & Skills in the 21st Century Report Washington, D.C. – July 18, 2012 - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) - the leading national organization advocating for 21st century readiness for every student is proud to support the release of National Research Council’s (NRC) new report – Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21^st Century. P21 commends the National Research Council (NRC) and the sponsors of the report, as the most comprehensive research-based articulation of the case for 21st Century skills. The caliber and breadth of the research community brought together on this effort speaks to not only its importance in the future of our education system, but to the impact these findings will have across the K-12 education spectrum. Having defined 21^st century skills and competencies within P21’s seminal Framework for 21^st Century Learning, P21 applauds the alignment of the 21^st century competencies highlighted in the report with those which P21 and its coalition of education, business, association, state and federal leaders recognize as essential for developing student readiness for college, citizenship, and career. The 4Cs of creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking, directly correlate to the three categories of 21^st century competencies outlined by the report, which show “consistent, positive correlations with desirable education and career outcomes.” P21 also welcomes the report’s recommendations for further research and for the involvement of the Federal government in continuing to pursue the important questions at the heart of the report. This report represents a strong conceptual shift signaling the continued growth of 21^st century skills movement – and should be regarded as a testament to the hard work being done by states, districts and schools in aligning curriculum and interdisciplinary integration across subject areas. Of particular interest are the real world interconnections inherent in 21^st century teaching and learning, which emphasize not just the acquisition, but the application of content knowledge, and skills. “P21 is delighted that the research community has recognized and validated not only what the Partnership has been advocating, but strengthens what P21 has been hearing from the business, higher education and military communities,” stated Lillian Kellogg, Chair of P21 and Vice President of Education Networks of America. “We now have added confirmation from the research community on the importance and value of an education that includes both knowledge and skills.” P21 is pleased to see the NRC and the P21 Leadership States embrace these shifts as critical to preparing students for life and careers in the 21st century. P21 looks forward to working with the NRC, our 17 P21 Leadership States and our many partners to ensure the next steps are taken to support the development of learning environments to clearly define, assess, and develop 21^st century competencies and skills. P21 media contact: Tatyana Varshavsky ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-312-6430) About P21: P21 is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school. 21st Century Leadership States: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. P21 Members: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Inc., The College Board's Advanced Placement Program (AP), Crayola, Dell, Inc., EdLeader21, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Follett Software, Ford Motor Company Fund, GlobalScholar, Goddard Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, Knovation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, LEGO Group, National Academy Foundation, National Education Association, Pearson Foundation, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, Verizon Foundation, VIF International Education and Wireless Generation.