Leader’s Guide to 21st Century Education, The

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Preface

Introduction

Step 1: Adopt Your Vision and Lead

Introduction

8 Perspectives on 21^st Century Life

Where to Start: The 4Cs

What to Add: Beyond the 4Cs

Coming to Closure

A Broader Vision for Teaching and Leadership

Step 2: Create a Community Consensus around the 4Cs

Introduction

Use the 4Cs to Lead

Communicate the Importance of the 4Cs

Collaborate around the 4Cs

Final Thoughts

Step 3: Align Your System with the 4Cs

Alignment: Bringing the Work to Scale

What is 4Cs Alignment?

What Does Alignment Look Like? A Snapshot from Virginia Beach City Public Schools

How to Get Started: Using the MILE Guide Conclusion

Step 4: Build Professional Capacity

Introduction

The 4Cs as the Design Principles for Professional Development

The 4Cs as the Focus of Professional Development

The Resources for Professional Development

Conclusion

Step 5: Embed the 4Cs in Curricula and Assessments

What is 4Cs Curricula?

Understanding by Design (UbD) and 4Cs Curricula

4Cs Curricula Actions Steps

4Cs and Assessment

The Good News about Assessment

Assessment Action Steps

What’s on the Horizon?

Chapter Conclusion

Chapter Reflection

Step 6: Use the 4Cs to Engage and Support Teachers

Motivate Teachers

Focus on Student Work

Prioritize 4Cs Pedagogies

Strenghten the 4Cs Learning Environment

In Conclusion

Reflection

Exercise

Step 7: Improve and Innovate

Introduction: Creating a “Step 7” Organization

Create a Culture that Supports Continuous Improvement

Focus Your Continuous Improvement on 4Cs Teaching and Learning

Expand Your 4Cs Continuous Improvement Strategy to Other Key Parts of Your Organization

Reflections on Continuous Improvement

Conclusion

Appendices

Educational leaders get a 7-step blueprint to move their schools and districts forward in the quest to prepare students for the challenges of the 21^st century. The book inspires leaders to implement the teaching and learning of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

Here’s valuable support for educational leaders faced with the challenges of implementing the 4Cs–critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity–into their education systems. Based on the premise that no school or district is doing real 21^st century education work without a strong leader, the authors focus on creating an implementation-oriented resource for education leaders at all stages of implementation, from early through advanced. It describes clearly what to do once a school or district adopts the 4Cs:

Step 1: Adopt your vision:  Use the 4C’s and more.

Step 2: Create a community consensus around the 4C’s.

Step 3:  Align your system with the 4C’s.

Step 4: Use the 4C’s to build professional capacity around the 4C’s.

Step 5: Embed the 4C’s into curriculum and assessment.

Step 6: Use the 4C’s to support teachers.

Step 7: Improve and innovate:  Create a 4C’s organization.

Each chapter covers the steps, raises key questions, and poses opportunities for reflection.

Ken Kay is the Chief Executive Officer of EdLeader21. Ken has been the leading voice for 21st century education for the past decade. He co-founded the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in 2002 and served as its President for eight years. As executive director of the CEO Forum on Education and Technology, he led the development of the StaR Chart (School Technology & Readiness Guide), used by schools across the country to make better use of technology in K–12 classrooms. Ken spent 28 years in Washington, DC, where he gained a national reputation as a coalition builder on competitiveness issues in education and industry—particularly policies and practices that support innovation and technology leadership. He founded a landmark coalition of U.S. universities and high-tech companies focused on research and development issues. He also was the founding Executive Director of the premier CEO advocacy group in the U.S. computer industry.

Ken is a graduate of Oberlin College and the University of Denver, College of Law. He and his wife, Karen, have three adult children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson, Ollie. They live in the desert outside Tucson, Arizona, with their golden retriever, Bisbee.

Valerie Greenhill is the Chief Learning Officer of EdLeader21. Valerie leads EdLeader21’s capacity building work. She is currently focused on supporting district leaders in their efforts to integrate the 4Cs–critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity–into assessment and curricula systems. She leads member work in key national initiatives such as the PISA-Based Test for Schools pilot, 21st Century District Criteria, and 4Cs Rubrics. From 2004—2010, Valerie served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Skills), where she established and led work to integrate career and college readiness skills into standards, assessments, curricula, instruction, and professional development. She focused extensively on the assessment of 21st century skills, developing numerous tools and resources to advance the organization’s goals.

Valerie earned an M.Ed. in educational media and computers from Arizona State University and a master’s in English from the University of Arizona. She is an honors graduate of Vassar College. Valerie was raised in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and has made Tucson, Arizona her home since 1993; She is active in her community, currently serving as Board President of the Children’s Museum Tucson. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and a very cool but high-maintenance Tibetan Terrier.

Educators see how to make the realities of effective 21^st century education happen through the focus on implementation, including all major aspects of implementation strategy. (Chapter 1)

Leaders get the tools they need to consider outcomes outside of the 4Cs, including global citizenship and financial literacy, to customize a vision for their particular school or district. (Chapter 1)

Readers see how to take the interests of stakeholder groups into consideration through the book’s marriage of community consensus building and the specifics of education strategy implementation.

Leaders get a unique self-assessment tool for use with their schools and districts—the P21 MILE Guild—in the book’s first-of-its-kind presentation of this guide and how to use it. (Chapter 3 and Appendix)

Leaders are provided up-to-date information on the NEA educator’s guide to the 4Cs, which explains the importance of the 4Cs, offers specific examples of how it can be integrated into specific content disciplines, and offers suggestions on how to make it a focus in their classrooms, schools, and districts. This is the first text to include “Preparing Our Students for the 21^st Century: An Educator’s Guide to the Four Cs.” (Chapter 4 and Appendix)

Coverage of the 4Cs as appropriate 21^st century student outcomes, the pillars of 21^st century pedagogy, and a 21^st century leadership strategy is illustrated in the book’s explanations of the role the 4Cs can play in leading, teaching, and learning. (Chapter 7)

Readers learn through specific examples from schools and districts around the country with which the authors have personally worked.

Readers get a first-of-its kind look at the role school leaders need to play to provide vision, consensus building, and organizational strategies for the school or district. (Chapters 1, 2, and 7)

Educators have access to the most relevant resources on critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, as well as suggestions on how to use the resource guides. This book includes the first 4Cs resource guides.

In this all-new resource, educational leaders get a 7-Steps guide to moving their schools and districts forward in the quest to prepare students for the challenges of the 21^st century teaching and learning of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. This guide focuses on presenting an implementation-oriented resource for education leaders at all stages of implementation, from early through advanced.

                                     The Leader’s Guide to 21st Century Education: 7 Steps for Schools and Districts

Ken Kay and Valerie Greenhill

A 7-Steps blueprint for educational leaders to help their schools and districts prepare students for the challenges of the 21^st century.

Step 1: Adopt your vision:  Use the 4C’s and more.

Step 2: Create a community consensus around the 4C’s.

Step 3:  Align your system with the 4C’s.

Step 4: Use the 4C’s to build professional capacity around the 4C’s.

Step 5: Embed the 4C’s into curriculum and assessment.

Step 6: Use the 4C’s to support teachers.

Step 7: Improve and innovate:  Create a 4C’s organization.