Success Skills

Content knowledge and conceptual understanding, by themselves, are not enough in today’s world. In school and college, in the modern workplace, as citizens and in their lives generally, people need to be able to think critically and solve problems, work well with others, and manage themselves effectively. We call these kinds of competencies “success skills.” They are also known as “21st Century Skills,” “College and Career Readiness Skills,” or "Transferable Skills." It’s important to note that success skills can only be taught through the acquisition of content knowledge and understanding. For example, students don’t learn critical thinking skills in the abstract, isolated from subject matter; they gain them by thinking critically about math, science, history, English, career/tech subjects, and so on (Buck Institute for Education, 2015).

Some frameworks for thinking about success skills include:

National Research Council (2012):

  1. Creativity/innovation

  2. Critical thinking

  3. Problem solving

  4. Decision making

  5. Communication

  6. Collaboration

  7. Information literacy

  8. Research and inquiry

  9. Media literacy

  10. Digital citizenship

  11. Information and communications technology operations and concepts

  12. Flexibility and adaptability

  13. Initiative and self-direction

  14. Productivity

  15. Leadership and responsibility

Tony Wagner (2008):

  • Critical thinking and problem solving

  • Collaboration and leading by influence

  • Agility and adaptability

  • Initiative

  • Effective oral and written communication

Ron Ritchhart (2011) and his colleagues from Project Zero at Harvard proposed:

  • Observing closely and describing what's there

  • Building explanations and interpretations

  • Reasoning with evidence

  • Making connections

  • Considering different viewpoints and perspectives

  • Capturing the heart and forming conclusions

Deborah Meier (1995), in her experimental public schools, developed habits of mind as a framework for thinking about high leverage success skills. Here habits of mind included:

  • Significance (why it is important?)

  • Perspective (what is the point of view?)

  • Evidence (how do you know?)

  • Connection (how does it apply?)

  • Supposition (what if it were different?)

Vermont Agency of Education Recommends:

P21.org proposed the following 21st century interdisciplinary themes:

Global Awareness:

  • Using 21st century skills to understand and address global issues

  • Learning from and working collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in personal, work and community contexts

  • Understanding other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English languages

Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy:

  • Knowing how to make appropriate personal economic choices

  • Understanding the role of the economy in society

  • Using entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options

Civic Literacy:

  • Participating effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed and understanding governmental processes

  • Exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national and global levels

  • Understanding the local and global implications of civic decisions

Health Literacy:

  • Obtaining, interpreting and understanding basic health information and services and using such information and services in ways that enhance health

  • Understanding preventive physical and mental health measures, including proper diet, nutrition, exercise, risk avoidance and stress reduction

  • Using available information to make appropriate health-related decisions

  • Establishing and monitoring personal and family health goals

  • Understanding national and international public health and safety issues

Environmental Literacy:

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment and the circumstances and conditions affecting it, particularly as relates to air, climate, land, food, energy, water and ecosystems

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of society’s impact on the natural world (e.g., population growth, population development, resource consumption rate, etc.)

  • Investigate and analyze environmental issues, and make accurate conclusions about effective solutions

  • Take individual and collective action towards addressing environmental challenges (e.g., participating in global actions, designing solutions that inspire action on environmental issues)

References:

Meier, D. (1995). The power of their ideas: Lessons for America from a small school in Harlem. Boston: Beacon Press.

P21.org (Retrieved 2017). http://www.p21.org/

Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible: How to promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Wagner, T. (2010). The global achievement gap. New York: Basic Books.

Vermont Agency of Education (Retrieved 2017). http://education.vermont.gov/student-learning/proficiency-based-learning/transferable-skills