Steps for CTE Programs to Integrate 21st Century Skills Standards within a Program

The system outlined below was created to make the process of integrating the 21st Century Skills Standards within any CTE program less difficult and can be used as a guide through the process. All CTE Programs integrating the 21st Century Skills Standards can follow the process below to meet the OSPI requirement.

Distributing Standards within Program Area: Using the21st Century Skills Standards Program Area Distribution ChartTemplate, you will create a Program specific Distribution Chart. This step should take approximately 1.5-2 hours per program area (depending on number of courses offered). Follow these easy steps:

  1. Open file 21st Century Skills Standards Distribution ChartTemplateand save as your program name. For example: 21st Century Skills Standards Distribution ChartMARKETING.
  2. Enter the name of each course within a Program as a heading for each column
  3. Starting with the first standard, going across the chart, placing an X for each course that the standard could be assessed, in the corresponding square. Complete this step for each standard. (See below)
  1. The next step is to determine which course(s) each standard should be assessed. To determine this, you will start with the first standard. Going across the row on the chart, replacing any X’s with thename of the unit/assessment/activity the standard could be assessed in. Complete this step for each standard. (See below)
  1. Next, you will determine which course(s) you will assess each standard in. Remember, many standards are taught in multiple courses and you can choose to assess standards in more than one course, however you must assess all standards in at least one course within the Program. (The purpose of this is so that students who complete a Program Area at your school, would then in essence have an opportunity to learn and be assessed on ALL of the 21st Century Skills Standards.) To complete this step, you will start with the first standard, determine which of the units/assessments/activities the standard would best be assessed and highlight the cell designating that standard to be assessed in that course. (See below)

Create a 21st Century Skills document for each course in your Program Area: Complete the 21st Century Skills Program Template. This step should take approximately 15 minutes per course. Follow these easy steps:

  1. Open your program’s 21st Century Skills template. It is named:21st Century Skills Template – PROGRAM NAME (CTSO NAME). For example: 21st Century Skills Template – Marketing (DECA)
  2. You will create a document for EACH course in your program area, by saving the template and renaming it with each course’s name replacing the wordTemplatewith the name of the course in the title of the file. For example: (21st Century Skills ADVANCED MARKETING – Marketing (DECA). (Make sure to create one for EACH course)
  3. The next step is to change any wording on the first page to meet the needs of your District/Program.
  4. Next, you will delete the standards that will not beassessed in that particular course (based on what you selected for that course on the 21st Century Skills Standards Distribution ChartTemplate). For example, in the course Advanced Marketing, standard 4.1 is not being assessed (per the Distribution Chart you created), you will then delete standard 4.1 in the document 21st Century Skills ADVANCED MARKETING – Marketing (DECA). Complete this step for each course in your Program Area.
  1. Deleting OSPI Suggested Resources/Activities: With the remaining standards, and using the chart in the course documentyou just created, delete any of the OSPI Resources/Activities that you will not be using to assess your students. This step should take approximately 15-30 minutes per course. Remember that you do NOT have to have a CTSO chapter to use the resources and activities offered. For example, you can use the DECA Community Service Project in your Advanced Marketing course during class time.
  1. Adding Resources/Activities: With the remaining standards, and using the chart in the document you just created,add resources/activities you currently use that can be used to assess the standard listed. For example, in your Advanced Marketingcourse, you are currently having the students complete a business simulation you created. If several of the 21st Century Skills Standards you have listed for the course can be assessed during this simulation, you will want to add the name of the simulation to the chart. You will add the simulation name for EACH of the standards you wish to assess using the simulation. You will use the assessment/activity you listed in the Program’s Distribution Chart. This step should take approximately a 1/2 hour per course.

  1. Adding OSPI Resources/Activities (not CTSO specific): You may also use the suggested activities provided by OSPI that are not CTSO specific. These can be found in the 21st Century Skills in CTE Resource Manual document found on the OSPI website. These resources are provided as additional resources for assessing the 21st Century Skills. The amount of time this step will take will vary, as some teachers will utilize these resources and some will not.
  1. Adding Resources/Activities Descriptions: To finish this document, you will need to add the Activity Descriptions at the end of the document for any assessments you added. The purpose of adding the descriptions is to communicate to your multiple audiences what will be used to assess students for the particular standard. Multiple audiences include administrators, parents and students. The descriptions for the OSPI Recommended Resources/Activities that are CTSO specific have been completed when possible. For some program areas, you will need to complete this process for the OSPI recommended and your added resources and activities. The amount of time this step will take will vary on multiple factors, such as how many OSPI recommended resources/activities are used, how many new are added, etc...
  1. Creating a 21st Century Skills Assessment Tool: You may choose to assess your students in a variety of ways. Some assessment tools have been included below.
  1. 21st Century Skills Student Assessment Form: The form is completed by the students immediately following an assessment that the teacher has listed in the 21st Century Skills – COURSE NAMEdocument as an approved activity for the standard the student is completing the document for. The student submits the 21st Century Skills Student Assessment Formwith one of the following:
  2. 21st Century Skills Tracking Chart: Once the Student Assessment and Tracking Chart are submitted to the teacher, the teacher provides feedback and a final score on the 21st Century Skills Tracking Chart. The tracking chart allows the student to easily see what standards they have and have not met. You will need to create a Tracking Chart for each course. To do this, open the 21st Century Skills Tracking Chart Template and save it as the course name. For example: 21st Century Skills Tracking Chart ADVANCED MARKETING. Next, using the 21st Century Skills – COURSE NAMEdocument for the course you are working on,delete the columns for standards not being assessed in the course. Next, add any assessment to the left side. Lastly, shade the cells that each assessment does not assess. For example, in your Advanced Marketing course, only 11 of the 15 standards you have selected to be assessed in the class can be assessed by the Community Service Project assessment, you will need to shade in the boxes for the standards the assessment does not assess. Students will then know that the DECA Community Service Project will only be eligible for assessing the 11 standards that the cells are not shaded. This step will take approximately 15-30 minutes per course. (See below)

  1. 21st Century Skills Monitoring Log: Students will first complete the 21st Century Skills Student Assessment Form and then submit to you with this Monitoring Log. To create this log open the 21st Century Skills Monitoring Log Template and save a new document for each course. Next, delete the standards not being used for the course you are working on. Next, list the assessments that are eligible for the standard listed next to Activities/Projects. (See below)
  1. 21st Century Skills Standard Rubrics: Students will first complete the 21st Century Skills Student Assessment Form and then you will complete the corresponding rubric for the standard to be assessed. The rubrics are general in nature, but can be edited to be more specific if desired. (See below)

  1. Assessing within an Assessment: Another way to assess is to list the 21st Century Skills Standards directly within the course assessments. An example of how to do this is shown in the picture below.