High school reformers are missing their mark in preparing high school graduates for the 21st century global economy, argue Ken Kay, president and co-founder of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and G. Thomas Houlihan, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
In their Education Week Commentary, Kay and Houlihan write that most high school reform initiatives focus on traditional metrics, which, though important goals, are no longer sufficient indicators of student preparedness.
A more meaningful, ambitious high school reform agenda, they write, can only be reached when high schools succeed in preparing every student for today’s global challenges by aligning their improvement efforts with all the results that matter—mastery of core subjects and 21st-century skills.
Are U.S. schools teaching the skills necessary to compete in a global economy? What skills should be emphasized more?
