A CASE STUDY OF 21ST CENTURY SKILLS PROGRAMS

AND PRACTICES

by

Kurt McLachlan

_______________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the

FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2012

Copyright 2012 Kurt McLachlan

 UMI Number: 3513862

All rights reserved

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a note will indicate the deletion.

UMI 3513862
Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC.
All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

ProQuest LLC.
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P.O. Box 1346
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 UMI Number: 3513862

All rights reserved

INFORMATION TO ALL USERS

The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted.

In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.

UMI 3513862
Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC.
All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES iv

CHAPTER ONE 1
Introduction 1
Background of the Problem 3
Statement of the Problem 4
Purpose of the Study 5
Research Questions 5
Problem Significance 6
Methodology 6
Limitations 7
Delimitations 8
Assumptions 8
Definition of Terms 9
Organization of the Study 11

CHAPTER TWO 13
Introduction 13
Economics 13
Best Practices-Curriculum and Instruction 20
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 26
Inherently Different Schools 28
International Baccalaureate 30
Civic Education/Socialization 30
21st Century Organizations and Frameworks 33
Gaps and Barriers 33

CHAPTER THREE 38
Introduction 38
Research Development 39
Framework 40
Research Problem 42
Research Questions 42
Research Design 43
Population and Sample 44
Instrumentation 46
Data Collection 48

ii
CHAPTER FOUR 49
Research Questions 50
School Description 51
Demographics 53
International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme 54
Research Question 1-What are the programs and practices at the school
and how are these programs and practices aligned to 21st century skills? 55
Global Curriculum 55
Alternative Assessments 60
Advancement Via Individual Determination 62
Intensive Intervention 63
Academic and Curriculum Enhancement for Students 65
All Student Academic Prep 66
Research Question 2-What is the professional community at the school
and how does it support these practices? 67
Constant and Purposeful Use of Data 67
Approach to Professional Development 67
Shared Leadership 68
Research Question 3-What is the perceived impact of 21st century skills
on the culture of the school? 69
Community Involvement 69
Student Perceptions 70
Summary of Findings 71
Conclusion 74

CHAPTER FIVE 75
Statement of the Problem 75
Purpose of the Study 75
Research Questions 76
Conclusions 77
Global Curriculum 78
AVID 78
Intensive Intervention 78
Implications 80
Recommendations for Future Study 81

REFERENCES 83

APPENDICES 86
Appendix A: Observation Instrument 86
Appendix B: Survey Instrument 89
Appendix C: Interview Instrument 91
Appendix D: Interview Handout: 95

iii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Framework 41

Figure 2: International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme 55

iv
 CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

21st Century skills are a necessity for US students. The growing

interconnectedness of countries across the world demonstrates the importance of these

skills. These new skills are vital both socially and economically, and students face the

challenge of acquiring this new set of skills in order to be successful in an age of

globalization.

Business and politics are demanding stronger, more prepared college graduates to

compete in a global economy. Entrepreneurs and educators are seeking critical thinkers

and problems solvers to be both creative and intuitive to this issue of global

preparedness. Good leadership and an active consciousness about the future of the planet

are becoming prerequisites for the future of our students, rather than only academic

successes in English and Math. The challenge ahead for educators is to provide students

with the necessary skills to be successful in the 21st Century era of a global society.

Not only must students acquire these skills, but schools also have the

responsibility to prepare their students for this global future. The central challenges to the

discussion of globalization in schools is how to define it and how to determine what

programs and practices truly demonstrate teaching students 21st Century skills. There are

several exemplary schools that claim to provide students with skills to be successful in

this new century, but capturing what goes on at those schools is both challenging and

invigorating.

1
 The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (2009) provides an effective

framework to observe these exemplary schools. State departments of education, national

organizations, and prominent business refer to this framework in the discussion of needs

for the 21st Century. This framework includes both core knowledge instruction in

English, world languages, arts, mathematics, science, geography, history, government,

and civics, as well as teaching the 21st Century skills of critical thinking, problem

solving, communication, and collaboration. Also, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

(2009) identifies five support systems for students to develop these essential 21st Century

Skills. The five support systems include 21st Century standards, assessments of 21st

Century skills, 21st Century curriculum and instruction, 21st Century professional

development, and 21st Century learning environments.

The overarching components for these support systems includes the core

knowledge areas and 21st Century themes of global awareness, financial, economic,

business, and entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, health literacy, and environmental

literacy. The final cap to the framework is the necessary student outcomes for the 21st

Century. These outcomes are life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, and

information, media, and technology skills.

Schools, such as High Tech High in San Diego, CA, provide some answers to

questions about preparing students for the future, however the transferability question

still remains a major part of the globalization discussion. This case study on programs

and practices in a school that claims to promote the acquisition of 21st Century skills in

2
students will help to illuminate additional answers or complexities to this global

discussion.

Background of the Problem

Currently, the United States compares unfavorably to other industrialized nations

on academic benchmarks. As the world becomes more interconnected, the skills and

knowledge that students need to succeed as global citizens have changed. Results from

the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show evidence of poor

performance from US students. In the comparing countries and economies performance

figure in the PISA Executive Summary (2010), US students scored statistically below the

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average in

mathematics, and not statistically different from the OECD average in reading and

science.

In addition, US students showed less than stellar results on the 2007 Trends in

International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS). TIMMS (2007) is administered

to fourth and eighth grade students for math and science. US fourth grade students scored

below eight of the thirty-five countries that participated. All of these top-scoring

countries are located in Asia and Europe, and remain two of our highly competitive

marketplaces. US eighth graders scored lower than five of the participating countries, all

of these countries in Asia, which is quickly becoming the top producer and marketplace

in the world.

Along with being outperformed by peers across the world, students in the US are

often unprepared for the workplace and international competition. Wagner (2008)

3
addressed the global achievement gap between students in the states and students abroad.

He found evidence that US students didnt know how to observe phenomena, think

critically, design and ask good questions, be leaders and collaborate with others, be

willing to adapt, take initiative and become entrepreneurs, communicate effectively both

orally and in written forms, understand how to analyze information not only access it,

and students lacked curiosity and imagination. Reports from business leaders are not the

only sources showing dissatisfaction with the current knowledge and skills of US

students, but policy makers, politicians, and government leaders are adding to the

commentary.

Concerns about how much knowledge students have and whether or not they

critically think about civics issues became the focal point for a study on civics. The

International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)

assembled a two-phase study in the 1990s to address some of the questions about

citizenship and education. Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald, and Schultz (2001) found

that out of 28 countries, US students seemed to have a competitive knowledge of civics.

However, many of the students did not perceive their classrooms to be places where

civics and participatory roles in the electorate were discussed. The question remains

about whether or not US students were civic-minded.

Statement of the Problem

Currently, the United States compares unfavorably to other industrialized nations

on academic benchmarks. As the world becomes more interconnected, the skills and

knowledge that students need to succeed as global citizens have changed. Some schools

4
have responded by embracing globalization. However, it is unclear what programs and

practices they are implementing.

In an effort to understand and identify possible programs and practices that

promote 21st Century skills in students, this case study identified one school claiming to

prepare students for the next generation. This school has been identified by the federal

government as a school taking center stage, and has been recognized and awarded for

various accomplishments.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the programs and practices that promote

the acquisition of 21st Century skills at a school. A great deal of research existed in

support of 21st Century programs and practices that supported student learning. The

research showed curriculum, assessment, professional development, leadership, and

culture all play major roles in determining how effective schools were in preparing

students for the 21st Century.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework (P21) provided a clear and

well-supported framework for identifying what skills were essential for student outcomes

global awareness, financial literacy, civic literacy, health literacy, and environmental

literacy. The resulting student outcomes presented in the P21 were learning and

innovation skills, information, media, and technology skills, and life and career skills.

The P21 served as the framework to guide this case study.

Research Questions

This study specifically focused on answering the following research questions.

5
 1. What are the practices and programs at a school and how are these programs

and practices aligned with 21st Century skills?

2. What is the professional community of the school, and how does this

professional community support the programs and practices of the school?

3. What is the perceived impact of 21st Century skills on the culture of the school?

Problem Significance

As shared by Wagner (2008) there have been a multitude of reasons why

preparing US students for the 21st Century has become imperative. Reasoning and

research behind the importance of 21st Century skills have pointed towards a competitive

global market place, the importance of reusable energy, and leadership across countries,

business entrepreneurship, and growth in communication through technology. Some

schools today have identified these important aspects as significant to the future of our

world, and they have developed programs and created practices to enhance the

acquisition of these skills. These schools have not only performed at high levels on state

standardized testing, but have focused on other skills. Currently, very little research has

reached consensus on what best practices include, and so this study will add to the

current body of literature on 21st Century learning.

Methodology

In order to examine the programs and practices at a school, the researcher

conducted a qualitative case study. This case study was not evaluative in nature, but

rather enlightened and exposed how a school defined and exhibited 21st Century skills.

6
 In Gall, Gall, and Borg (2003), a case study is designed and developed in order to

illuminate a particular phenomenon. Programs and practices that demonstrated 21st

Century skills in schools was the phenomenon researched in this study. Two focuses of

case study research were particularly relevant to this study. Gall, Gall, and Borg (2003)

describe the first focus as the purpose to produce detailed descriptions of a phenomenon,

and the second, to develop possible explanations for it. A case study, such as this one,

was intended to serve as additional literature in the growing research on 21st Century

learning in schools. In addition, the case study findings may serve as possible best

practices for schools focusing on preparing their students for the future.

Limitations

Possible weaknesses in this case study included the following:

Researcher bias-The investigator study felt strongly in support of 21st Century

learning.

Time constraints-This case study took place over a period of six days. In addition,

the interview sessions will take approximately thirty minutes.

Ethical considerations-The school for this case study was also where a doctoral

colleague of the investigator was employed. This employment factor was not known

during the site identification process, and was only learned after the site was identified as

a possible school to study.

Situations observed-The six-day time frame for this case study didnt allow the

investigator to fully observe all school events.

7
 Interview selectivity-This was a limitation due to the work and personal schedules

of the principal, and other interviewees.

Transferability-Transferability was a limitation for this study as the school being

studied was a middle school, and the demographics of this school were unique.

Credibility of findings-The investigator was not a tenured researcher or an expert

interview. As a result, credibility of findings were limited in this study.

Delimitations

This study was limited in the following ways: There was a pre-established

criterion set for choosing this school site. The school site was selected based upon an

Academic Performance Index (API) of 800 or above, a similar schools index of seven or

above, and a vision, mission, or goals statement that matched at least one area of the P21.

The case study identified only one school located in southern California.

Transferability of findings to other school sites was somewhat limited as this school was

a middle school with specific student demographics. Even though this case study was one

of nine other similar case studies, transferability was still a concern. Only certain

individuals on the school site were chosen for the interviews. These individuals were the

principal, the data specialist, a counselor, and three instructors. Their viewpoints and

understandings differed in some ways than other staff at the school.

Assumptions

The investigator of this case study made the following assumptions regarding the

research. School Data collected from the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), the

California Department of Education, and other pertinent documents was both timely and

8
accurate. Interviewees shared honest perceptions without fear of political or employment

backlash. Student performance was connected to 21st Century programs and practices.

Additional school site factors, other than those presented in this research, played an

additional role in 21st Century learning.

Definition of Terms

API. The cornerstone of California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999;

measures the academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of academic

measures (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/).

Case Study. A type of research, which attempts to study a phenomenon in-depth

(Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003)

Council of Chief State Schools Officers. A nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit

organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary

education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education

Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions

(http://www.ccsso.org/Who_We_Are.html).

DataQuest. A website maintained by the Department of Education which lists

demographical and academic information regarding school districts and specific schools.

Federal Free-Reduced Lunch Program. A federally funded program, which

provides lunch and/or breakfast for low-income students.

ICT. Information and communications technology.

9
 International Baccalaureate (IB). The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers

high quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of

schools (http://www.ibo.org/).

No Child Left Behind. The 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act (ESEA). NCLB's provisions represent a significant change in the federal

government's influence in public schools and districts throughout the United States,

particularly in terms of assessment, accountability, and teacher quality

(http://www.edsource.org/acronyms.html).

OECD. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development provides

a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions

to common problems (http://www.oecd.org/).

P21. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a national organization that

advocates for 21st century readiness for every student (http://www.p21.org/).

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This approach to

education is designed to revolutionize the teaching of subject areas such as mathematics

and science by incorporating technology and engineering into regular curriculum by

creating a meta-discipline (http://drpfconsults.com/understanding-the-basics-of-stem-

education/).

Similar Schools Ranking. Comparison of a school with 100 schools with similar

demographics. The schools are ranked using their API scores and demographics. Schools

are ranked 1 to 10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. A schools similar

10
schools ranking differs from their statewide ranking (California Department of

Education, 2007a)

TIMMS. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study

(TIMSS) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement

of U.S. 4th- and 8th-grade students compared to that of students in other countries

(http://nces.ed.gov/timss/).

Triangulation. A data analysis method used to verify research findings by

crosschecking multiple data sources (Patton, 2002).

Organization of the Study

Chapter 1 is an overview of this case study. This chapter gives the background of

the problem, the statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, the research

questions, significance of this study, methodology, limitations, delimitations,

assumptions, and the definition of terms.

Chapter 2 is a review of literature on 21st Century learning. The following areas

of 21st Century learning are covered: Economics, international relations, best practices of

curriculum and instruction, environmental practices, and civic education and

socialization.

Chapter 3 is a description of the methodology used for this study. Sections of

chapter 3 include: research development, the framework for the study, the research

design, units of analysis, instrumentation, data collection, and the data analysis plan.

11
 Chapter 4 presents the findings for this qualitative case study. Chapter 5 is a

summary of the entire study. Conclusions are presented in this chapter followed by

possible suggestions for other school sites.

12
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

21st century skills are a necessity for this generation of students who will become

the work force and polity of the nation. School remains the dominant institution for

transmission of these skills to students. The importance of 21st century skills are realized

in several United States schools, however, there is great variance between schools

regarding the implementation of these skills. How are these skills taught to students?

How are these skills measured? How do these skills become a part of the school culture?

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004) provided a framework to address

the issues of pedagogy, evaluation, and implementation. The skills framework consisted

of six key elements, including core subjects, 21st Century content, learning and thinking

skills, information and communications technology (ICT) literacy, life skills, and 21st

Century assessments. Each of the six elements was broken down into subsections. It was

the subsections that allowed schools to see whether or not they measured up to these 21st

Century expectations.

Economics

21st Century Skills are important for students today for economic reasons, issues

of international cooperation, and concerns over the welfare of the world. The National

Governors, Council of Chief State Schools Officers, and Achieve, Inc. report (2008)

indicated that United States students are slipping behind other nations, especially in the

content areas of Math and Sciences, due to the educational outcomes of students

13
remaining stagnant. Additionally, the report also provided several myths about why

students in the United States are not performing as highly as other countries. The myths

were common in conversations about international comparisons. In the report (2008), the

myths included a difference in who was tested, reasons of poverty and family issues,

cultural factors were too varied, there was less diversity in other countries, internationally

countries spent more money than the United States on education, education did not really

impact the economy, and there were more students educated in the United States. A

report like this one had a distinctly economic focus, as well as a competitive approach

between different countries.

Many times throughout the report, the significance of a global marketplace where

competition was greater and more intense became the focus. Though the report did share

information on the discrepancies between the performance of minorities in the states

versus other countries, the focus remained on economic issues rather than issues of

equity.

Two additional measures provide US student performance. The first measure, the

2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Sciences Study (TIMMS) was designed to

measure the performance of fourth and eighth grade students in the content areas of

Mathematics and Sciences across time. The second measure, the Programme for

International Student Assessment (PISA), focused on the areas of reading, math, and

science.

Key performance indicators from the TIMMS showed that average fourth grade

students in ten other countries outperformed US students in Math, and average eighth

14
grade students in eight other countries outperformed US students. US students were

performing behind their peers. Countries that outperformed US students in Mathematics

included Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Korea, England, Netherlands,

Russia, Latvia, Netherlands, Lithuania, and Hungary.

In Science, the TIMMS (2009) showed that the average fourth grade students in

seven other countries outperformed US students, while ten countries outperformed US

eighth graders. Countries outperforming the US include Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Hong

Kong, Japan, Korea, Russia, Latvia, Hungary, England, Slovenia, and the Czech

Republic.

In Reading Literacy, the most recent PISA report (2010) showed US students

performing lower than fifteen other countries. One of the standout comparisons on this

test was the reading literacy subscale titled Access and Retrieve. For demonstrating

the ability to access integral information in a text and retrieve it later, students in the

United States scored lower than eighteen other countries including Estonia, Hungary, and

Poland.

Another source where economics took center stage in relation to the demand for

21st Century skills was the work of Friedman (2007). As a journalist, Friedman traveled

to several Asian countries, including India and China where discussions with US

outsourcing companies led to his announcement that the world is flattening. This

flattening is a process of technology. An example of this technology is the outsourcing of

US tax returns. Friedman (2007) wrote about Jaithirth Rao, an accountant in Bangalore,

who shared that the number of outsourced tax returns have risen year after year. In 2004,

15
there were 100,000 American tax returns outsourced to India. In 2005, there were

400,000. The number continues to rise.

Globalization 3.0 was Friedmans description of our current 21st Century situation

around the world. No longer were simple questions about airlines and credit cards

answered by individuals in the US, but rather the US companies were outsourcing.

Friedman (2007) contemplated what this meant for the American worker. It meant

change must occur in the jobs and organizations still working in the 20th Century. This

change will be difficult, however it was already taking place. One example of this change

was the tax accountant who worked in a US firm doing simple tax returns. Outsourcing

could possibly eliminate this job.

It was a question of where the US would go from here. Friedman (2007)

described the flattening process as a sorting out. He declared in his writing how much it

would behoove young Americans to think of themselves as competing against every

young person in India, China, and Brazil. He cautioned readers that people must think

globally.

If educators in the US contemplated the thought of our students competing with

students in other nations, there was a need to review why US students performed so

poorly in comparison with students in other nations. Friedman (2007) described the

individuals who would thrive in the future as the untouchables. Untouchables would be

those who when the world was completely flat from an organization, social, and

economic standpoint there would be some jobs that were so specialized they would not

be outsourced anywhere. The people who held these jobs would be considered the

16
untouchables. For students, this meant providing students with the ability to acquire new,

challenging information, and innovative skills.

Robertson (2005) provided additional input into the needs for 21st Century skills

with relation to the economic situation today. In the paper, she shared several current

economic schools of thought centered upon human capital and the importance of

increasing knowledge. In addition, she pointed out the considerable challenge it would be

for formal schooling. No longer would formal schooling address all the technology and

knowledge discourses necessary for a growing economy. OECD and the World Bank

agendas for formal schooling were examined in this paper through critical discourse

analysis.

OECD proposed a Schooling for Tomorrow Programme. This programme was

designed with a toolbox for compulsory education. The toolbox provided ways for

improving leadership and decision-making tools. In the toolbox, three strategies were

presented. Each of these strategies contained two scenarios.

Strategy one was referred to as maintaining the status quo. Strategy one contained

two fairly bleak pictures of a 21st Century School. The scenarios under this strategy were

to keep schools working in their current top-down state of operation, and to see a huge

departure of teachers from the field of education. Both of these scenarios presented in

this strategy yielded no benefits for the economy.

The second strategy in the OECD toolbox was known as reschooling.

Reschoooling was a strategy that promoted more positive outcomes than strategy one, but

Robertson (2005) noted that it would be a huge financial undertaking. Under the strategy

17
of reschooling, the two scenarios included the school serving as a social center, and the

school as an organization of learning. Though focused on the social aspect of schooling,

the knowledge aspect was the only part of reschooling that would have impact on the

economy.

Deschooling was the final strategy presented in the OECD toolbox. This strategy

was clearly focused on the need for knowledge and the economy. The two scenarios

included in the deschooling were learning and learning networks and the market model.

An example of the learning networks scenario included online schooling programs where

learning was taking place on a global level. For the market model scenario diversity,

innovation, and the idea of entrepreneurs took center stage. Robertson (2005) pointed out

the OECD did not mention this model would be susceptible to changes in the economy.

The current state of the economy on a global level would prove a significant challenge to

this scenario.

Robertson (2005) critically observed the OECD member countries, because of

their similar systems of education, as well as a lack of evidence that such trends of

change must occur. One key factor in her argument was that there is no solid, empirical

evidence supporting demands for new kinds of knowledge to run the present economy.

What Robertson (2005) did not take into account is the enormous growth in outsourcing

in India and China.

In Friedman (2005) the factors of outsourcing were clearly presented. Friedman

interviews businesspeople and entrepreneurs in India and China who stated clearly that

new technology and new knowledge was allowing for many US entrepreneurs to use

18
cheaper services in India and China. In order to keep up with and compete with such

services, the US must prepare students to be innovative and entrepreneurial. Schools

were training future business owners and workers. Innovation was a necessary part of

growing a competent, knowledgeable group of future businesspeople. Part of this

innovation factor required new knowledge about technology and communication.

Developing skilled entrepreneurs and working towards building new types of

learning was the focus for the World Bank venture into education. As opposed to the

current, traditional system where teachers taught content and students learned this

information, a new type of learning needed to take place where students created, applied,

analyzed, and synthesized information in a collaborative setting. Critics of this new type

of learning pointed out that empirical evidence from learning theory did not support

much of this new type of learning. The question could be raised about the goals of the

World Bank as they entered the foray of education. Important to notice was that this

World Bank Venture, known as Lifelong Learning for the Global Knowledge Economy

was its venture directly into education and acquisition of knowledge. In the report, the

World Bank showed the the traditional education system where schools provided

teachers who teach and students who learn, beside the new learning system where

teachers worked to develop individualized learning plans and students learned with each

other in groups. Robertson (2005) shared that much of the World Bank initiative for

education was dependent upon the digital age where technology and learning went hand

in hand.

19
 Robertson (2005) pointed out the World Bank appeared to want to replace the

teacher in the classroom with technology. As technology had grown significantly over

the years, there was a fear of this exact occurrence of technology replacing the teacher.

The World Bank report also promoted the idea of choice, so schools systems like

vouchers were admired.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) toolbox

and the World Bank Lifelong Learning report presented a compelling argument for the

important change from a traditional schooling system to a system of schooling that was

student-driven and utilized technology to drive learning. Simple change did not occur,

but dramatic adjustment to a traditional system was necessary. The main intent was to

enable a strong economy in the future. Robertson (2005) raised some important

arguments and critiques about the lack of empirical evidence supporting new learning

discourses. However, there was significant evidence over the past few years to support

the growth and successes of the digital age in learning.

Best Practices-Curriculum and Instruction

Jacobs (2010), a prominent writer in the area of curriculum and instruction for the

21st Century, claimed the Partnership for 21st Century Skills was an admirable group

working towards admirable outcomes for students. The concern Jacobs (2010) indicated

about the Partnership was the lack of depth concerning curriculum. Jacobs (2010) work

purported to go further than the Partnership. Jacobs (2010) work examined all the content

areas in schools, from English to Physical Education. For each of these content areas,

Jacobs (2010) suggested alternatives to what was considered traditional curriculum from

20
the 20th Century. Some of her suggestions for alternative curriculum activities were clear

and appeared to be effective, however other curriculum activities, especially in the area

of Physical Education seemed to only scratch the surface of possibilities to change 20th

Century curriculum.

The curriculum suggestions from Jacobs (2010) were closely related to the work

of Wagner (2008). Wagner (2008) traveled around the country, questioning the

curriculum and the rigor of activities in the classroom as related to 21st Century Skills.

His findings in The Global Achievement Gap were unexpected. For high performing

schools around the nation with stellar standardized test scores and superb student

performance, students were not engaged. Even in the most rigorous of courses, such as

Advanced Placement Chemistry, Wagner (2008) found little student engagement and use

of critical thinking skills, which were imperative in the framework for 21st Century

learning.

There were schools, however, that demonstrated 21st Century Skills Best Practices

through the implementation of technology and innovative curriculum, inclusion of civic

education and teaching of socialization, and presentation of globalization. Wagner (2008)

wrote about the International Baccalaureate (IB) courses as exemplars of 21st Century

skills. He did not, however, have the time to fully explore this program in his writing on

the global achievement gap.

Along with the IB classes, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics (STEM) program is a program with proven 21st Century student outcomes.

Both of these programs focus on 21st Century Skills and the curriculum of each program

21
contains all aspects of the six elements of the 21st Century Skills framework. In addition

to curriculum used in instruction, the importance of citizenship also must be evident.

In Law and Ng (2009), a general framework of citizenship captured the essence of

socialization and did an excellent job of exhibiting 21st Century Life Skills. In addition,

globalization and its connection to education was an important factor in successful 21st

Century schools.

Educators were often considered on the forefront of promoting 21st century skills

along with those in the field of business. The profession of education lent itself well to a

framework of learning for the future, and preparing students for new careers in evolving

fields such as technology. The question still remained regarding how to best teach a

curriculum focused on 21st Century Skills.

An embarking point for uncovering how to best teach a curriculum focused on

21st Century Skills was to look at teachers in the classroom. Zhao (2010) pointed out five

challenges that globalization presented to schools, and discussed what action teachers

needed to take in order to prepare students for a global society. In addition, he addressed

the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as the attitudes that supported preparing

students for a world without borders.

The five challenges included the increased global competition in business and

economy, the rise of international standards and comparisons of international test

benchmarks, issues of migration and changing student demographics, global citizenship,

and global competence. Due to technology, businesses were able to hire workers and

open new offices anywhere in the world. Competition for jobs was greater, and required

22
more skills. Students in the United States were being measured in Math and Science

against students from countries around the world, and the results were less than

admirable. Families were moving frequently and bringing new perspectives and a variety

of cultures, languages, and traditions into United States classrooms. Students needed

more communication skills in cross-cultural communication as the world was becoming

increasingly unified. Students were entering a global forum where international

economics was strong, but values and democratic ideals varied from nation to nation.

Teachers can be the leaders in working to develop global citizens. Zhao (2008)

showed what kind of teaching was necessary to rise to the challenge of globalization in

schools. Global competition in the world of business and economics required students to

acquire new skills and utilize talent. These new skills and the utilization of talents were

not expressed through a set of mandated standards and strict curriculum. Rather, students

must be allowed opportunities to be creative and to use their diverse talents in learning.

Zhao (2008) wrote that teachers had a very difficult position in ensuring standards were

met, but also right-brained activities and entrepreneurial ideas were cultivated in the

classroom. It is the entrepreneurial skills of United States students, however, which

would allow them to be competitive in the job market.

Zhao (2008) recommended that international testing not be a focus point for

teachers in the classroom, and that an awareness of these tests would suffice. Teachers

should be able to share some of these comparative tests with students in a way that

broadens their understandings of the competition around the world without making

negative and demining commentary about student performance. An awareness of

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international tests and the policy forum would not be enough. The teacher would be the

primary factor in student learning, and the teacher could do more than be aware of how

international testing shapes policies and decision-making at the federal and state levels.

Discussions in the classroom, and opportunities to reflect would give students an

opportunity to gauge their own learning and also look at what may be needed in order to

compete more successfully on international tests.

Culturally responsive teachers continue to be a necessity in the schools of today.

The diversity of students in US schools continues to increase, and teachers have the

responsibility to respond effectively to these changes. Zhao (2008) made it clear that

there was a need for teachers who could respond appropriately to how a child learned in

the classroom, as well as the culture, traditions, and language a child brings to the

classroom. Diverse students have a wealth of knowledge and experiences to bring to the

classroom, and teachers must appreciate these experiences and utilize them effectively in

the classroom.

For ensuring students were globally competent, Zhao (2008) strongly

recommended certain skills for teachers to obtain. These skills included knowledge and

ability in a foreign language, knowledge of world history, geography, and global systems,

and understanding and knowledge of other cultures. All of these skills were challenges

for US teachers, as Americans continued to be monolingual. Newer teacher training

programs were working to incorporate these pieces of knowledge into the training

curriculum and coursework at universities.

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 If teachers were to encourage students to become globally competent, they needed

to work to develop citizenship. According to Zhao (2010), global citizenship was more

than sensitivity to other cultures. Global citizenship required teachers to appreciate

differences between cultures and be sensitive to the needs of students within these

cultures. The goal was for competent, knowledgeable teachers who modeled global

awareness and were knowledgeable in why cultures around the world depended upon

each other.

One innovative approach to implementing the 21st Century Skills was to use the

concept of the flat earth. The work of Friedman (2007) proved closely aligned to the

intent of many educators. In Beckmann-Collier (2009), the flat world concept played out

in the curriculum of the music classroom. Four skills sets shared in the work of Friedman

took center stage in the music classroom.

The first skill set involved learning how to learn. An instructor served as a guide

to the students, and taught critical thinking skills. Through the processes of discussion

and written reflection, students learned to observe and analyze. The next skill set was

possessing passion and curiosity. Beckmann-Collier (2009) described this as good

teaching, however it was also the ability to awaken interest within students, and a drive to

explore further and to test more. This awakening effort created highly motivated, and

highly engaged students who were seeking after a furthering of knowledge. Playing well

with others was the third skill set. The ability for students to interact and collaborate with

others was a must in a flat world, and it promoted a collaborative learning environment

where students were sharing in the development of learning goals as well as strategies

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used to achieve the goals. The final skill set was making use of the right brain. Right-

brained individuals were often musicians, so music naturally fell into the category of

creative, innovative, and outside-the-box thinking. Beckmann-Collier (2009) followed up

with some examples of highly creative instructional techniques that could be used in the

music classroom. These instructional techniques allowed students to uncover the beauty

in creative expression and develop greater levels of inspiration and sensitivity.

In Jacobs (2010) the changing world of the 21st Century was discussed in terms of

school curriculum. Rather than be a proponent of any one framework, such as the

Partnership for 21st Century framework, Jacobs (2010) identified some important

considerations to do inside the classroom. Upgrading curriculum was the first step. This

upgrade was more than simply new textbooks. According to Jacobs (2010) the upgrade

was to replace existing practices.

Jacobs (2010) placed only a small value on such frameworks as the Partnership

for 21st Century. She described the partnership as effective for getting the word out about

the need for 21st Century Skills, and gave admiration that a large group of enterprises

would come together in unison to develop and support such a partnership. However, she

described it as an entity that did not give enough specificity for classrooms. She

dismissed many of the beneficial curriculum suggestions made from the Partnership,

claiming it placed little importance on the finite parts of teaching and learning.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in schools is a

curriculum movement designed specifically to support necessary 21st Century Skills. The

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eight STEM Coalition objectives include: 1. Strengthening STEM programs in K-12

schools. 2. Providing key decision makers at all levels with information and research

indicating the need for STEM programs in schools. 3. Improving upon current STEM

innovation and build professional development and resources for further STEM

programming. 4. Supporting the recruitment of innovative STEM teachers. 5. Supporting

new STEM programs that target the best and brightest of underserved students to pursue

careers in the STEM fields of study. 6. Backing the government investment in STEM

programming. 7. Playing the supportive role for communication amongst STEM

agencies. 8. Support partnerships that promote STEM

In Songer, Kelcey, and Gotwals (2009) a five-step process was described, which

was intended to create a three-year learning progression to address the higher order

thinking skills necessary for fourth and sixth grade students studying biodiversity. The

researchers began their discussion with an examination of the performance of United

States students on Science tests. Findings, both from the National Academy of Sciences

and OECD, indicated the low performance of US students.

In response to this low performance on Science tests, Songer, Kelcey, and

Gotwals (2009) reviewed how students learn complex thinking and analyzing skills, and

provided a re-definition of learning progressions. A five-step process was used to

complete the research. Step one included choosing content ideas, drawing from previous

scientific research, and scientifically testing the ideas. Step two was a translation from

finalized content ideas developed in step one to curriculum presented to students. Step

three was the development of assessments that were embedded in the learning

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progressions. Step four was an empirical evaluation of the learning profession products.

The final step, step five, was a revision of the learning progression into a three-year

program. One of the major findings from this study had to do with the way assessment

takes place. The learning progression designed assessments for biodiversity content

proved more effective than the typical standardized assessment of content. Findings

indicated these assessments provided a great deal more information on students

performance than standardized counterparts. This finding was significant as our current

measures of students success in schools is based solely upon standardized testing. What

educators could glean from studies such as this one was that complex thinking in Science

required more than standardized measurements.

Inherently Different Schools

What are the differences between the 21st Century learning school and the

traditional school? Kennedy (2011) suggested that there were currently few differences

between 21st Century learning schools and traditional schools, and, for the most part,

education institutions claiming to be 21st Century learning centers looked a great deal the

same as the educational institutions from this past century. Some schools, however,

demonstrated through a variety of ways that they were dedicated to 21st Century learning.

Three schools of note in Chicago that focused on 21st Century learning and were

physically built for the next century were Eric Solorio Academy High School, Federico

Garcia Lorca Elementary School, and Calmeca Academy of Fine Arts and Dual

Language. Eric Solorio Academy High School included science, computer, visual and

performing arts classrooms, in addition to a library, gymnasium, swimming pool, playing

28
fields, and tennis. The community was able to use these athletic facilities on the

weekends. Federico Garcia Lorca Elementary School was built with sustainable

elements, such as the combination green and reflective roof. Calmeca Academy of Fine

Arts and Dual Language boasted a dual immersion program of Spanish and English for

pre-kinder and kinder students, and a dual immersion for grades one through four in

Mandarin and English.

Additional examples of schools that focused on 21st Century skills included Kihei

Charter School in Kihei, Hawaii. At Kihei charter, the teachers used adaptive curriculum

to teach the students. Adaptive curriculum is a blended learning program where students

spend one to four days a week in regular classes and the remainder of the week they work

on virtual assignments from home (Sebit, LLC, p.1, 2010). Seattles John Stanford

International School had students taking classes in Japanese or Spanish as well as

English. All classes were focused on international concerns. At this school, students

actively applied their knowledge of foreign languages through video-conferencing with

sister countries, such as Japan and Mexico. Technology was also a major factor at John

Stanford International School and first graders began working with Powerpoint and other

internet tools. In one class at The Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Astoria,

New York, students spent the entire year examining news reports, websites, propoganda,

history books, blogs, and even pop songs to be discerning consumers of information and

focus on information literacy.

Schools focusing on the 21st Century encouraged students to think outside the

box, to learn how to problem solve in collaboration with others, and to be able to apply

29
knowledge to real life situations. Priorities for these schools included blending

technology with traditional coursework, the teaching of foreign languages from an early

age, the use of technology, and the ability to examine and analyze information. Programs

and practices at 21st Century schools varied, however there were clear departures from

traditional 20th Century learning.

International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme is an example of a program,

which promotes best practices for developing students 21st Century Skills. IB curriculum

includes Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the

Diploma Programme (DP). The three programmes work in a continuum. One core

component at the heart of the IB programme is creativity, activity, and service (CAS).

Cambridge and Simandiraki (2006) looked further at CAS in a case study

involving four schools and colleges in the United Kingdom. The study observed three

areas, the relationship between students and adults (known as intergenerational learning),

what are the learning outcomes for students in CAS, and how this learning takes place.

Findings from the case study indicated that students appreciated the opportunity to

interact and learn with adults. The case study also indicated there was a lack of common

assessment of CAS from one IB school to another.

Civic Education/Socialization

The CAS requirement for IB in many ways resembled a citizenship activity. Civic

education and positive socialization is a key component of the 21st Century Skills

framework. Law and Ng (2009) completed a case study on citizenship education in the

30
two cities of Hong Kong and Shaghai. Results from this study provided some helpful

insights into citizenship and how a framework for citizenship in the 21st Century was

developed and maintained.

Law and Ng (2009) studied three junior high schools in Shanghai and three

secondary schools in Hong Kong. The study assessed how students viewed others from a

global perspective. Data from this study was substantial and drew from over 1,400

student questionnaires and thirty-eight interviews with teachers and principals. This study

proposed a theoretical framework for the interpretation of citizenship and citizenship

skills. Results from this study showed differences in how citizenship is viewed in

schools, and how citizenship is developed and fostered in some schools and not in others.

It was also found that some factors were shared by students in both cities, while some of

the student perceptions differed greatly. The argument presented in this study was that

schools were the primary ways to socialize students. In this study, it was helpful to see

imperative evidence showing citizenship was not simply behavior amongst students, but

a more complex interaction of students and other players on many different levels.

Civic education must be expanded to include the diverse populations that are

served within the United States. Banks (2008) pointed out the challenge of forming

communities with shared values and goals in an era of globalization. He purported that

nations must rethink civic education, as the boundaries between nation-states have grown

less visible with migration. It was imperative educators teach students to develop the

necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to function in a world of diversity.

31
 Banks (2008) indicated that the gap between the democratic ideals of Western

nations and the experiences of students in schools was growing. His answer to this gap

was to implement more multicultural education components in schools. This

implementation, though seemingly necessary, was neither consistent nor tried in schools.

The concept spoke to reform in schools, but the process of reform was unclear. Banks

(2008) pushed for different ethnic groups to maintain close ties to their own countries

pushes up against the idea of nationalism, a strong American way of teaching and

behaving. This push was a necessity as the United States encouraged a global economy

and global awareness. He suggested that students should learn to develop an urgency to

take action, and help solve critical problems of the world; this problem solving would be

merited. Global citizens see the world around them as dynamic, and a place of

opportunity for working together to address difficult world challenges. Banks (2008)

stated in the research that there was the need for students to participate and to encourage

others to work to enhance their communities through social justice.

The connection between Globalization and Philosophy of education are

controversial. In Watras (2010), the work of education philosophers John Dewey and

William Torrey Harris were examined with relation to the concept of globalization.

Harris focused on social institutions, the advancement of human rights, and a democracy

for all people during his career as a renowned educator and philosopher of education. He

observed what he termed the self-activity of individuals. Self-activity could be defined

as everything functioning in a larger system, and each one of those things working in

unison towards a larger, grander being. Dewey differed from Harris with regard to the

32
aspects of the nature of thinking and the source of development. Watras (2010) described

the shift to globalization dangerous without really following through with why it was

dangerous. This lack of follow through left the reader with a well-written reflective essay

on how Harris and Dewey viewed the development of learning and children.

21st Century Organizations and Frameworks

The teaching of 21st Century Skills are necessary according to several

organizations, including the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, OECD, ASIA Society,

ISTE, CCSSO, CSSR, The American Forum for Global Education, and the UNDP. These

organizations advocate for 21st Century Skills for a variety of reasons. The framework for

this case study on a school that demonstrates 21st Century Skills will be the framework

from the Partnership for the 21st Century.

Dede (2009) examined in a helpful manner three frameworks for 21st Century

Learning. One of those frameworks was the 21st Century Partnership framework used for

this study. This framework, assembled by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, was

the most widely sited and adopted framework in education.

Gaps and Barriers

Barriers exist in schools that deter efforts to fully implement 21st Century Skills.

One of the barriers to implementation of 21st Century Skills is what is referred to as the

digital divide. This gap was found often in schools where students are of low socio-

economic status. This gap proved to be a barrier for successful implementation of

technology, a key aspect for 21st Century learning.

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 Along with the digital divide, the standardized testing of students proved an

additional barrier to creative thought and innovation. The federal NCLB legislation and

the mandate of standardized testing formed an organizational barrier.

The digital divide resulted from a combination of factors. Classroom teachers

lacked both the expertise and the comfort level necessary to fully implement technology

throughout the classroom curriculum. Swain and Pearson (2001) looked at the digital

divide and gave recommendations for how teachers could address the divide.

Recommendations for teachers included carefully viewing how computers were used in

instruction. If computers were used to word process or to look up information, these uses

were not sufficient to fully address the growth of students around technology. Teachers

also examined how certain software was used in the classroom. The software example

from Swain and Pearson (2001) was Accelerated Reader (AR). It was not enough for

instructors to use one program. Additional programs needed to be utilized in the

classroom.

Another study completed in Florida closely examined the digital divide with

relation to students socio-economic status (SES). Factors included in Hohlfeld,

Ritzhaupt, Barron, and Kemker (2008) were: Software access on student computers;

Technology support structure; Teacher use of software; Teacher use of administrative

technology. The significant results from this study, related to SES factors, found that

there were differences between students use of computers according to SES. Students

attending low SES schools used content delivery software, while students attending high

SES schools used production software. Implications were shared by the researchers, such

34
as the computer access issues high SES students have at home. Not proven, these

implications would be interesting for future research and certainly could impact what

students have greater access to technology, and thus to learning those important aspects

of 21st Century Skills. An additional implication of the research was that teachers in low

SES schools feel comfortable integrating the basic content delivery software, however

they lacked the knowledge necessary to implement the production software.

The barrier to full implementation of 21st Century Skills in schools was attributed

to the digital divide, but also to the federal mandates of standardized testing due to

NCLB. Schoen and Fusarelli (2008) explored the impact of NCLB on leading schools

into the 21st Century. The findings were stark if changes were not made to current NCLB

legislation. Due to NCLB and 21st Century Skills becoming both reform movements,

Shoen and Fusarelli (2008) provided an excellent comparative chart between the two

reform efforts. The differences in the reforms include: Aims of education. Driving forces.

Assumptions of educators. Locus of control over change. The type of accountability

stressed. Implications of teachers. Curricular implications and reactions. Affiliated

methods and materials. Advantages for students. Disadvantages for students. Societal

benefits. Drawbacks for society. Measures of success. As schools focused on students,

the drawbacks of students in the NCLB reform were intense. Students lacked interest and

had trouble retaining information, as well as lacked analytic skills and creativity. The

research really questioned whether or not the high-stakes, fear-ridden testing of NCLB

could exist with the creative, innovative, forward thinking of 21st Century Skills. Schoen

and Fusarelli (2008) proposed a two-pronged approach where both NCLB (the

35
standardization movement) and 21st Century Skills (a movement of globalization) are

fused in schools.

The central focus of a school must be 21st Century Skills if schools are going to

effectively address the problem of 21st Century learning. The partnership for 21st Century

Skills provides a framework for understanding what skills were necessary for students.

Economics, civics, and concern over the welfare of the world are all reasons why

students must be prepared for a new century of learning. This study will help to define

how a school draws upon 21st Century Skills in a way where students are focused on the

future. A global society is inevitable, and there are certain understandings that

accompany this inevitable globalization. The economy is a global economy and there

continue to be demands placed on students to communicate effectively with other

cultures.

The literature showed that current school practices and programs must include

more 21st Century skills. Not only are CEOS of businesses finding students unprepared

for the world of business, but also educators are finding schools to be institutions of the

past where learning is not changing with the times. The world needs prepared consumers

and communicators who are entrepreneurs and innovators. As Wagner (2008), Friendman

(2005), and Jacobs (2010) pointed out, the world of the 21st Century was no longer a

world of only reading, writing, and arithmetic. The current 21st Century is a world

of communication in real time, and learning through the use of technology. It is a world

where the global trend or devastation in one country impacts many other countries. This

36
case study on the 21st Century programs and practices at one school will add to the

current literature by bringing forth possible best practices.

37
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

Research supporting the need for 21st Century Schools shows that US students are

failing to compete with international peers on benchmark tests, such as the Programme

for International Student Assessment (PISA). In addition, the literature indicates that US

students lack the necessary skills to compete in the international marketplace. One of the

chief concerns of proponents of 21st Century skills is that the required state tests across

the US, which are intended to measure student academic achievement, are flawed and

negatively impact the ability for students to explore areas of interest, to think critically

about current issues, and to problem solve using creativity and innovation.

There are several schools, however, that are working to prepare their students for

success in a global, 21st Century world where students think critically, explore problems

creatively, and serve as exemplary citizens. The purpose of this study is to identify the

programs and practices that promote the acquisition of 21st Century Skills at a school that

is working to promote these skills.

Chapter three of this case study is intended to provide the research methodology.

This qualitative case study on 21st Century Skills is one case study of nine developed by a

team of researchers at the University of Southern California. The following pieces of the

methodology are described in this chapter: how the study was developed from its

inception, how the research design for the study appears, what the school population for

the study is, the sampling for this study, what instrumentation was used to gather data,

38
how the data collection took place, and what data analysis procedures are used.

Methodology for this case study was determined according to the research questions and

problem statement. In this study, the researcher looked at identifying the programs and

practices that promote the acquisition of 21st Century Skills at one school site.

Research Development

The development of this case study began as a collaborative team effort. A team

of 9 doctoral students started to develop this case study at the end of 2010. This group

continued to meet throughout 2011 and the first part of 2012.

Initial meetings included the perusal and preparation of the literature review.

These doctoral students worked to uncover important literature on 21st Century Skills and

learning. As 21st Century Learning is a broad concept and highly debated in the fields of

business, education, economics, and politics, the available literature was extensive.

Though findings in the research literature suggested the importance of 21st Century

Skills, there was a great variance in between the definitions and understandings of what

21st Century Skills included. In addition, though there was clear evidence stating the

importance of 21st Century Skills in the research, there was little evidence of an agreed

upon way of identifying, observing, and defining these skills.

Additionally, the research pointed at how poorly United States students

performed in comparison to other nations on international benchmarking tests like PISA,

and stressed the importance of teaching and learning for the future. The amount of

literature in support of 21st Century Skills, the evidence that United States students are

39
not well-prepared to compete in a global economy, and the lack of an agreed upon way of

addressing 21st Century Skills, led to the development of the research problem.

For two sessions, these doctoral students worked to articulate what the problem

for the study was. Due to the lack of consensus in the literature on how to clearly define

what 21st Century Skills were, the students spent several hours discussing possible

problems for the study. The discussion amongst the small number of nine doctoral

students showed how great the challenges are in defining what 21st Century Learning

means and identifying and implementing possible programs and practices at a school.

Eventually the group identified the problem for the study.

The investigators used the research problem to locate a fitting framework for the

study. They found the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004) to have the most

compelling framework, because it supports core subjects and also infuses 21st Century

themes into schools at the classroom level and beyond.

Framework

Based upon the literature, the team of 9 doctoral candidates chose to use the

current framework from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The Partnership for 21st

Century Learning addressed key factors for 21st Century learners from a global

perspective. Key factors in determining whether or not students are 21st Century Learners

are presented by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. These key factors combined are

known as the framework for 21st Century Skills.

40
Figure 1: Framework

This 21st Century Learning framework (P21) was designed to assist practicing

educators with integrating necessary skills for the 21st Century into core knowledge

instruction. It was intended that this framework be combined and integrated with the

current, necessary systems of support at schools, such as standards, assessments,

curriculum and instruction, professional development, and learning environment.

As a result, at the center of the P21 framework were the core subjects and 21st

Century themes. Core subjects included English, world languages, math, science, arts,

economics, geography, history, government, and civics, and 21st Century themes were

global awareness, financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy, civic

literacy, health literacy, and environmental literacy. Surrounding the core subjects and

21st Century themes, were three preparation areas for the 21st Century, life and career

skills, learning and innovation skills, and information, media, and technology skills.

Radiating out from all of this are school practices and important programs, which include

41
standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and

learning environment. See framework model above.

Research Problem

The development of the research problem was the result of findings from the

literature that showed performance of United States students is poorer than their

counterparts in other countries, the importance of 21st Century Skills in business and

economic enterprises, as well as findings that little consistency exists with defining and

articulating the what and how of 21st Century Skills in schools.

As a result, the problem statement addresses the both the importance of 21st

Century Skills as well as the search for factors, which define 21st Century Skills. The

resulting problem statement designed by the team of researchers was: Currently, the

United States compares unfavorably to other industrialized nations on academic

benchmarks. As the world becomes more interconnected, the skills and knowledge that

students need to succeed as global citizens has changed. Some schools have responded by

embracing globalization. However, it is unclear what programs and practices they are

implementing.

Research Questions

In subsequent sessions, the research team reviewed the P21 framework, and

worked to hone the three research questions, as well as develop data gathering tools for

the case study. Research questions aimed at providing descriptive information about what

happened at the school were used to provide detailed information about the programs and

practices observed at the middle school of the study. A dissertation team that met over

42
the course of one year developed the research questions. The team collected research on

the factors that determine 21st Century skills in schools. The study specifically focused on

answering the following questions:

1. What are the practices and programs at the school and how are these programs

and practices aligned with 21st Century Skills?

2. What is the professional community of the school, and how does this professional

community support the programs and practices of the school?

3. What is the perceived impact of 21st Century Skills on the culture of the school?

Interview questions one and two were two-part questions. The reason behind this

combination of questions was to allow for the gathering of more detailed, rich, and thick

description. Rather than just ask what the programs and practices are at the school, the

investigator wanted to delve further into how these programs and practices supported the

21st Century Skills. In addition, since the framework for 21st Century Skills was used in

this study as the primary framework, the question regarding programs and practices

allowed the investigator to provide findings, which could be traced back to alignment

with this framework. Interviewees from the school site included six teachers, one

administrator, and the IB coordinator.

Research Design

The study used a qualitative case study design. In order to capture the programs

and practices that align with 21st Century Skills at a school, the qualitative research

design chosen was a case study. In Gall, Gall, and Borg (2003), a case study is developed

and completed in order to illuminate a particular phenomenon. Programs and practices

43
that demonstrate 21st Century Skills in schools was the phenomenon researched in this

study. Two focuses of case study research were particularly relevant to this study. Gall,

Gall, and Borg (2003) described the first focus as the purpose to produce detailed

descriptions of a phenomenon, and the second, to develop possible explanations of it.

Population and Sample

In determining a study population, Creswell (2008) suggests investigators

intentionally choose the individuals and sites to study. This intentionality allows the

investigator to focus on developing an understanding of the central phenomenon. The

central phenomenon for this case study appears in the purpose of the study, programs and

practices that promote 21st Century Learning. In addition, Creswell (2008) explains that a

researcher identifies a particular site for a case study because it is information rich.

Along with identifying a particular research site, purposeful sampling took place

regarding who participated in this case study. Patton (2002) describes purposeful

sampling as a theme for qualitative inquiry that allows for illuminative insight into a

phenomenon. The study examined the programs and practices that JG Middle School

uses with students to ensure they are prepared for the 21st Century. In this case study, the

investigator used three criteria to determine the school site where the case study took

place.

JG Middle School was chosen with the following selection criteria: California

Schools Academic Performance Index (API); California similar schools comparison;

school mission statement. The school needed an API of 800 or above to qualify for this

case study. The 2010 API growth for JG Middle School was 839. The 2011 API was 850.

44
In the criteria for California similar schools, the school needed to be ranked 7 or higher.

JG Middle School is ranked 8 in the similar schools ranking. Similar schools ranking is a

used in California to look at the academic performance of school with similar

demographics. This ranking was designed by the state for two reasons. According to the

California Department of Education (2007), similar school rankings allow for similar

schools to compare their performance to counterpart schools with similar challenges. In

addition, the similar schools allows for benchmarking evaluation where schools can learn

from similar counterpart schools with higher academic performance.

The student body demographics at JG Middle School are diverse. Out of 1273

students in grades five through eight, approximately 55% of the student population is

Hispanic or Latino, 38% is Caucasian, 3% is Black or African American, 2% is Asian,

and the remaining 2% is American Indian and other. JG Middle School is located in a

city with a population of 83,000. 77% of the residents are Hispanic or Latino, 18% are

Caucasian, 1.7% are African American, 1.7% are Asian, and the remaining percent

identify as other. The median household income is $53,000 and the median price of

homes is $174,000.

Finally, in order to determine whether or not JG Middle School manifested and

exhibited at least one of the P21 themes, the researcher compared the school mission

statement with the P21 framework. The mission statement for JG Middle School was

compared to the 21st Century skills presented in the P21 framework.

Learning and innovation skills, information, media, and technology skills, and life

and career skills were compared side-by-side with the mission statement for JG Middle

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School. Findings indicated that information, media, and technology skills, as well as life

and career skills were articulated in the mission of the school. According to the mission

statement from the school website, students discover and construct meaning from

information and experiences, which aligns to the information, media, and technology

skills in the P21. Additionally, students at John Glenn learn the importance of community

and learn how to appreciate cultural diversity. This importance of community and

appreciation for cultural diversity aligns with the life and career skills in P21. Addition

alignment between the school mission statement and P21 include encouraging

opportunities for student choice, self-direction, and responsibility at the school. See

mission statement in appendix.

Instrumentation

Multiple forms of data were used to achieve hetero-triangulation. Patton (2002)

writes that triangulation is ideal in qualitative studies. In this study, the investigator

employed methodological triangulation, or multiple methods to study the problem, in

order to validate the results of the study.

This study used the following forms of multiple data: observations, surveys,

interviews, and document analysis. The research instruments were developed by the

parallel dissertation team, and were supported by findings in the current research

literature. Additionally, the instruments were created in direct alignment with the

research questions for the study. In keeping with the goal of data triangulation, research

instruments were designed to support confirmation of the findings. However, they were

developed to obtain different information and limit redundancy.

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 The observation instrument was designed to observe visible goals of the school,

instructional strategies, extra-curricular activities offerings, available resources,

professional development, and the culture and climate of the school. See appendix A. In

order to organize the observation data, the investigator used the Bolman and Deals

(2008) four frames, political, structural, human resource, and symbolic. This framework

allowed for both organization and analysis of findings from the observation instrument.

Along with the observation instruments, a survey instrument was developed

around the study research questions and the P21 framework. See appendix B. The survey

instrument included twenty-eight items. For each item, there were four possible

responses, never, sometimes, most of the time, and always. Items in the survey were

organized under the headings of instruction and pedagogy, professional community, and

culture/life of the school. Surveys were administered at a school site staff meeting.

In addition to the observation and survey tool, an interview instruments was

included for purposes of triangulation. See appendix C. Interview questions were

compiled with the research questions as the focal point. Under the research questions

there were sub-questions organized according to curriculum, leadership, collaboration,

and teacher, student, and community values and beliefs.

Along with the sub-questions there were additional reference point questions to

prompt the interviewee, if necessary, during the interview session. A guide list of the P21

themes accompanied the semi-structured interview questions for purposes of clarification

and to set the stage for a meaningful interview. See appendix D. The investigator found

one of the primary limitations to this case study was concerning his interviewing

47
experiences prior to the interview sessions. For the investigator, this was the first

interview conducted for formal research purposes.

Data Collection

Data collection took place at the school site over a period of 6 days. Observations

took place over a period of two days. One of these days included a department

professional development session. Another day included the observation of a school site

council meeting. Interviews were conducted with three teachers, the principal, a data

specialist, and a counselor at the school. The document analysis took place prior to the

school visit and the investigator reviewed further documents online. Survey results were

tallied and findings were shared in chapter 4.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS

The following chapter is designed to report the findings from a study of 21st

century programs and practices at a middle school. Data from interviews, observations,

review of documents, and a survey are provided and analyzed. The purpose of the study

is to identify the programs and practices that promote acquisition of 21st century skills at

a school.

To identify these programs and practices, the researcher used the framework for

21st century learning from Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

Figure 1: Framework

This framework is a combination of expected student outcomes, which includes

life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, information, media, and technology

skills, and systems to support student learning, the standards and assessments, curriculum

and instruction, professional development, and learning environments. At the center of

this framework are the core subject areas, which are English, Reading or Language Arts,

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World Languages, Arts, Mathematics, Economics, Science, Geography, History, and

Government and Civics. Along with these core subject areas are the 21st Century Themes

of global awareness, financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy, civic

literacy, health literacy, and environmental literacy. This framework provided a primary

lens, with which to view this school.

Research questions that guided this 21st century skills study were:

Research Questions

1. What are the practices and programs at the school and how are these programs

and practices aligned with 21st century skills?

2. What is the professional community at the school, and how does it support

these practices?

3. What is the perceived impact of 21st century skills on the culture of the

school?

The researcher used a qualitative study design for this study, and included data

from observations, interviews, review of documents, and a survey. Data was gathered

from observations of the researcher during student intervention sessions, classroom

instruction, including Art, French, English/Language Arts, Math, and Science, passing

periods, the lunch hour, parent meetings, and teacher professional development. These

observations included many aspects of the classroom, such as the seating arrangement,

student engagement, curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment.

In addition to completing observations, there were six 30-45 minutes interviews

in the study. The interviewees included two administrators, three teachers, and a

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counselor. All interviewees voluntarily provided information for the study. Each

interview was transcribed and segments of each were initially labeled according to

research questions. Following the initial labels, secondary labels were chosen according

to the identified themes of Global Curriculum, Alternative Assessments, Intensive

Intervention, Constant and Purposeful Use of Data, Professional Development, Shared

Leadership, Community Involvement, and Student Perceptions.

Along with the observations and interviews, surveys were included for the

purposes of triangulation. The return rate of the surveys was 76%. The survey statements

were then numbered under each research question, survey respondents were tallied

according to the categories of Never, Sometimes, Most of the Time, and Always. The

average of respondents for each category was then calculated. See appendix A for full

survey results.

Data for this study was collected over a period of months during fall semester

2010. In order to triangulate the data, the researcher used the observations, interviews,

and the survey, along with a review of school documents. The result was the

establishment of common themes dedicated to 21st century learning at this middle school.

School Description

JG school parking lot was lined with full-grown palm trees, perfectly manicured

lawns, and a huge mural of the school mascot with the slogan, Ready, Respectful, and

Reach Out, across the face of the school. In addition, there were several others murals,

standing for some of the schools programs and accomplishments. These included AVID

National Demonstration School, California Distinguished School, International

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Baccalaureate World School, and Schools to Watch. JG school was located in one of the

poorest cities in the valley, but it bordered one of the wealthiest.

Upon entering the front office, to the left, was a trophy case filled with a variety

of accolades praising the school for academic achievements. This showcase was graced

by the face of the President of the United States on the Federal Schools to Watch plaque.

Alongside this plaque, was the California Distinguished School award with words from

the California Superintendent of Instruction. Well-organized, and full of efficient looking

individuals, the front office appeared like something out of a Fortune 500 Company

office. Individuals were completing tasks, asking each other questions in a quiet tone, and

conferring with students. Bolman and Deal (2008) human resource frame proved helpful

as I made some of my initial observations of JG school.

A woman greeted me in a welcoming manner as I entered the foyer of the main

office. Immediately, upon hearing of my arrival, the principal walked out of his office,

hand-outstretched with a big smile. Meeting him for the first time, I was impressed by his

openness. He immediately thanked me for showing interest in his school and shared with

me that he looked forward to reading my completed dissertation.

The first part of my visit was a full campus tour. I could only wonder and

speculate on whether or not the principal had anything else to do but give me a tour; he

seemed relaxed and appeared to have made my visit a priority. Upon exiting the front

office, we stepped into a massive quad area with beautiful grass, which he proceeded to

inform me the students had seeded as a project for the environment. I scanned the

classroom doors that surrounded the quad, and I couldnt help but notice the colorful

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paintings on each door. Upon closer examination, each door was dedicated to a certain

country. I saw Israel, Argentina, Canada, and many others. When I asked about the doors,

the principal shared that students created designs together in groups and that there was a

submission process. These school doors were stunning and explained so much about

other countries around the world.

Demographics

A newer school, opened since 2001, JG school was a high-performing school with

an Academic Performance Index (API) of 839 in 2010, and an API of 850 in 201l. The

principal shared this high-performance during his interview, when he said, You know

what, we look very good out on the soccer field. He clarified this statement later on in

the interview when he shared that most of the conversations between parents and others

in the community took place outside of a school, not just on the soccer field, but the

baseball field, cub scouts, and other community activities and events.

This principal was serving his fifth year as principal. In its inception, JG school

strove to fully implement smaller learning communities where teachers worked in cross-

curricular teams, with a certain group of shared students. Over time, that concept of

smaller learning communities and cross-curricular teams changed. As one instructor

shared in an interview, JG school is now made up of Professional Learning

Communities organized by department, and I miss some of that cross-curricular time.

Students at JG school were diverse. According to the 2009-2010 School

Accountability Report Card for JG school, there were 1273 students attending the school.

11% of these students were receiving Special Education services. Another 7% of the

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students were designated as English Language Learners. Although, JG school was not

identified as Title I, 44% of the students qualified for the federal free and reduced lunch

program. Students were also ethnically diverse at JG school. 2% of the students identified

as African-American, 1% as American-Indian/Alaska Native, 2% as Asian, 1% as

Filipino, 1% as Pacific Islander, 55% as Hispanic/Latino, and 38% identified as

Caucasian.

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme

Research question one specifically addressed the practices and programs at JG

school and how these practices and programs aligned to 21st Century Skills. At JG

school, the cornerstone program for academics, as well as many social aspects was the

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP). IBMYP was a program

within International Baccalaureate (IB). The IBMYP mission was designed for students

to make connections to the world around them and to develop a sense of belonging in a

world that was becoming more and more connected. In addition, it encouraged students

to have a positive attitude about learning. In the IB framework, there were eight academic

areas surrounded by the five areas of interaction.

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Figure 2: International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme

IB students were required to take units in all eight academic areas. At JG school,

the Languages offered for the Language B requirement were French and Spanish.

Administrator, teacher, and counselor responded to the interview questions result in

common and frequent referencing to IB. The data from the interviews, as well as the

observations, several documents, and the survey indicated that IB was infused in the

fabric of the schools programs and practices. The interviews provided several insights

concerning classroom curriculum, instruction, and assessment, as well as how IB

manifested itself in other activities.

Research Question 1-What are the programs and practices at the school and how

are these programs and practices aligned to 21st century skills?

Global Curriculum

One of the findings from this study was that the IB curriculum was the standard

21st Century curriculum for JG school. For JG school, IB curriculum was the central

curriculum. As Wagner (2008) shared in his The Global Achievement Gap, the IB
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courses were excellent examples of what 21st Century learning included. Critical thinking

was one of those skills aligned to 21st Century Learning. The P21 Framework included

learning and innovation skills, otherwise known as the four Cs of critical thinking,

communication, collaboration, and creativity, as student outcomes.

The interviews from this study illuminated the great commitment of teachers to

creating IB units for student learning. During the interview with the principal, the

principal pointed out that for some teachers every unit they planned was an IB unit. In the

case of the other instructors at JG school, there were bits and pieces of an IB unit.

Sharing additional insights around IB, the principal commended the effort

teachers made and the constant reflection and revision efforts of the staff. He did share,

however, that there was some discontent about the amount of effort necessary for

revision of classroom lesson plan, and the assemblage of units in order to be considered

an IB unit.

The curriculum base is definitely our IB program and we create units of study

through our MYP planners. The critical piece is that what is taught is all about relevance.

Its about taking your IB unit of study and creating relevance for that student, and whether

it is Math, Social Studies, or Humanities/Language Arts, it is for the real world. Then, it

becomes making those global connections, and sharing it through multiple perspectives.

If students are learning something specific in history, for example, looking at the civil

war of the United States and slavery, the questions become where and how does that

impact us today? What slavery still exists in the United States today? What slavery exists

in other countries today? A teacher has to establish a significant concept, and this

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significant concept the instructor is teaching that he wants his kids to know twenty years

from now. Teachers always want to target it specifically to the curriculum and how well

do you, the student, know the math curriculum. A teacher has to step outside of that

approach, and ask the question how does it connect to the bigger picture in the world? In

Math, for instance, instead of being specific about algebraic equations, the concept is

how do systems in our lives support structure, or something like that?

When asked in the interviews about the programs and practices at JG school that

aligned to 21st century learning, the teachers, the counselor, and the data specialist had

additional words to share about the IB program, clearly pointing out that it made JG

school a 21st Century school. One teacher responded that JG school was a difficult place

to work, but challenging in a good way. As a teacher, you had to be changing your

lessons and instruction on a regular basis depending on whether or not your lesson met

IB standards as well as meeting the needs of the students.

In addition, the teacher reported that the creation of IB units was an incredible

challenge compared to a regular California standards-based unit of instruction. As a

teacher, you had to decide what the overarching concept of your unit was and decide

what students really should know in ten or twenty years. Across the staff, teachers were

reflecting upon their curriculum and instruction and adjusting their curriculum when

necessary. 46% of the teachers responding to the survey indicated that they never or only

sometimes used the adopted curriculum. The IB curriculum went far outside of the

standards-based curriculum and addressed learning from a global perspective.

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 An important addition to this finding about using IB curriculum was how JG

school focused on globalization in the IB curriculum. Zhao (2008) pointed out that

teachers must be knowledgeable and be models for global awareness, which included

knowledge and ability in a foreign language, knowledge of world history, geography, and

global systems. One teacher shared how much she appreciated the approach JG school

used with globalization. In a lesson in Language Arts class, for example, the students

might first apply what they were learning in the lesson to an issue or concern in their

local community, then to the surrounding state, and even on to other countries. When the

interviewer asked whether or not this local to global approach was used in other

classrooms, this instructor responded that this was the difficulty. It took teachers who

were willing to challenge themselves on a regular basis. Both this instructor and the

principal shared that though JG school teachers were working towards quality IB units

for every unit of instruction, some teachers found the creation and implementation of

these units more challenging than others and they voiced concerns and lodged

complaints.

Survey results echoed this teachers appreciation for addressing learning from a

global perspective when 100% of the teaching staff responded that they included global

issues in their classroom instruction, either sometimes, most of the time, or always.

Along with including global instruction in the classroom, the survey findings showed that

60% of the respondents exposed students to different cultures, languages, and

experiences in classroom instruction.

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 One classroom observation in English/Language Arts grade 8 included a strong

connections piece. Students completed a literary analysis journal entry after reading

Sandra Cisneros novel The House on Mango Street. The expectations for the assignment

included reflection writings where students responded by making text to self, text to

text, and text to world connections. The instructor worked with the students to

develop clear, intentional connections to local and global community.

Additional findings from an observation in an Algebra class grade 8, where the

students were graphing inequalities, again showed a teacher deliberately working with

students to expand their knowledge from a local perspective, their school and their

classroom, to a global perspective, the world of business.

Students were asked to articulate questions about inequalities; for example,

students are asked why they needed to learn this Math concept. The teacher explained

that in a business situation, Im making this certain product, and it costs this much

money to produce it. It starts to narrow down where you can operate as a business owner

to make a profit. This explanation brought it into the world of business and economics,

and many students got it at the same exact moment, and replied in unison, I get it.

This real-world approach to solving problems allowed for students to connect

their learning to the real-world experience. The instruction technique, also known as

problem-based instruction was a common occurrence at JG school. 100% of the teachers

responding to the survey indicated that they utilized problem-based instruction

sometimes, most of the time, or always.

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 In addition to evidence of instructors working to expand the horizons of students

from a local level to a global level, the counselor remarked on the quality of the

curriculum and how much of it was at the fore-front of higher order thinking. From the

perspective of the counseling department, the IB program provided students with quality

learning not found in non-IB schools. The counselor drew her comparison from her own

previous experiences as a teacher and counselor at other schools, and her daughters

experience at an IB elementary school. Students were taught to think, and much of that

had to do with the IB program. The schools mottos for the classroom was, Thought is

taught. There was such a large focus on students learning to think rather than just

completing assignments.

IB instructors were trained to ask their student to analyze with a critical eye and

examine, as well as produce innovative projects. The counselor mentioned the robotics

program club as well as a current partnership with the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

Raleigh studios will partner with JG school technology instructors to teach students how

to produce their own Public Service Announcements (PSAs). One of the eight academic

areas, which made up the IB program, the technology projects, students were producing

with technology, was impressive from robotics to animation.

Alternative Assessments

Informal classroom assessments, like checking for understanding techniques,

were used a great deal at JG school. In a French class, a Smart Board projection of a

house with furniture and other items allowed for the teacher to intermittently throughout

the lesson, ask students to come up to the screen and identify vocabulary terms in French.

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In a Freshman Life Science class, the teacher had groups of six, and within those groups,

pairs were working together to quiz each other on Kingdom, Phylum, and Class in

Biology. In Math course, the instructor asked the student to use responders after a

practice problem was projected on the ELMO. These informal assessments were regular

and ongoing in classes. Whether the students were responding with a thumbs-up, or using

the technique of ticket out the door, it was a clear finding that informal assessments

were continuous and ongoing for students. According to P21 framework, this system of

assessments was a support mechanism along with standards.

A finding with regard to formal assessment was eye-opening and reflected what

Shoen and Fusarelli (2008) explored regarding the impact of No Child Left Behind

(NCLB) on schools focused on 21st Century learning. Several of the interviewees shared

that there was disconnect between the California State Tests, a part of the state

requirements for measuring the Federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and the IB

assessments.

Schoen and Fusarelli (2008) pointed out that there was research that really

questioned whether or not the high-stakes, fear-ridden NCLB regime could exist

alongside the creativity and innovation necessary for 21st Century Learning. They did

propose in their research a fusing of both NCLB testing, the standardized testing

movement, and 21ste Century Learning, the global approach. This fusing was portrayed

in P21, as standards for the content areas, which supported the student outcomes. In

interviews, the interviewees shared how disconnected state standards and assessment

could be from the IB curriculum.

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 California state standards, good standards, but in terms of meshing them with our

IB philosophy, at times it is a nice, easy fix, and at other times we have to be a little more

creative. You want kids to become lifelong learners, you want to inspire them and, yeah,

there are standards, and we need to meet AYP and all that stuff, but can you do both,

absolutely. The fortunate thing is that we are a high performing school, an API of 850,

and we continue to make gains, we continue to do really well, and we are provided some

freedoms because we continue to do well. Do we have to work hard and play the game?

Absolutely, the bottom line is that it may be a game, but if there is a subgroup we arent

meeting, and everybody else is doing really well; we are leaving that student behind.

The interviewees shared that with the assessment piece, it was really difficult to

have a multiple-choice test as an IB assessment. What the assessment needed for an IB

unit was extensive writing, or it needed to be project based, because students had to

demonstrate and show mastery of concepts, it was hard to do that on a multiple choice

test. The thinking and the ideas behind writing or project-based assessments were broader

than multiple-choice assessments.

Advancement Via Individual Determination

In addition to speaking a great deal about the JG school IB programme, the

counselor mentioned how well the IB program and the Advancement Via Individual

Determination (AVID) program worked together on campus. Though not specifically

designed around the premise of 21st Century Learning, AVID founder intended for the

program to be on the cutting edge of education strategies, so that students would be

successful as they faced the challenges of the future in a democratic society.

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 Listening to founder Catherine Swanson at an AVID professional development

session this past September in San Bernardino, she couldnt stop talking about students

understanding how they fit into the world around them and how they would need to learn

strategies to face the challenges as a global, not a local, society. The upcoming AVID

National Conference will focus on 21st Century Programs and Learning. AVID was a

schoolwide program at JG school. Not all classes were AVID, and not all students were

enrolled in AVID, however several curricular practices from AVID were used across all

the content areas. Two of those commonly observed strategies included Cornell notes and

Socratic seminars.

In another interview, the Facilitator/Data Specialist responded to how AVID

complements IB. She shared that AVID complemented the IB programme, because it had

students using strategies to access those higher order-thinking skills. In addition, students

learned those writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading (WICR) strategies necessary to

dig beneath the surface learning and look at the larger concept, and the more global

potential for what was learnt.

In the past, the AVID program at JG school was a nationally recognized. Due to

an unfortunate, unforeseen medical leave of the AVID coordinator, the school lost that

status, however, as the principal shared in his interview, regaining that status was a

school goal.

Intensive Intervention

The intervention programs at JG school appeared to be at odds to the IB program.

These two necessary programs addressed the needs of all students, however, through the

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interviews, it became clear that IB wasnt for everyone. Being that the IB curriculum was

considered a school wide curriculum at JG school, this finding brought into question

whether or not a 21st Century School needed to be an IB school or not.

When asked whether or not IB served all students, the Facilitator/Data Specialist

responds with, I dont think all students are IB students, and thats fine. The principal

also responded candidly in the interview about how the true IB curriculum wasnt a part

of students academic lives who were targeted and placed in intervention classes because

of performance.

Where we dont use the IB curriculum and units are in our intervention classes.

Those intervention classes are programs you must teach with fidelity; we still try to

integrate pieces of IB, like there is the IB learner profile attributes, risk taker, your

principled, your caring, those types of things, so we try to incorporate some of the IB.

Our interventions, for the most part, our language arts or our math, that type of stuff, we

dont create IB unit plans; we try to incorporate the little pieces of IB. Every kid that

walks in the door, for the most part, will have the eight subject areas unless they are in

intervention.

Little research on 21st Century Learning in schools addressed the need for strong

intervention programs. The finding at JG school of a strong intervention program was

critical to this schools 21st Century Learning Program. Two school-based programs for

intervention existed at JG school. In addition, there were two additional programs, which

were intervention programs for Reading and Math. All of these programs were designed

to facilitate and meet the needs of all students academically and behaviorally.

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 Both intervention programs had been created and fine-tuned by staff at JG school.

The Facilitator/Data Specialist described these programs as programs that were meeting

the needs of students when she stated that at JG school, We approach each child, every

single one, from multiple vantage points. Not only do we view the student from an

academic angle, but we also see the individual child from social and behavioral angles as

well.

Academic and Curriculum Enhancement for Students

The Academic and Curriculum Enhancement for Students (ACES) intervention

program at the school was a combination of using data-driven, decision making to

establish students in need of additional assistance and offering effective programming on

a daily basis. Every three weeks at JG school, administrators and the counselor met with

the different content area departments on campus to review student performance data, as

well as attendance and behavior data. Following the review of data, decisions were made

regarding the needs of each student, both the academic and socio-emotional needs.

This review of the data for each struggling student was just the beginning of this

program. According to the Facilitator/Data Specialist, this program allowed for teachers

and other school staff to view each student, and not leave anyone out. It was noted by

both of the administrators that certain departments, English/Language Arts and Math,

were the first departments to meet every three weeks to discuss placement of the

students. JG school insisted these departments met first to look at individual students as

the Federal Accountability System for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was focused

primarily on achievement in English/Language Arts and Math.

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 Teachers, the counselor, the Facilitator/Data Specialist believed in the ACES

program as they saw data showing that many students individual needs had been met.

Essentially, not only were the academic needs the focus in these tri-weekly meetings, but

also the meetings allowed for the teams to collaborate on how to address attendance and

welfare issues. All of these discussions occurred as a collaborative group.

All Student Academic Prep

The student data then drove the teams decision regarding the daily forty-minute

period of time where students attended one or more intervention classes, enrichment

classes, or study hall. During the teacher interviews, across the board, teachers

appreciated this time because it allowed both struggling students to work on a one-on-one

basis with a teacher, as well as higher achieving student to choose a favorite interest or a

hobby area, such as computers, and attend a computer class. No students were left out of

this program.

Much of that teacher time every day was spent developing IB units of study and

addressing student data from previous units, so changes could be made in the future or re-

teaching could take place. The teachers in the interviews were passionate about the

difference this additional time made on instruction in the classroom, and ultimately

student achievement. This time was valuable time to share what strategies work and what

strategies needed revisited. Though English/Language Arts and Math were priority

departments and received an additional preparation time each day, the other departments

spent time meeting on early release Tuesday. Every Tuesday at JG school, the days were

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early release days. More often than not, the second half of these days was organized

around departments and addressing student data.

Research Question 2-What is the professional community at the school and how

does it support these practices?

Constant and Purposeful Use of Data

Professional development was organized around the needs of students and

teacher- driven. In order to accurately identify the needs of students and thus the

necessary type of professional development, the teachers met regularly to address the

data around student academics and behavior. 88% of the teachers responding to the

survey indicated that teachers and administrators used data to promote best instructional

practices. It wasnt always easy, according to the interviewees to establish priorities

around the data. One example professional development session addressed what was

referred to as the design cycle, which was essential to teachers developing an effective IB

unit of curriculum.

Approach to Professional Development

Professional development on these days had very strict, consistent norms

established in a collaborative fashion by the teachers. There were no department chairs at

JG school, but instead the teachers shared the leading of the department; for example, one

week it was a certain teacher, and the next week it was another. This system allowed for

both tenured teachers and newer teachers to take on a leadership role and guide the

learning that happened during this professional development time. 66% of the

instructional staff, however, indicated that professional development never or sometimes

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addressed the teaching of global education issues. Interviewees arrived at a similar

conclusion stating that often collaboration around global issues was done on their own

time after school.

Shared Leadership

Leadership was shared at JG school. There were no department chairs; the

teachers rotated through a rotation where every instructor ran a meeting and assigned the

other teachers to a variety of roles, ranging from taking notes to summarizing to

reporting. This shared leadership approach was ideal for creating a collaborative

environment. 94% of the surveyed instructional staff agreed that collaboration was

encouraged and promoted by the school most of the time or always.

In addition to a shared leadership approach within the instructional team at the

school, many of the observations and the interviews indicated that there was a principal

who modeled effective formal leadership at the school. Many of the instructional staff

commented that the principal was so great to have at the school, because he believed in

innovation and creativity, as well as being a strong supporter of students and the IB

program.

During the principal interview, the principal shared that he was currently working

with the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education. He had been retained as a

consultant by Compton Unified School District to work with school principals and build

stronger leadership capacity while addressing students needs. The Val-Ed instrument

used to rate the principals included 72-75 item inventory of behavior, and research had

shown it is an accurate, effective rating tool.

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 Research Question 3-What is the perceived impact of 21st century skills on the

culture of the school?

Community Involvement

Community service was an important aspect of the students education at JG

school. Projects for community service vary, however each student was expected to

complete a project prior. Student at JG school were involved in their local community.

After attending a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meeting in the evening and

observing the dedication of parents, I saw firsthand the parent outreach component.

Though the meeting appeared to be a success as the parents and teachers worked together

to organize the Health and Wellness Expo taking place, there was a noticeably low

turnout for both groups.

The instructional staff responses to the survey, about whether or not parents were

involved in school related activities, also showed this trend in numbers. Out of the

number of teachers responding to the survey, 66% of teachers claimed parents were never

or only sometimes involved. The interviewees also suggested several times that they

wished there was more parent involvement at the school.

Even with little parent involvement, the community efforts and partnerships, such

as the annual Health and Wellness Expo showed the great efforts of some parents. Last

year was the first year JG school held the Health and Wellness Expo. The specifics of

this Health and Wellness Expo were shared in one interview:

We bring in a lot of the community. The blood bank will be here and the food

bank. Eisenhower Medical comes and participates. La Quinta High School has a medical

69
program that they do; the advisor is my neighbor. She came down and they were doing

blood pressure. Chiropractors come in and do wellness. They do those little scans that go

through your body. We did this last year for the first time in the spring; we finally got

around to it. This year we decided to do it sooner when its a little bit cooler, so we are

doing November. The money we generate from it, we can spend it this year. They had a

yoga thing in the Expo. They had Zumba. Kids were walking outside, but they were also

coming into the Expo and participating in some of those activities. Taek wan do, kids

were cycling through, and signing up for stuff.

Student Perceptions

Throughout all the observations of the students inside the classroom and outside

of the classroom, there was an air of contentment. During passing periods, all students

carried their student planners and provided them immediately to adult staff upon request.

It was impressive to see such organization; thirteen hundred middle school students all

with their planners opened to the current week with smiles on their faces saying hello to

others passing in the hallway.

Survey results mimicked that students were well behaved and organized. In the

survey, 94% of the teachers responded that students were responsible for their behavior

in the classroom most of the time or always. In addition to survey results for student

behavior, the 2009-2010 School Accountability Report Card indicated that there were 3

expulsions, .24% of the student population and 141 suspensions, 11% of the student

population.

70
 Participation in school activities and being a part of the student body was

important at JG school. 100% of the survey respondents indicated that students at JG

school participated in extra-curricular activities related to the vision and mission of the

school. Also, the students were given opportunities to participate in out of school

activities.

In the observations of students during their passing periods, lunchtime, and after

school, there was also a sense of belonging. One program in particular assisted new

students with this feeling of belonging. This program was mentioned in several of the

interviews, as well as appearing in the 2008 IB Evaluation Report. In the report The

Where Every Student Belongs program (WEB) at JGMS connected new students with a

student partner to help integrate them into the school environment. Students worked

together to help new students understand JGMS policies and procedures, locate

classrooms, ensure a lunchtime friend, and answer questions concerning the familiarity of

the school campus. This program provided opportunities for students to take leadership

action through service to fellow students. This spirit of service was evident in the

interviews. One interviewee specifically mentioned this spirit through those who served

the United States in the armed forces.

The community and service aspect of it; you know people going out and
volunteering their time, and being in the military. That is the community services
aspect. You teach kids about this community and service, and provide them with
some great examples like the armed forces.

Summary of Findings

IB was considered the cornerstone program for curriculum, instruction, and

assessment at JG school. Wagner (2008) as well considered it to be the ideal curriculum

71
program to address issues such as globalization. Though IB was designated as the

cornerstone curriculum for JG school, it was found to be at odds with the strong

intervention programs designed to assist all students. Students in the intervention classes

did not receive instruction through IB units. When asked about IB being at odds with

intervention, the principal replied that the reason behind intervention students not being

taught through IB units was to keep fidelity of the intervention programs.

Teachers worked in collaborative department teams to develop IB units of

instruction. All students were expected to take courses in all eight focus areas, including

Language A, Language B, Humanities, Physical Education, Sciences, Arts, Mathematics,

and Technology. The one exception to all students receiving a true IB education at JG

school was the student population placed in English/Language Arts and Math

intervention classes. These classes included the Math program, Successmaker, and the

Reading program, Read 180. If only some of the students were being taught with IB units

at the school, were only a portion of the student body being prepared for the 21st Century,

global economy and world? If so, who made that life-changing decision about which of

the students were receiving a 21st Century education at JG school?

Findings indicated as well that a 21st Century Learning school like JG school

needed intervention programs that ran throughout the school day at JG school in order for

all their students to reach their fullest potentials. The finding at JG school was that

intervention was a strong component of this 21st Century School. Two of the most

effective intervention programs included the ACES and the ASAP programs. Each day,

with the exception of Friday, students attended the ASAP program for forty minutes

72
allowing all students needs to be met, intervention needs, enrichment needs, and study

hall as well. ACES, which was an additional time period for teachers to review student

data as a department as well as develop effective IB units, was only provided for Math

and English/Language Arts departments. This provision was the result of a cut back in

funding.

Staff members at JG school used data every day to address the needs of their

students. Interviews, observations, and survey findings showed that teachers promoted

best instructional practices through viewing and analyzing multiple sources of data. A

difficult, time-consuming task, teachers discovered that they adjusted their instruction

according to student results. Departments in a collaborative environment analyzed all of

this data. Ideas for best practice were shared and tested to ensure all students needs were

met.

Leadership at the school was shared leadership. Survey results for leadership roles

at the school indicated that 97% of the instructional staff saw themselves in the role of

leaders at the school. Along with leadership from the instructional staff, the strength and

effectiveness of the principal was a highlight for all the interviewees. Additionally,

throughout the school observations, the researcher mentioned the principals

effectiveness at JG school.

JG school parent involvement was limited. Parents involved in the PTO appeared

to have strong ties to the community and put forth a great deal of effort to make

improvements for their children. Though this group was not well attended and was an

73
area that continued to provide a challenge for JG school, the parents who were a part of

this association organize many activities at the school.

One of these activities, which students enjoyed a great deal, was the Health and

Wellness Expo. Not only did the students reap the benefits of the 21st Century Health and

Wellness trend, but there was a great deal of money raised for other school activities.

Students were well adjusted, happy, and behavior was positive for the most part.

School enrichment activities and extra-curricular activities were available. New students

were welcomed into the school through a specially designed program called WEB.

Students were exposed to a wide range of cultures, languages, and experiences

throughout the day in their classes.

Conclusion

After collecting data, organizing it, and articulating the findings from JG school, I

found JG school was focused on 21st Century learning for their students. Findings from

this study were both expected and unexpected. Expected findings, such as shared

leadership, the value of higher-order thinking skills, and a curriculum focused on the

global world were reassuring. However, the unexpected findings, how little professional

development sessions really assisted teachers, and the apparent clash between the

schools primary curriculum, IB curriculum, and a strong intervention classes focused on

raising students achievement in English/Language Arts and Math raised questions about

whether or not 21st Century learning is successful for all students.

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 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS

Statement of the Problem

Currently, the United States compares unfavorably to other industrialized nations

on academic benchmarks. Students in the United States scores, on average, lower than

students in other industrialized nations on standardized tests. This news is alarming as

society continues to become more global. As the world becomes more interconnected,

the skills and knowledge that students need to succeed as global citizens has changed.

Some schools have responded by embracing globalization. However, it is unclear what

programs and practices they are implementing.

In an effort to understand and identify possible programs and practices that

promote 21st Century skills in students, this case study identified one school claiming to

prepare students for the next generation. This school has been identified by the federal

government as a school taking center stage, and has been recognized and awarded

various accomplishments.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the programs and practices that promote

the acquisition of 21st Century skills at school. A great deal of research exists in support

of 21st Century programs and practices that support student learning. The research shows

that curriculum, assessment, professional development, leadership, and culture all play

major roles in determining how effective schools are in preparing students for the 21st

Century.

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 The Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework (P21) provides a clear and

well-supported framework for identifying what skills are essential for student outcomes.

Schools need to include core subject areas complemented by the 21st Century themes of

global awareness, financial literacy, civic literacy, health literacy, and environmental

literacy. The resulting student outcomes presented in the P21 are learning and innovation

skills, information, media, and technology skills, and life and career skills. The P21

served as the framework to guide this case study, and it was used as the conceptual model

for this study to analyze the data from research questions.

Research Questions

This study specifically focused on answering the following research questions:

1. What are the practices and programs at a school and how are these programs and

practices aligned with 21st Century skills?

2. What is the professional community of the school, and how does this professional

community support the programs and practices of the school?

3. What is the perceived impact of 21st Century skills on the culture of the school?

Population and Sample

The study examined the programs and practices that JG Middle School uses with

students to ensure they are prepared for the 21st Century. In this case study, the

investigator used three criteria to determine the school site where the study took place.

JG Middle School was chosen with the following criteria: the school needed an

API of 800 or above to qualify for this case study. The 2010 API growth for JG Middle

School was an 839. In the criteria for California similar schools, the school needed to be

76
ranked 7 or higher. JG Middle School ranked 7 in the similar schools ranking. The final

criteria for this case study focused on the schools mission statement. This was compared

to the 21st Century skills present in P21. Learning and innovation skills, information,

media, and technology skills, and life and career skills were placed side-by-side with the

schools mission. This comparison illuminated that information, media, and technology

skills, as well as life and career skills were articulated in the mission. In addition, there

was alignment between the school mission and the p21 life and career skills student

outcome.

The student body demographics at JG Middle School are diverse. Out of 1301

students in grades six through eight, approximately 55% is Hispanic or Latino, 38% is

Caucasian, 3% African American, 2% is Asian, and the remaining 2% is American

Indian and Other. JG Middle School is located in a city with a population of 83,000. 77%

of the residents are Hispanic or Latino, 18% are Caucasian, 1.7% are African American,

1.7% are Asian, and the remaining percent identify as Other. The median household

income is $53,000 and the median price of homes is $174,000.

Conclusions

This case study concurs with the current research on 21st Century skills with

regard to matters of curriculum, assessment, professional development, leadership, and

culture. The research examined finds that the components of a 21st Century school

include a global curriculum, alternative assessments, AVID, intensive intervention,

constant and purposeful use of data, professional development, shared leadership, and

community and student involvement.

77
 JG school showed each of these components in the following ways.

Global Curriculum

The International Baccalaureate Program was the cornerstone curriculum, which

drove classroom instruction.

Teachers worked together in collaborative teams to develop International

Baccalaureate units of study.

In the classroom, students made connections to their local community and

beyond.

AVID

Developing higher order thinking skills, an AVID curriculum priority,

complements the IB curriculum.

The ability to think deeply about an issue and have a discussion on the issue,

Socratic Seminar, was utilized in classrooms.

Writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading (WICR) the AVID curriculum

foundation allowed students to develop the necessary strategies to dig beneath the

surface and solve problems while looking at the global potential of what they

learned in the class.

Intensive Intervention

Strong intervention programs, developed by staff, existed in order to ensure all

students achieved at school.

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 Student data drives decision-making. Each student is addressed every three weeks

from several vantage points, including academics, attendance, student welfare,

and behavior. Consistent and purposeful use of data.

School staff designed the intervention program

Strong buy-in from staff regarding student intervention programs.

Professional Development

Professional development centered around issues other than the IB curriculum

and issues of globalization.

Teacher collaboration time to plan around issues of globalization and instruction

is completed on personal time, often after school.

Leadership Approach

Shared leadership within departments. No department chair for departments, but

leadership roles on a rotating basis. All instructors have the opportunity to share

in all roles.

Strong principal leadership. Principal works as a consultant for other school

districts and provides assistance to principals.

Community Involvement

Supportive parents in PTO, however overall parent participation in the school is

low.

Outreach into the city and surrounding communities is evident.

Student Perceptions

Student assertive discipline, referrals, and behaviors incidents are low.

79
 Student practice being ready, respectful, and reaching out to others.

Students want to participate in extra-curricular activities.

Students enjoy being at school.

Students welcome newcomers to the school with information and tours

Implications

This case study suggests that many schools are already implementing programs,

which are components of 21st Century learning, such as shared leadership, community

partnerships, effective intervention programs, extra-curricular programs, the use of data

to drive decisions for student learning. Though these are all evidence of a school with 21st

Century skills, the major part separating most schools from a school focused on skills

necessary to be successful in the next century is the curriculum approach and a focus in

the classroom on viewing learning through a global lens.

There is not one specific curriculum approach that determines whether or not a

school is an institution of 21st Century learning, however the IB curriculum and program

is often recommended as an effective curriculum focused on broadening students

horizons beyond their local communities to the global aspects of the world.

This case study demonstrates that the current assessment measures under NCLB

do not allow for students to demonstrate mastery of skills necessary for the 21st Century,

such as higher-order thinking skills, writing strategies, problem-solving techniques,

analysis skills, and strategies for effective communication. Alternative assessments, such

as informal assessments used in the classrooms, writing assessments, as well as project-

based work are more useful in allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge of

80
content. The adoption of common core standards across many states may assist in the

alignment of standardized assessments and accurate measurement of 21st Century skills.

A final implication from this case study is the necessity for extra support

programs for struggling students. The quandary with intervention programs comes when

intervention programs become tracking systems not providing some students with all the

benefits of learning from a curriculum focused on global learning for the next century.

Intervention programs must be supplemented with reasonable global approaches to

learning while still maintaining the fidelity of the intervention program curriculum. This

is a tightrope walk to balance both the intervention and the global learning and

acquisition of skills for the next century.

Recommendations for Future Study

Findings and conclusions drawn from this qualitative case study on programs and

practices at a school focused on 21st Century skills indicate a need for further research.

The recommendations for future study are the following.

1. Future studies should observe the intervention programs at the school and

determine their connection to 21st Century learning. The impact of strong

intervention programs used in high-performing schools claiming to be 21st

Century learning schools is an unexplored area.

2. Future studies should focus on the student perceptions in schools claiming to

be centers of 21st Century learning to glean insights into how programs really

work for students.

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 3. Future studies should examine the formal leadership roles at the school and

the impact these formal leaders have on setting a mission and vision for the

school.

4. Future studies should examine community service aspects of 21st Century

learning.

5. Future studies should elaborate on how students in the United States connect

their learning to other countries in the world.

From this case study, 21st Century schools feature a well-defined international

curriculum, such as the IB Programme, where higher order thinking skills and problem

solving are expectations. This case study resulted in many expected outcomes, such as

high levels of student engagement in the classroom, well-organized, structured

intervention programs to meet the needs of all students, instructors who share leadership

roles and work collaboratively, and content students who enjoy being at school. There is,

however, no magic bullet for schools to enact change and become an institution of 21st

Century learning. Even this case study raises more questions about how intervention is

connected 21st Century learning goals.

82
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 APPENDIX A

Observation Instrument

OBSERVATIONS

FRAME/RQ What to Observe

Are goals posted (also RQ 2)

Faculty/staff and students actions

RQ 1 Goals are goals (also RQ 3)

(vision & mission) Does curriculum in action align

visible? with the goals?

Student talk what kind of

conversations are students engaging in?

Instructional
low/high
strategies ( through
Use of group work
observations you can
Levels of questions (teachers and
observe creativity,
students)
RQ 1 innovation,
How is technology integrated into
communication,
curriculum? Is it used for process and
critical thinking,
product?
collaboration (4Cs),
Manipulatives
problem solving, etc.
Type of projects

Student outcomes (also RQ 3)

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 Teacher feedback

Student participation (also RQ 3)

Levels of student independence

How is diversity address global

awareness

World languages

Are subjects integrated?

Objectives

Who is participating
Extra-curricular
RQ1 What are the options
activities
Do they develop 21st century skills?

What type of resources do you see

in the classroom/school and how they

are being used?

RQ 1 Resources
What types of books/literary

materials? Multicultural?

International?

Who lead PD?

How does the schools

RQ 2 Observing PD
focus/vision/mission align?

Observing faculty and staff

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 interactions (formal/informal)

How do students walk into school?

What do transitions look like?

Interactions between

students/faculty/staff/parents

Are parents on campus? If so, what

are they doing?

Whats on the wall?

multicultural, college, jobs, global

RQ2 Culture & climate
Organizations (also RQ 3)

Community (also RQ 3)

School traditions (also RQ 3)

School Site Council how are

decisions made? Collaborative? Do

they promote 21st century schools?

How are the front

office/entrance/classrooms organized?

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 APPENDIX B

Survey Instrument

Programs and Practices

Instruction and Pedagogy 1 2 3 4

Never sometimes most of the time always

I utilize cooperative grouping

I utilize problem-based instruction

My instruction involves the use of technology

My students use technology

My instruction includes global issues

I model and encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Students demonstrate mastery in different ways

Students are exposed to different cultures, languages and experiences

Students participate in out of school activities

My instruction includes civic responsibility

I utilize multi-modal instructional approaches

I primarily use the adopted curriculum

I encourage collaboration in classroom

I encourage creativity and innovation in my classroom

My assignments require students demonstrate creative approaches

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Professional Community 1 2 3 4

Professional development sessions help me be a better teacher

Professional development sessions address the teaching of critical thinking skills

Professional development sessions address the teaching of global education issues

The level of parents involvement positively impacts global learning

Collaboration is encouraged and promoted by the school

I have an adjunct duty to perform at the school site

Data is used by teachers and administrators to promote best instructional practices

My classroom is equipped to meet students instructional needs

Schools vision and mission are aligned with practices and programs

Impact on Culture of the School 1 2 3 4

Students are responsible for their behavior in the classroom

My students participate in extra-curricular activities

Parents are involved in school related activities

Students are exposed to different cultures, languages and experiences

Students are given the opportunity to participate in out of school activities, such as

fieldtrip

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 APPENDIX C

Interview Instrument

Interview Questions

Prior to questioning, the interviewer will give the interviewee a handout on 21st century

skills (included below) as a reference.

Possible follow-up questions accompany each interview question.

Interview Question #1: What are the practices and programs at the school and how are

they aligned to 21st century skills?

CURRICULUM (Planning)

How does the school curriculum and instructional strategies reflect 21st Century

Learning?

1. What technology is used in classroom curriculum?

2. How are world languages a part of the school curriculum?

3. How does the school promote diversity and global perspectives?

4. What interdisciplinary work is done in classrooms at this school?

5. How does the curriculum promote collaboration, investigation, higher-

order thinking, and posing of analytical questions?

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What kinds of extra-curricular activities reflect 21st Century Skills?

1. How do extra-curricular student activities include world perspectives?

2. What community outreach programs are available for students?

3. How do the extra-curricular student activities at the school build better

citizens?

Interview Question #2: What is the professional community at the school, and how does

it support these practices?

LEADERSHIP-VISION, DECISION-MAKING

What role does leadership play in supporting and developing 21st Century Learning?

1. How does the schools mission and vision statement and vision influence

decision making at the school?

2. How are these decisions put into action?

COLLABORATION

What does collaboration look like at the school?

1. How often do teachers give common assessments, and what is done once

the assessments are scored?

2. How often do teachers instruct interdisciplinary units?

3. What discussions and activities are evidence of a collaborative staff?

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Interview Question #3: What is the perceived impact of 21st century skills on the culture

of the school?

STUDENTS-BEHAVIOR, BELIEFS, ATTITUDES

What student behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes reflect 21st Century Learning?

1. What enrichment activities are available for students, and how do these

activities address positive behavior?

2. How is citizenship, also known as life skills, taught to students, and how

do students show their life skills?

TEACHERS-BEHAVIOR, BELIEFS, ATTITUDES

What teacher behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes reflect 21st Century Learning?

1. Who promotes positive school culture at your school, and what does that

school culture look like?

2. How is diversity appreciated and celebrated at the school?

COMMUNITY-BELIEFS, SUPPORT, PARTNERSHIPS

What community behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes reflect 21st Century Learning?

1. What organizations partner with this school to offer students internships

and classes outside of the regular school day?

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2. How does the community show their support for school programs on

diversity, culture, and customs?

94
 APPENDIX D

Interview Handout:

Partnership for 21st Century Skills 21st Century Themes and Student Outcomes

21st Century Themes

Global awareness

Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy

Civic literacy

Health literacy

Environmental Literacy

21st Century Student Outcomes

Learning and Innovation Skills

Creativity and innovation skills

Critical thinking and problem solving skills

Communication and collaboration skills

95