Heading into the 21^st Century, the people of North Carolina knew that tobacco, textiles, and furniture could no longer support the economy. What would take its place? To seek a more profitable role in a global economy, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, in 2005, launched the nation's first Center for 21^st Century Skills. Its overarching goal is "to help schools provide the skills needed for high school graduates to be ready for the workplace or for post-secondary education."

Management of the movement is a model of the collaboration that is vital to projects in the new century. Melissa Bartlett, Director for North Carolina's Center for 21^st Skills (the Center), is a bit like a conductor for an improvisational jazz orchestra. She oversees numerous initiatives attended to by more than thirty local and national partners. The Governor's office houses the Center within the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE). That organization, comprised of the state's leading corporations and businesses, focuses on the link between education and economic growth. It is an advocate to ensure that students are prepared for employment and lifelong learning.

Hierarchy is so last century. Instead, envision a network of colleagues. Many players work independently-and where needed, together-toward the same goal. Key to those partners is the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills (the Partnership). The national organization provides the framework that defines what 21^st Century Skills are, and North Carolina was the first state to commit to teaching those skills.

The Partnership is an advocacy group, and as such is not prescriptive in how states achieve the goals. Member states find it beneficial to have an outside, national organization validating and promoting their work. The Partnership regularly reviews state initiatives to sharpen the focus on 21^st Century Skills, and their network of state activities provide immensely helpful resources.

Empowering Educators to Innovate

As a 21^st Century Pioneer, Governor Mike Easley has pursued a top-down approach designed to empower educators to innovate. Bartlett, for example, is charged with creating schools where teachers and administrators are not afraid to let students' personal technologies into the school. Imagine a sound clip of the Beatles singing:

Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
And do me a favor
Won't you open that door and let them in, oh let them in, let them in, let them in

Cell phones, ipods, screencasts, blogs, and every other participatory media belong in school, and that message began with the North Carolina State Board of Education's statement of goals for "Future-Ready Students."

• NC public schools will produce globally competitive students.
• NC public schools will be led by 21^st Century professionals.
• NC public school students will be healthy and responsible.
• Leadership will guide innovation in NC public schools.
• NC public schools will be governed and supported by 21^st Century systems.

Much of the State Board's initial work established a common language and vision, an essential condition for diverse groups who hope to meet up in the same place. The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation stands out as another key contributor. Located at North Carolina State University, the research institute's goals include development and dissemination of education solutions to meet 21^st century demands.

Other players may best be mapped out under initiatives for professional development, curricula, assessment and policy.

Teacher Working Conditions Survey

In 2002, Governor Easley started the nation's first "Teacher Working Conditions Survey," which supplies data that shapes school improvement plans, policy and budgets. Now, as part of the annual state budget, the survey is administered every two years, and includes funding for research and analysis of the data to provide recommendations to policymakers. More than 75,600 teachers completed the most recent survey in 2006. That level of participation provides valuable data from which policies and legislation gave been enacted, such as HB1151, mandating the school improvement team in every school shall plan to provide 5 hours of planning per week to every teacher in the school, during the instructional day. Another first-in-the-nation policy that has been passed as a result of the TWC Survey includes a new instrument to evaluate school administrators, based on improving the teaching conditions, teacher retention, and student achievement.

The North Carolina Business Committee for Education was an original partner with the Office of the Governor and continues to provide valuable resources to this work. All school level, district, and state results are available online.

Evaluating Preparation of Teachers, Principals and Superintendents

Working with the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), a Denver-based nonprofit education research and development organization, the State Board of Education is developing a three-tiered personnel evaluation system for its K-12 teachers, principals, and superintendents. The new evaluation system will be aligned with the state's own standards for all three of these professional groups. Starting in the fall 2008, the new evaluation instrument for principals will be required statewide. By the fall of 2009, the state's professional standards and accompanying evaluation system will be used to guide the performance of teachers, principals, and superintendents in the state.

By 2010, North Carolina will be the first state in the nation to have a formal, rational, comprehensive system of standards, growth models, and evaluation instruments for all teachers, school executives, superintendents, and local school boards of education.

21^st Century Middle School Literacy Coaches

Governor Easley's 21st Century Middle School Literacy Coach Initiative embeds on-site professional development as a best practice into the middle school culture. On-site school improvement team members (of teachers, parents, students, etc.) are involved in the hiring to select a literacy coach to assist lead teachers in the school in delivering the instruction today's students need to be 21st century learners. Thanks to the NC General Assembly, there are now 200 21^st Century Middle School Literacy Coach across the state. The North Carolina Teacher Academy provides two years of intense, state-of-the-art professional development weekly to help them embed 21st century skills in to all aspects of the curriculum.

21^st Century Technology in Rural Schools

As a part of its 21st Century Teaching and Learning Initiative, The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (NC State University) is collaborating with educators from northeastern North Carolina school districts to create innovative classroom practices -- and a technology infrastructure to support them -- in rural public schools. New, technology-based learning tools will enable interactive, collaborative and engaging learning experiences that boost creativity and self-directed learning skills. Partnerships with some of the world's leading technology companies (Cisco, IBM, Nortel and SAS) will help integrate technology that businesses use for work and children use for entertainment with educational content designed for the classroom. Technology typically used in company and university research labs, including scientific modeling, computer visualization and advanced analytical tools, will be infused into educational tools for K-12 schools.

Revising Curricula

As a member of the NC American Diploma Project (ADP) Alignment Team, the Center works to align curricula with national standards for college and work readiness. Additionally, the Center works with the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI), on regular curriculum revision meetings to align state curriculum and assessments with 21^st century learning standards and with national standards and assessments.

The Learn and Earn/Early High Schools

The Governor's Learn and Earn Early College High Schools program gives students an opportunity to attend high school on community college and university campuses to earn both a high school diploma and two years of college transfer credit and/or an associate's degree in no more than five years of study. Students who are first-generation college goers and those identified as at risk of dropping out of high school receive acceptance priority. This national model has been touted by CBS Evening news and by Newsweek magazine as "revolutionary" and "making high schools a relic of the past."

Creating New Assessments

New learning requires new assessment. Working with the NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Center and with Dr. John Bransford of the University of Washington, the Center is developing and piloting a multimedia biology assessment. Additionally, the Center is exploring a partnership with ETS to develop a computer-based comprehensive 21^st century assessment system.

The Center has also helped develop and support the NC Graduation Project, a state mandated portfolio assessment which will reflect each student's 21^st century skills and abilities for both employers and college admissions officers. It includes a paper, a reflective portfolio, a product, and a presentation.

Continuously Moving Forward

As these programs solidify, the NC Center for 21^st Century Skills continues to seek new alliances. Process, collaboration, and complexity are thriving to help North Carolina's 21^st century students.

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