NEW ORLEANS, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after introducing a new model of learning that incorporates 21st century skills into education, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a set of comprehensive tools to help education stakeholders convert the highly praised concept into real action. The Partnership -- a coalition of Apple, Cable in the Classroom, Cisco Systems, Inc., Dell Inc., Microsoft Corporation, National Education Association, SAP and Time Warner Foundation, with support from the U.S. Department of Education -- is committed to helping educators prepare students for success in the 21st century.

The tools released today include Route 21: An Interactive Guide to 21st Century Learning; The Road to 21st Century Learning: A Policymakers' Guide to 21st Century Skills; and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy Maps. These contributions are the result of thousands of hours of research, development and feedback from educators and business leaders and are now freely available to schools and communities as they work to integrate 21st century skills into education.

"We recognize the urgent need to prepare our young people with the 21st century skills needed to compete in an increasingly competitive global marketplace," said Amelia Maurizio, chairman of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and director, Education Alliances for SAP. "When we introduced this concept under the banner of 21st century skills one year ago, there was a nationwide, enthusiastic response. At the same time, educators told us they wanted help converting the concept into real action in their classrooms and communities. The tools we're making available today are designed to help them do just that."

"Success is achieved when we work together to transform education. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills brings together business, education, government and community leaders to help states and districts improve education in the 21st century," said Susan Patrick, director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of Education. "In particular, the Partnership sought input to develop guidelines for the eighth grade technology literacy requirement of No Child Left Behind. Their report, The Road to 21st Century Learning, is a step toward transformation by focusing on 21st century skills. I applaud the Partnership in its efforts - it will go a long way in promoting 21st century skills."

Route 21: An Interactive Guide to 21st Century Learning

A free, Internet-based tool, Route 21: An Interactive Guide to 21st Century Learning assists users in developing and implementing an actionable plan to achieve a successful 21st century learning environment. Route 21 consists of nine guides, each designed to address the unique roles of individual education stakeholders and equip users with access to a dynamic database of examples, resources, recommendations, tools and self-assessments that have practical use at each level of the educational process.

"To promote student mastery of 21st century skills, it is critical that our educators and administrators be competent in 21st century learning and teaching strategies," said Dawn Trubakoff, director of the Northern Arizona Regional Training Center. "Route 21 enables us to think strategically about infusing our professional development initiatives with 21st century skills. It equips us with actionable tools that we can now turn into real progress."

The Road to 21st Century Learning: A Policymakers' Guide to 21st Century

Skills

In order to integrate 21st century knowledge and skills into education, The Road to 21st Century Learning: A Policymakers' Guide to 21st Century Skills assists state education leaders in crafting visionary education policies. The report offers specific guidance to help create a 21st century learning environment, as well as policy recommendations that include:

     -- Adopting state standards that incorporate 21st century tools and
        learning skills as part of the eighth-grade technology literacy
        requirement of No Child Left Behind (NCLB);

     -- Embedding ICT Literacy into current standards, curricula and
        assessments for core subjects;

     -- Creating state and local infrastructure that supports a 21st century
        education;

     -- Providing professional development that is strategically aligned to
        support the goal of offering a 21st century education to all students;
        and

     -- Engaging educators, employers, community members, parents and
        policymakers in an ongoing dialogue that provides recommendations and
        advice about 21st century education.

"Policymakers must create an environment where educators are not only encouraged to prepare students for this century, but are given the support and professional development to accomplish this goal," said John Wilson, vice chairman for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and executive director of the National Education Association. "Our policy paper identifies the significant civic and economic imperatives facing us as a nation, and then outlines the education policy necessary to meet these challenges.''

"Policy advice is particularly critical to states at this time, given the eighth-grade technology literacy requirement of NCLB," said Anita Givens, director of Educational Technology for the Texas Education Agency. "Policy advice coming from a unique partnership of business, education and government leaders is very timely and valuable. It will help us in the states as we proceed to put in place 21st century standards, pedagogies and assessments."

ICT Literacy Maps

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills advocates for the integration of ICT Literacy into K-12 education in order to empower students to learn and achieve in the core academic subjects at much higher levels. Working in conjunction with organizations that represent the core academic subject areas, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills is developing a series of ICT Literacy Maps, which illustrate the intersection between ICT Literacy and core academic subjects.

Today, the Partnership released an ICT Literacy Map for geography and will introduce maps for other disciplines including math, science and English throughout the summer. The maps enable educators to gain concrete examples of how ICT Literacy can be integrated into core subjects.

"In order to create a more meaningful and relevant educational experience for students, we must infuse our core subjects with ICT Literacy," said Christine Voigt, member of the National Council for Geographic Education's 21st Century Skills Task Force and instructional technology coordinator for Bishop Dunne Catholic School. "We in geography are gratified to have teamed with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and believe we have developed a tool that will be beneficial to all geography teachers, as well as those in other disciplines. The texture of the ICT Literacy Maps demonstrates the true value of the integration of ICT Literacy and core academic subjects."

Route 21: An Interactive Guide to 21st Century Learning; The Road to 21st Century Learning: A Policymakers' Guide to 21st Century Skills and ICT Literacy Maps are available on the Partnership's website at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org. These tools are based on recommendations outlined in the Partnership's 2003 report, Learning in the 21st Century: A Report and MILE Guide for 21st Century Skills, which articulated a compelling vision and common framework for learning in the 21st century and made recommendations on how to define and integrate 21st century skills into K-12 curricula.

About the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a unique alliance of education, business and government leaders working to fully address the education needs and challenges of work and life in the 21st century. The Partnership currently has eight member organizations: Apple, Cable in the Classroom, Cisco Systems, Inc., Dell Inc., Microsoft Corporation, National Education Association, SAP and Time Warner Foundation. The effort is supported by the U.S. Department of Education.

Based in Washington, DC and Tucson, Arizona, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills is administered by Infotech Strategies. Research and development is overseen by JES & Co. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 organization. More information can be found at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org.