The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is taking proactive measures to prepare the state's students for the future. With a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the NCDPI will pilot the Skills for the Future (SFF) project aimed at integrating what they refer to as 'durable skills' into student assessments. These skills include adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, a learner's mindset, and personal responsibility—all of which are deemed crucial for students' success beyond high school.
According to North Carolina State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, "This grant is such an important step forward in ensuring our students are prepared for success in the workforce and prepared for the jobs of the future," as mentioned on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website. Meanwhile, summer data from NCDPI and the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Labor Economic Analysis Division confirmed the necessity of these skills for every occupation in the state. Despite the insight, progress remained slow in folding these metrics into daily instruction.
The initiative isn't just a North Carolina endeavor. States like Indiana, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Rhode Island are also partnering with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and ETS on this project. Together, they aim to reinvent the way educational success is measured by crafting a skills transcript that provides a comprehensive look at a student's abilities.
Laura Slover, managing director of Skills for the Future at ETS conveyed enthusiasm about the partnership, saying on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website, "By effectively measuring these critical durable skills, we aim to instill a mindset of continuous learning and development and believe we will set students on the path to being better prepared for the future of work." The goal over the next three years is to develop not just a measuring tool but also a skills transcript for as many as 6,000 students and to immerse 400 educators in professional development.
Furthermore, Superintendent Truitt sees potential for the outcomes of this project to influence educational accountability, specifically citing North Carolina’s School Performance Grades system as an area ripe for improvement by including these newly highlighted attributes. Empowering schools with a fuller range of evaluative tools could elevate the state's educational landscape and provide a clearer picture of its efficacy, Truitt outlined.
The SFF project is set to launch in the spring of 2025 with intense professional development for educators in several North Carolina high schools. The skills assessment pilot will commence shortly after ensuring that new knowledge and strategies are fresh in the minds of participating educators.
