The Partnership for 21st Century Skills - Arizona Becomes the Tenth State to Join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Arizona Becomes the Tenth State to Join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The Collaboration Will Help Arizona’s Students Graduate with 21st Century Skills and Become Capable of Succeeding in the Global Job Market

TEMPE, AZ — Nov. 13, 2008 — Arizona became the 10th 21st Century Skills Leadership State by joining the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the nation’s leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education.

“Joining the partnership is a decisive step toward providing all Arizona students with a rigorous, 21st century education system,” said Gov. Janet Napolitano. “Our students will graduate with the necessary skills – like creativity, innovation and critical thinking – that employers around the globe increasingly demand of their employees.”

In becoming a Leadership State, Arizona has committed to embedding 21st century skills in five critical areas: standards, assessments, professional development, teacher preparation and youth development.

To ensure students receive a rigorous and relevant education, Arizona will identify changes to standards and assessments to incorporate student mastery of 21st century skills. Arizona will also continue to pursue the integration of college- and career-ready assessments in high school and its participation in international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

In addition, Arizona created a Teacher Preparation plan focused on forging relationships with the state’s public higher education institutions. To continue this work, Arizona committed to revising teaching standards to include 21st century skills and integrating 21st century skills into accreditation, preparation, certification and professional development.

“Arizona recognizes that the key to economic success is ensuring qualified workers are educated and trained for jobs in the diverse 21st century workplace,” said Paige Kuni, worldwide manager of K-12 education for Intel Corporation and chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “Arizona’s commitment is evident in a clearly defined 21st century course of action – part of which includes joining the Partnership. I commend Governor Napolitano, State Superintendent Tom Horne and other state leaders for laying the foundation to ensure every child in Arizona graduates with 21st century skills.”

By joining the Partnership’s State Leadership Initiative, Arizona’s work will be enhanced by the Framework for 21st Century Learning which builds upon core subject expertise and emphasizes the skills and knowledge that today’s students must master to compete globally and become successful 21st century citizens. Only when a school, district or state combines the Framework with 21st century professional development, assessments and standards, can the American public be sure that graduates are prepared to thrive in today’s global economy.

“Arizona is the first Leadership State to specifically focus on embedding 21st century skills in teacher preparation and youth development activities,” said Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “These efforts represent national groundbreaking initiatives. Incorporating 21st century skills in Arizona’s colleges of education and youth development activities will not only improve the state’s education system, but serve as a national role model.”

Arizona joins a growing network of states that have pledged their support to developing a framework for 21st century learning outcomes: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin. As a Leadership State, Arizona benefits from the expertise, technical assistance and resources offered by the Partnership, including opportunities for collaboration with other states and organizations sharing Arizona’s vision for educational excellence, workforce competitiveness and economic innovation.

About the Partnership for 21st Century Skills: 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: Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Member organizations include: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple, ASCD, Atomic Learning, Blackboard, Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Davis Publications, Dell, Inc., Discovery Education, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Educational Testing Service, Ford Motor Company Fund, Giant Campus, Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, JA Worldwide®, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, K12, LEGO Group, Learning Point Associates, Lenovo, Measured Progress, Microsoft Corporation, National Education Association, Oracle Education Foundation, Pearson, PolyVision, Scholastic Education, Sesame Workshop, THINKronize, Verizon, and Wireless Generation. Organizations interested in joining the Partnership may contact info@21stcenturyskills.org.