Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Teaching Skills That Matter

What is Teaching Skills that Matter?

In July 2020, ACLS joined a team of eight states participating in the Teaching the Skills That Matter (TSTM) in Adult Education project. This project, led by American Institute for Research (AIR) and the Office for Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE), trains teachers to integrate the skills that matter to adult students using approaches that work across critical topic areas. Using the project's tools and training, adult education teachers can teach the transferable skills students need in these critical contexts.

9 Skills

  1. Adaptability & Willingness to Learn
  2. Communications
  3. Critical Thinking
  4. Interpersonal Skills
  5. Navigating Systems
  6. Problem Solving
  7. Processing & Analyzing Information
  8. Respecting Differences & Diversity
  9. Self-awareness

5 Topic Areas

  1. Civics Education
  2. Digital Literacy
  3. Financial Literacy
  4. Health Literacy
  5. Workplace Preparation

3 Approaches

  1. Integrated & Contextualized Learning
  2. Problem-based Learning
  3. Project-based Learning

TSTM Toolkit

Practitioners can access the TSTM toolkit for free here:

TSTM Academy

2026-2027 Academy

Contact Information

For questions related to TSTM in Massachusetts, please contact Dana Varzan-Parker , Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Policy Coordinator and MA TSTM Team Lead.

Last Updated: August 5, 2026

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