21st Century Skills Audit & Action Planning

Are your students learning the skills and work habits they will need to succeed in the 21st century workplace? PCG Education brings together technology, planning, professional development, and educational expertise in its work with schools, districts, regional partners, and state education agencies to prepare students for college, career, and 21st century citizenship.

The literacy and learning demands of the 21st century require sophisticated reading, writing, and research skills, critical and innovative thinking, problem solving, and collaboration in person and online. Yet most school districts do not focus on ensuring that all students develop these habits and skills. There is a growing gap between what most students currently experience in school and what they should know how to do to be successful in college and the workplace. To close that gap will require districts to rethink and retool their instructional delivery and technology infrastructure. PCG Education can help.

PCG Education uses multiple data collection strategies to audit a district’s current approach to literacy and learning. Educational experts analyze what is in place and make specific recommendations to better prepare students for the 21st century. Audits include an assessment of classroom instruction, district and school capacity, teacher knowledge and skills, and technology infrastructure supports.

PCG Education experts work closely with district personnel, using PCG Education’s SkoVision™ technology to support guided strategic planning, including the setting of measurable goals, and putting progress monitoring in place. The result: school level action plans are tightly aligned with district goals and districts and schools can track progress toward full implementation of 21st century teaching and learning.

PCG Education works with district and school leadership teams on implementation of action plans, including how to launch an effective district wide 21st century literacy and learning campaign, conduct progress monitoring, bring teachers on board, make purchasing decisions, observe in classrooms, roll out the initiative in phases, and hold teachers and students accountable.

PCG Education professional development services build teacher capacity and teacher learning networks. Designs are customized to meet district goals and needs and are aligned with National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for effective professional development. Consultants from PCG or its national partnership network provide teachers with practical applications, resources, materials, and in-person and online support.

Consultants from PCG Education or its national partnership network provide teachers with practical applications, resources, materials, and in-person and online support.

All PCG Education 21st Century Literacy and Learning clients become part of a professional learning network that offers resources, the latest research, dissemination of promising practices, access to experts, and ongoing professional development opportunities.

 

PCG's 21st Century habits and Skills PCG’s approach to 21st century skills is anchored in our belief and expertise in an expanded definition of literacy. The literacy demands of the 21st century are higher than ever before in history. It is no longer enough to read and write straightforward text and be considered literate. People need to be able to:

• Skillfully access, read, analyze, evaluate, integrate, and use text and graphic information in multiple print and electronic formats;
• Synthesize and clearly communicate learning, using appropriate language and presentation to achieve a specific purpose;
• Think critically, creatively, and systemically to problem solve current issues, identify future opportunities and innovations, and flexibly adapt to change;
• Be continuous self-directed learners, fluent users of technology, and collaborative team players who can perform effectively and produce results in multi-cultural contexts and in the virtual world;
• Transfer skills, information, and processes to new formats, technologies and audiences.

These literacy habits and skills are the core of what it means to be prepared to meet the career, college, and citizenship needs of the 21st century. These skills must be taught across all content areas. Are your schools helping students develop these new basic skills?

At PCG Education, we help educators prepare students to meet the literacy and learning challenges of the 21st century. Prepare your students now to succeed in an increasingly complex economic environment.

PCG is a professional development affiliate of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/