21st Century Readiness Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to support 21st century readiness initiatives that fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure that students are prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon graduation from secondary school.
Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA to require the Secretary of Education, as part of the national assessment of title I programs, to examine the extent to which such initiatives improve student readiness for postsecondary education and careers.
Includes 21st century readiness initiatives in comprehensive school reform programs and school dropout prevention and reentry programs under title I.
Amends title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA to require high-quality professional development programs to incorporate an aligned system of teaching and learning that includes 21st century skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation), standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments.
Requires LEAs to use title II subgrants to enable educators to deliver instruction on higher-order thinking skills and use the latest available technology in doing so.
Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the ESEA to include 21st century readiness initiatives in 21st Century Community Learning Center activities. (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and after school programs to improve their academic performance.)
Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA to allow assessment grants to be used by states to develop or improve assessments that use technology to measure core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills to ensure that students can apply a range of skill competencies alongside core academic subject knowledge, and do so in real-world contexts.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2536 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2536
To provide, develop, and support 21st century readiness initiatives
that assist students in acquiring the skills necessary to think
critically and solve problems, be an effective communicator,
collaborate with others, and learn to create and innovate.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2011
Mr. Petri (for himself and Mr. Loebsack) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide, develop, and support 21st century readiness initiatives
that assist students in acquiring the skills necessary to think
critically and solve problems, be an effective communicator,
collaborate with others, and learn to create and innovate.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Readiness Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Students must be prepared in core academic subjects.
(2) Students must possess the skills to be able to think
critically and solve problems, be effective communicators,
collaborate with others, and learn to create and innovate.
(3) In order for students in the United States to be
prepared to succeed in citizenship and workplaces of the
present and future, core academic subjects must be fused with
critical thinking and problem solving, communication,
collaboration, and creativity and innovation skills, as such
skills are critical for success in the 21st century.
(4) The work of the National Governors Association, along
with the Council of Chief State School Officers, in developing
a set of voluntary and internationally benchmarked national
common standards in mathematics and English that include
rigorous content and 21st century skills, is a positive
development and should serve as a basis for incorporating those
skills and other critical skills throughout other core academic
subjects in the future. Federal policy must support State
leadership and encourage continued State innovation.
SEC. 3. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
Section 1001 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6301) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(13) fusing core academic subject knowledge mastery and
higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and
problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and
innovation) to ensure that students can apply a range of skill
competencies alongside content knowledge, and do so in real-
world contexts.''.
SEC. 4. EVALUATING OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS.
Section 1501(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6491(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (O) as subparagraph (P);
and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (N) the following:
``(O) The extent to which fusing core academic
subjects and higher-order thinking skills (such as
critical thinking and problem solving, communication,
collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure
that students can apply a range of skill competencies
alongside content knowledge in real-world contexts
leads to readiness for postsecondary education and
careers.''.
SEC. 5. SCHOOL REFORM THROUGH 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIATIVES.
Section 1606(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6516(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (10);
(2) by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
``(11) includes a 21st century readiness initiative
designed to fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-
order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem
solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and
innovation) to ensure students can apply a range of skill
competencies alongside content knowledge, and do so in real-
world contexts; and''.
SEC. 6. SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION STRATEGIES THROUGH 21ST CENTURY
READINESS INITIATIVES.
Section 1822(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6561a(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(K) implementing 21st century readiness
initiatives, such as initiatives that fuse core
academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking
skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving,
communication, collaboration, creativity, and
innovation) to ensure students can apply a range of
skill competencies alongside content knowledge, and do
so in real-world contexts.''.
SEC. 7. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AROUND 21ST
CENTURY SKILLS.
Section 2102 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6602) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6) as
paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) High-quality professional development.--The term
`high-quality professional development' means professional
development that incorporates an aligned system of teaching and
learning that includes 21st century skills (such as critical
thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration,
creativity, and innovation), standards, curriculum,
instruction, and assessments, such as high-quality professional
development that--
``(A) ensures that educators understand the
importance of 21st century skills and how best to
integrate such skills into daily instruction;
``(B) enables collaboration among all participants;
``(C) allows educators to construct their own
learning communities;
``(D) uses expertise within a school or local
educational agency through coaching, mentoring, and
team teaching;
``(E) supports educators in their role as
facilitators of learning; and
``(F) uses 21st century skills technology tools.''.
SEC. 8. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION.
Section 2122(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6622(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(12) A description of how the local educational agency
will provide high-quality professional development to enable
educators to--
``(A) deliver instruction on higher-order thinking
skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving,
communication, collaboration, creativity, and
innovation) to ensure that students can apply a range
of skill competencies alongside core academic subject
knowledge, and do so in real-world contexts; and
``(B) use the latest available technology to
deliver instruction on higher-order thinking skills.''.
SEC. 9. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING.
Section 2123(a)(3)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6623(a)(3)(B)) is amended--
(1) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and
adding ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(vi) provide training on how to deliver
instruction on higher-order thinking skills
(such as critical thinking and problem solving,
communication, collaboration, creativity, and
innovation) so that students can apply a range
of skill competencies alongside core academic
subject knowledge, and do so in real-world
contexts, which may include effectively
integrating technology into curricula and
instruction.''.
SEC. 10. EXPANDED 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER ACTIVITIES.
Section 4205(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7175(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end
and adding ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(13) initiatives that allow students to apply a range of
skill competencies (such as critical thinking and problem
solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and
innovation) alongside core academic subjects, and do so in
real-world contexts, which may include effectively using
technology to improve student achievement.''.
SEC. 11. 21ST CENTURY READINESS ASSESSMENTS.
Section 6111(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7301(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(I) Developing or improving assessments that use
technology to measure core academic subject knowledge
and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical
thinking and problem solving, communication,
collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure
that students can apply a range of skill competencies
alongside core academic subject knowledge, and do so in
real-world contexts.''.
SEC. 12. 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIATIVE DEFINITION.
Section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7801) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (43) as
paragraphs (2) through (44), respectively; and
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), the following:
``(1) 21st century readiness initiative.--The term `21st
century readiness initiative' means any initiative that--
``(A) embeds core academic subjects with critical
skills; and
``(B) is focused on ensuring that students are
prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon
graduation from secondary school.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1322)
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
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