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Assessing 21st Century Competencies: Guiding Principles for States and Districts

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Title: Assessing 21st Century Competencies: Guiding Principles for States and Districts
Language: English
Authors: Chris Brandt, Carla Evans, Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc. (NCIEA)
Source: National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment. 2025.
Availability: National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment. P.O. Box 351, Dover, NH 03821. Tel: 603-516-7900; Fax: 603-516-7910; e-mail: recep@nciea.org; Web site: http://www.nciea.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 32
Publication Date: 2025
Intended Audience: Policymakers; Practitioners
Document Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Descriptors: 21st Century Skills, Competence, Integrated Curriculum, Instructional Development, Evaluation Methods, State Departments of Education, School Districts, Barriers, Performance Based Assessment, School Role, Accountability, Educational Indicators, Instructional Improvement, Competency Based Education
Abstract: Students need far more than traditional academic skills to succeed in school, work and civic life. Decades of discussion about the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that facilitate success in the information age have produced consensus that students should learn 21st century competencies. However, many schools struggle to meaningfully integrate them into instruction and gauge how well students are mastering them. Increasingly, state departments of education and local school districts are responding with support, but key challenges stand in their way. How are these competencies defined, particularly when definitions vary across research traditions like psychology, sociology, and education? How should schools instruct and assess them? Can trustworthy direct assessments of 21st century competencies (e.g., ethical thinking) be produced? How can (or should) school accountability indicators be used to signal which competencies are most important and how to improve instruction and learning of these competencies? This report is for state and local policymakers and educators who wrestle with these questions. This report is organized in five sections. Section one briefly proposes a consensus definition of 21st century competencies. Section two explains why states and districts are making assessment of these competencies a priority. Section three presents the current state of the field in measuring these competencies and describes challenges that emerge from various limitations and constraints. Section four considers the implications for consequential use of assessment results. Section five offers practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners. This proposed guidance includes foundational prerequisites and forward-facing action steps to cultivate students' 21st century competencies and mitigate unintended consequences.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED671665
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED671665
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  Data: Assessing 21st Century Competencies: Guiding Principles for States and Districts
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chris+Brandt%22">Chris Brandt</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carla+Evans%22">Carla Evans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chris+Domaleski%22">Chris Domaleski</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Center+for+the+Improvement+of+Educational+Assessment%2C+Inc%2E+%28NCIEA%29%22">National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc. (NCIEA)</searchLink>
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  Data: National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment. P.O. Box 351, Dover, NH 03821. Tel: 603-516-7900; Fax: 603-516-7910; e-mail: recep@nciea.org; Web site: http://www.nciea.org
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  Data: Students need far more than traditional academic skills to succeed in school, work and civic life. Decades of discussion about the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that facilitate success in the information age have produced consensus that students should learn 21st century competencies. However, many schools struggle to meaningfully integrate them into instruction and gauge how well students are mastering them. Increasingly, state departments of education and local school districts are responding with support, but key challenges stand in their way. How are these competencies defined, particularly when definitions vary across research traditions like psychology, sociology, and education? How should schools instruct and assess them? Can trustworthy direct assessments of 21st century competencies (e.g., ethical thinking) be produced? How can (or should) school accountability indicators be used to signal which competencies are most important and how to improve instruction and learning of these competencies? This report is for state and local policymakers and educators who wrestle with these questions. This report is organized in five sections. Section one briefly proposes a consensus definition of 21st century competencies. Section two explains why states and districts are making assessment of these competencies a priority. Section three presents the current state of the field in measuring these competencies and describes challenges that emerge from various limitations and constraints. Section four considers the implications for consequential use of assessment results. Section five offers practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners. This proposed guidance includes foundational prerequisites and forward-facing action steps to cultivate students' 21st century competencies and mitigate unintended consequences.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 32
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      – SubjectFull: 21st Century Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Competence
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      – SubjectFull: Integrated Curriculum
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      – SubjectFull: Instructional Development
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      – SubjectFull: Evaluation Methods
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      – SubjectFull: State Departments of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
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