The Assess 21 guided search from the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills is a not-to-miss resource. 

Assessment of 21^st century skills is vital to their place in the curriculum. Schools need to know what students know if they are to grow the curriculum. Similarly, the public needs a record of school progress and activity. States have made an enormous investment in large scale assessments that only peripherally address 21^st century skills. Realizing this shortcoming, an effort has begun to find new assessments capable of mining different kinds of information.

Performance-based assessment, particularly computer-based implementations that can track and analyze student respond, hold great promise. The UK's assessment of ICT literacy (Key Stage 3 Literacy Assessment) stands out as an example of a new kind of assessment that they believe will cross over to other content areas. Indeed, the platform rapidly migrated to Shakespeare.

As such models and resources emerge, the Assess21 searchable database makes them accessible to educators. Assess 21 begins by asking "Which 21st Century Skill are you interested in assessing?" Users check boxes for the options of global awareness, civic engagement, economic/financial and learning skills. The latter is sub-divided into thinking and problem solving, interpersonal and self-direction and ICT literacy.

The following page refines the search with selections for grade level and format. Assessment formats include performance based, multiple choice/force answer or mixed.

Next, "What impetus for the assessment are you interested in?" Alternatives are policy, commercial, or non-commercial. These are color coded in the display of results. Then select a region of origin from the U.S., the U.K. or international. Finally, select from paper or electronic administration.

You will receive a grid displaying available assessments based on your choices. The Key Stage 3 Literacy Assessment (coded with policy, U.K, and electronic administration), shows up in grade 9-12 ICT literacy (along with seven other assessments). Click on the assessment, and the Partnership offers a summary and link.

The database is growing as resources do. There is, for example, no assessment offered for grade K-5 interpersonal and self directional skills. However, grade 9-12 thinking and problem solving is abundant.

Explore. Have fun. Assessment can control the curriculum, and this is a vital resource.

Source: Assess21