News Article - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

For Immediate Release
Monday, August 18, 2008
Contact:	Heidi Guarino 781-338-3106

Public Forum Scheduled To Invite Comment on 21st Century Skills

BOSTON - A public forum will be held at the Children's Museum on August 20 to give educators, parents, business leaders and others an opportunity to comment on the importance of 21st century skills and how they can be integrated into the public school curriculum. The forum has been set up by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's Task Force on 21st Century Skills, which was established by Education Secretary Paul Reville in May. The Task Force, led by Board member and Year Up CEO Gerald Chertavian, has been charged with drafting a series of recommendations to be presented to the Board in November. "By immersing 21st century skills like creativity, critical thinking and problem solving into our curricula we are giving our children the tools they will need to succeed in today's globally competitive world," Chertavian said. "Today's jobs require skills we weren't teaching a decade ago. It is our responsibility to respond to that shift, rewrite our curricula and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that our students are as well prepared for these jobs as their peers around the world." Secretary Reville established the task force to consider how the Board, through its work on standards, assessment, accountability, educator licensure and development can prompt school districts to provide all students with the skills required to succeed in the 21st century economy. These skills, as defined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, include oral communication, information processing, critical thinking, media literacy, creativity/innovation, global awareness, cultural competency, problem-solving, teamwork/collaboration and self-directed learning and leadership. The 20-member task force includes educators, business leaders and others representing key stakeholder groups from across the Commonwealth. The group has been split into four subgroups to develop specific recommendations on assessment and accountability, curriculum development and instruction, standards and workforce development, and teacher preparation and professional development. The public forum will be held at Dewey Room on the fifth floor of the Children's Museum, 308 Congress St. in Boston, on August 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To attend and/or testify, RSVP by email to 21stcenturyskills@doe.mass.edu. Written comment can also be sent to the same address.

Last Updated: August 18, 2008