Preparing Schools And School Systems For The 21st Century

This book describes the kind of education system that is needed for the future. The text originated with a study that involved 21 leaders in business, education, government, and other fields who identified more than 250 characteristics that would enhance schools' capability in preparing students for a global knowledge/information age. Followup surveys asked participants to prioritize the 250 items and gauge the items' potential impact on student learning. Chapter 1 presents 16 major characteristics developed after a thorough review of the entire study. Some of these characteristics include "All students have equal opportunity for an outstanding education, with adequate funding, no matter where they live,""Educators are driven by high expectations and clear, challenging standards that are widely understood by students, families and communities," and "Students learn to think, reason and make sound decisions and demonstrate values inherent in a democracy." Chapters 2 through 11 review specific characteristics identified in each of 12 categories. These chapters present explanations of eight or more characteristics that were rated highest in the survey. Chapter 12 offers suggestions about how school leaders might put this research to work in their communities. The conclusion of most chapters or sections includes a listing of additional characteristics identified by the original 21 community leaders. (RJM)

Andreas Schleicher - initiator of PISA and an international authority on education policy - offers a unique perspective on education reform.

Shift happens: Emerging technologies and globalization have resulted in political, social and cultural changes. These changes have a profound impact on all aspects of human life, including education. Yet while society has changed and continues to change, schools are slow to keep up. This book explores issues related to transforming and modernizing our educational systems, including the impact of societal shifts on education, the efforts at various levels to bring schools into the 21st century, the identification of 21st century skills, the reformation of the curriculum, the creation of alternative models of schooling, the innovative use of technology in education, and many others. It addresses questions like the following: Should schools systems adapt to better meet the needs of tomorrow’s world and how should this be accomplished? How can society better prepare students for a changing and challenging modern world? What skills do students need to lead successful lives and become productive citizens in the 21st century? How can educators create learning environments that are relevant and meaningful for digital natives? How can the school curriculum be made more rigorous to meet the needs of the 21st century? This book encourages readers to transcend the limits of their own educational experience, to think beyond familiar notions of schooling, instruction and curriculum, to consider how to best structure learning so that it will benefit future generations. It encourages a deeper analysis of the existing education system and offers practical insights into future directions focused on preparing students with 21st century skills.

Presents characteristics of schools and school systems capable of preparing students for a global knowledge/information age.

All over the world, governments, policymakers, and educators are advocating the need to educate students for the 21st first century. This book provides insights into what this means and the ways 21st century education is theorized and implemented in practice. The first part, “Perspectives: Mapping our futures-in-the-making,” uncovers the contradictions, tensions and processes that shape 21st century education discourses. The second part, “Policies: Constructing the future through policymaking,” discusses how 21st century education is translated into policies and the resulting tensions that emerge from top-down, state sanctioned policies and bottom-up initiatives. The third part, “Practices: Enacting the Future in Local Contexts,” discusses on-the-ground initiatives that schools in various countries around the world enact to educate their students for the 21st century. This volume includes contributions from leading scholars in the field as well as educators from schools and those working with schools.

Preparing Schools and School Systems for the 21st Century by Frank Whithrow, with Harvey Long and Gary Marx and Preparing Students for the 21st Century by Donna Uchida, with Marvin Cetron and Floretta McKenzie.

As the 21st century approaches, many educators are debating the role of education in meeting students' and the economy's needs. This booklet describes the results of a modified Delphi study that asked a panel of 55 experts from education, business, and government how to best prepare students for the 21st century. During the course of three survey rounds, participants agreed that students will need communication skills, increased support for education, ethics and values education, skills in marketplace technologies, clear accountability standards, and social and cultural understanding. Five chapters address the following topics: (1) what students need to know to succeed in the next century; (2) what schools can do to prepare students; (3) parent activities to help prepare students; (4) strategies to promote citizen-government cooperation; and (5) the role of business and professional leaders in preparing students. A list of panel members is included. (Contains 35 references.) (LMI)

This book uses PISA data to show that a substantial proportion of students in OECD countries now attend schools that have high degrees of autonomy in different areas of decision making.