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The role of the school district toward preparing students for the 21st century

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The role of the school district toward preparing students for the 21st century

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THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOWARD PREPARING
STUDENTS FOR THE 21
ST
CENTURY

by

Gloria Aguilar-Torres

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2010

Copyright 2010 Gloria Aguilar-Torres

ii
DEDICATION

To my husband, Ben, without whose patience, love, and support, I would not have
been able to accomplish this life-long dream. I am forever appreciative, thank you.
To my son, Felix, and my daughter, Ysenia, I’m grateful for their love and
support. I am consistently impressed and inspired by both of you each and every day.
To my parents, Pete and Linda, I would not be who I am today without their love,
support, and commitment. Because of them, I was able to accomplish my dream.
To my mother-in-law, Lucille, thank you for all of your help and support
throughout this doctoral process.

iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Garcia, and my committee
members, Dr. Stowe and Dr. Reed for all of their support, guidance, and encouragement
during this dissertation process. I would like to also thank all those who participated in
this study.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication ii

Acknowledgments iii

List of Tables vi

Abstract vii

Chapter One: Overview of The Study 1
Introduction 1
Background of the Study 2
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 11
Research Questions 12
Importance of the Study 13
Delimitations and Limitations 13
Limitations 14
Delimitations 14
Definition of Terms 15

Chapter Two: Literature Review 18
Introduction 18
Definition of Globalization 19
Future Work Force & Work Skills 23
Definition of 21
st
Century Skills 27
Supporting 21
st
Century Skills in the Classroom 36
Organizational Leadership Structures Towards Developing the 41
21
st
Century Classroom
Frameworks 43
Conclusion 48

Chapter Three: Methodology 49
Introduction 49
Criteria and Measures to Select the School District 51
Design of the Research 52
Instrumentation 53
Data Collection 58
Data Analysis 59
Validity and Reliability 63

v

IRB 63
Conclusion 64

Chapter Four: Results and Discussion 65
Introduction 65
Settings/Participants Overview 67
Findings: Research Question 1 69
Identification of 21
st
Century Skills 70
Implementation of 21
st
Century Skills 81
Technology to Teach Core Subjects 81
Special Programs 85
Effective Leadership 87
Findings: Research Question Two 89
Professional Development 89
School Culture 95
Findings: Research Question Three 97
Unanticipated Occurrences 99
Conclusion 100

Chapter Five: Summary Conclusions, and Recommendations 102
Summary 102
Emergent Themes 103
Recommendations for Future Research 104
Implications 106
Conclusions 108

References 110

Appendices:
Appendix A: Superintendent, Director of Educational Technology, 113
and Director of Teaching and Learning Interview Questions
Appendix B: Principal Interview Questions 115
Appendix C: CUSD’s Six Professional Development Goals 117
(Technology Plan)
Appendix D: Teacher Survey 119
Appendix E: Survey Results 125

vi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Wagner’s (2008) Seven Survival Skills: The Global 60
Achievement Gap

Table 2: Decision Making Rules (Julius et al., 1999) 61

Table 3: Bolman and Deal (2003) Reframing Organizations 62

Table 4: CUSD’s Identified 21
st
Century Skills 73

Table 5: Teacher Responses to Survey Question Regarding Global Education 84

Table 6: Teacher Responses to Survey Question Regarding Technology 85
Table 7: Teacher Response to Survey Question Regarding Global Education 94

vii

ABSTRACT

This dissertation reflects the outcomes of a small school district that is
successfully incorporating 21
st
century skills with the demands set forth by our current
educational policy, No Child Left Behind. Considerations regarding globalization, future
work force and work skills, definition of 21
st
century skills, supporting 21
st
century skills
in the classroom, and organizational leadership structures toward developing the 21
st

century classroom are reported. It was the intent of this dissertation to provide a template
for other schools or districts to use for incorporating 21
st
century skills with standards-
based curriculum. The data from this district revealed four emergent themes:
(a) technology was used to implement 21
st
century skills, (b) school sites utilized special
programs to implement 21
st
century skills, (c) professional development was consistently
provided to teachers, and (d) a positive culture had been established at the district and site
levels to encourage teachers to collaborate.

1
CHAPTER ONE
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

Introduction
The definition of globalization has varied from having knowledge of technology
to developing skills in conflict resolution. Ecology and cultural tolerance have also been
major indicators of globalization. In 1946, globalization began its journey when the first
designed computer was created followed by the growing number of televisions in each
household. The 1950s incited fear in American citizens when the Russians launched
Sputnik into orbit, sparking the realization that intercontinental ballistic missiles were no
longer just science fiction. Sputnik changed how the world, including Americans,
viewed their educational systems, provoking concern ―with improving science and
technology, and these are based in a fundamental way on the learning of mathematics‖
(Martin & Mullis, 2006). The next decade saw the launching of the first communication
satellite and the first photographs of Earth from space. The world continued to shrink as
the 1970s launched the NASDAQ, an electronic stock exchange, the first direct broadcast
satellite, and fiber optics. As more and more monumental events unfolded over the next
two decades, the U.S. scurried to remain at the top of the economic ladder.
The United States had been at the forefront of the industrial revolution in which it
needed to develop productive workers and the next generation of citizens. At the turn of
the 19
th
century, information could be memorized because more than likely it would not
change for the next 10 years. There were few libraries and most individuals did not have

2
encyclopedia sets or research journals readily available and countries were
communicating and sharing information with each other using a lengthy process, which
entailed codes and a telegraph. The educational system was successful in providing
literate workers for an industrial society, economic security, and a rising affect on the
quality of life (Broadfoot, 2000). Past generations were more than likely to work in a
field where use of their hands was more prevalent than the use of their minds (Wagner,
2008).
With current global transformations occurring at a rapid pace, the western
educational system may not work for all cultures around the world or even all contexts in
this country. Today’s student lives in a world where the technology of the future already
exists, from electronic notepads to parallel processing computers (Handel, 2003). Neural
networks combine computer hardware and software that mimic the human brain when
computing and antinoise technology can cancel out sound. Knowing that such innovative
technology exists, educators need to prepare their students to use it and create from it.
Daniel Burris, a famed futurist, has said, ―The rapid pace of technological innovations is
making it ever harder to make sound decisions and future plans.‖

Background of the Study
Social welfare has long been a part of the United States and the precursor to its
educational reforms. In the 1930s, President Roosevelt’s New Deal sought to bring the
U.S. out of the worst economic depression it had ever faced. The idea behind the New
Deal was to help find jobs for those who were out of work or to keep young adults out of

3
the workforce long enough to train them for specific fields. Though it did not give
funding directly to the K-12 public school system, the New Deal provided training for
young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps that could help establish them in the field
of conservation and promoted cultural education through programs such as the Federal
Art Project and the Federal Theater Project. Programs such as these truly sought to
mitigate social or economic disadvantages; education could clearly serve to alleviate
social and economic problems (Kantor & Lowe, 2006).
Once the government had taken a stance on the social and economic problems of
the 1930s, the building blocks for social change had been laid for the civil rights
movement. Part of the unrest during the 1960s was due to the blatant discrepancies
between the education quality of White and minority students. The Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was developed and signed into law in 1965 by Lyndon
B. Johnson and evolved into the Handicapped Act Amendments before becoming the
Individuals with Disabilities Acts (IDEA) used today to guide Special Education. In the
eight times it was approved and reauthorized, ESEA provided states with direct grant
assistance to help educate children with disabilities and consolidated several federal grant
programs into one act. Through ESEA Title I low socioeconomic students were provided
a compensatory education and Title VI made it difficult for schools to continue
discriminating against students because of their race. In March of 1994, President Bill
Clinton signed The Goals 2000: Educate America Act (P.L. 103-227), federal legislation
to help ensure that students were given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Though it included a variety of funding initiatives, the legislation emphasized the use of

4
technology to help students achieve high standards. The No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) that followed became a victory for many conservatives in Washington; however,
in reality NCLB was just the latest development for a country that considers Social
Welfare a priority in maintaining its solidarity and economic power.
The current educational policy, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), was also a
response to poor student achievement internationally, as discovered through PISA
(Program for International Student Assessment). Past and present international test
scores have indicated that students in the U.S. rank lower in reading literacy, mathematics
literacy, and on the scientific scale (Martin & Mullis, 2006). The Third International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provided ―sound measurement of trends in
student achievement in mathematics and science at fourth and eighth grades every four
years‖ (Martin, & Mullis, 2006). Such information enables governments to assess any
growth or decline their future citizens have made and provide support where needed.
How well U.S. students perform internationally in science and mathematics mattered
because of ―a growing acceptance that effective mathematics and science education
would be a crucial ingredient of economic development in the increasingly knowledge-
based and technological world of the future‖ (Martin, & Mullis, 2006, p. 7).
TIMSS used the curriculum taught in the participating countries to develop the
tests used to measure how well students have learned concepts in math and science.
TIMSS tested students at the 4
th
and 8
th
-grade levels in 25-45 different countries,
including Australia, Botswana, England, Israel, Japan, and the United States. TIMSS
2003 reported that U.S. 4
th
-graders performed above the international average of 495 with

5
a score of 518 in mathematics. Eleven other countries had higher average scores. Eighth
graders in 2003 had an average score of 504 in mathematics with 14 other countries
showing a higher average score (Gonzales, Guzman, Partelow, Pahlke, Jocelyn, Kastberg,
& Williams, 2004).
How well the US ranked was not the only problem US policymakers gleaned
from the TIMSS data. In comparing how U.S. 4
th
and 8
th
-graders scored on the TIMSS in
1995 and 2003, they found no measurable change for 4
th
-graders. In 1995, the average
score placed U.S. 4
th
-graders as the 6
th
ranked country in mathematics; however, the same
score in 2003, placed them 8
th
(Gonzales et al., 2004). The science scores accumulated
from TIMSS bore similar results. The U.S. 4
th
-graders’ average score was higher than the
international average in 1995 and 2003, but their 2003 average had decreased from 1995.
Overall on the TIMSS mathematics data, 8
th
-graders had increased their average score
from 492 to 504. The 8
th
-grade science scores had also increased from 1995 to 2003
(Gonzales et al., 2004). This data showed a trend that U.S. students increased their
knowledge in mathematics and science between the 4
th
and 8
th
grades; however, the
report also allowed policymakers to disaggregate the data between minority and low
socioeconomic students in the U.S., thus giving a clearer picture as to who was obtaining
the necessary knowledge needed to succeed in a global society.
According to TIMSS mathematics data, White 4
th
-grade students scored, on
average, higher than their minority counterparts; however, the actual growth within the
White and Hispanic cohorts was not significant. The average score for White students
increased for a gain of one point, from 541 to 542. The average score for Hispanic

6
students decreased by one point, from 493 to 492. African American student scores had
the most gain, 457 to 472 (Gonzales et al., 2004). The TIMSS science data was similar in
that the African American student scores increased, whereas the average scores for White
and Hispanic students decreased from 1995 to 2003 (Gonzales et al., 2004). For U.S. 8
th
-
graders, the average mathematics score for White students increased from 516 to 525
with the most measurable change occurring in the scores for the 8
th
-grade African
American and Hispanic students. Their average scores increased by 20 to 30 points
(Gonzales et al., 2004). The science scores for White students grew slightly, from 544 to
552. African American and Hispanic students had the most growth, from 422 to 463 and
446 to 482, respectively. Whereas TIMSS results show an increase in scores for the
Hispanic and African American students, their White counterparts continue to outscore
them by 50–90 points in math and science.
The scores generated by TIMSS revealed that U.S. students were not ranked
number one or even in the top five. U.S. students were out performed in both math and
science by several countries for the years 1995 and 2003 with no substantially
measurable increases to their scores. Though the achievement gap seems to have closed
somewhat for African Americans and Hispanic students, overall, the scores indicate
minimal growth and stagnation.
District and school accountability increased with the onset of NCLB. Though
districts and schools have always been accountable to their community and to the
government entities that funded them, NCLB uses state testing to focus on and measure
student achievement. Indeed, NCLB became the driving force for educators to create

7
―systematic, continuous improvement in the quality of the educational experience of
students and to subject themselves to the discipline of measuring their success by the
metric of students’ academic performance‖ (Elmore, 2002). The difficulty most educators
had with accountability was that they lacked the training. In order for true accountability
to exist within an organization, opportunities for peer review and engagement in activities
geared toward improving implementing best practices must be provided (Elmore, 2002).
NCLB and state accountability systems caused many school districts, particularly
urban and rural, to be classified as ―Program Improvement‖ on state-adopted standards-
based assessments. This status pressured those districts to focus curriculum primarily on
what is tested under the accountability system, forgoing higher order thinking and
problem-solving activities. There were (and still are) many demands on school districts to
focus curriculum, instruction, professional development, and assessment on standards-
based academic subject matter knowledge. As such, many teachers began exclusively
presenting the curriculum tested under the accountability system at the expense of
developing their higher order thinking skills. Problem-solving activities that promote
higher order thinking skills are thus left out of the classroom’s daily activities. Students
are assessed on how well they perform in reading, writing, and in mathematics. The
classroom teacher uses these assessments to guide curriculum and daily lessons
(Erpenbach, Forte-Fast, & Potts, 2003).
The state standards-based assessments became the cornerstone to any state
measuring and determining its accountability. The tests focus on state standards and test
students on their knowledge and mastery of these standards. The two are interconnected

8
to provide valuable information on a state’s accountability system, which is linked to
school-specific progress in improving student performance on the state assessments.
NCLB requires that all schools meet a specific level of performance in reading and
writing. The accountability system using the Annual Performance Index (API) holds
administrators accountable for their subgroups achieving the school’s targeted adequate
yearly progress (AYP), ensuring that these students obtain proficient or advanced levels
on the state standardized test. California’s goal is to have every school in the state obtain
an Academic Performance Index (API) of 800 by the school year 2013-2014. The API is
a numeric index with scores that range from a low of 200 to a high of 1000; scores need
to increase by 5% of the distance to 800 in order for growth to be met with the
expectation that all students will score in the proficient or advanced areas by 2014. The
AYP is met only if a percentage of students within subgroups score in the proficient or
advanced levels. To accomplish the goals set forth by NCLB, administrators use
textbooks, pacing guides, and benchmarks to help align the curriculum.
Challenges educational leaders face when moving toward globalization are
viewing the world situation differently, collecting information, and using technology
faithfully. Educators must become leaders at their school sites. They must be able to lead
their site from the existing culture to a more global perspective. Every principal must
have a vision and know ―when to listen, speak, and learn‖ (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
School district leaders are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of 21
st
century
skills and are struggling with how to embed them into curriculum, instruction, and
student assessment. Educators are not using technology to its fullest potential in part due

9
to ―limited classroom space and bulky size computers, teachers’ unwillingness to take the
students to the lab and lack of access to computers at home‖ (Zhao & Frank, 2003). At
best, computers are used to teach students how to data process and ―surf‖ the net.
Technology can be used to teach the core subject areas while training students in
collaboration, higher level thinking skills, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving
(Wagner, 2008). Educators are becoming aware of the importance and power that
technology has in enabling students to excel in knowledge and 21
st
century skills but are
nonetheless struggling to incorporate the two (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
With NCLB, educators found themselves in the midst of standards-based
education reform and standardized testing, using assessments that do not align with the
21
st
century skills employers and universities require for success. It is imperative that
teachers instruct and guide all students, including minorities, toward a tertiary education
and to provide them with the tools to successfully compete in a global society. Ideally,
high school students should leave the educational system with basic knowledge and the
skills needed to be affective in tertiary education. However, ―55% of college freshmen
entering two and four year institutions are under prepared for college credit coursework
and must enroll in remedial courses in reading, writing, and mathematics‖ (Department of
Education, 2006). The repercussions of this lack of knowledge is evidenced by the
number of students who dropout after one school year: ―One in four freshman at four-
year institutions and one in two freshmen at two-year institutions‖ (Department of
Education, 2006) will not return for a second year.

10
Students should matriculate not only with factual knowledge but also with the
skills to obtain new knowledge, a disposition of wanting to gain new ideas and concepts,
and positive attitudes toward building a better society for future generations (Tanner,
2002). In the past, especially for the Baby Boomer generation, individuals sought to
acquire more education then their parents and grandparents before them; as such, this
generation is responsible for increasing the overall education level of the workforce in the
United States (Tanner, 2002). For the next generation of workers, Generation X and those
that follow, education, skills, and flexibility will help keep them marketable in a rapidly
changing global market (Tanner, 2002)
The United Nations believes that all humans are entitled to certain inalienable
rights. Education is one of the human rights that all developed countries should ensure for
all developing countries. Though our educational system has been successful in the past,
it has its limitations: Today educators are struggling to equip students with the necessary
skills for competing in a global economy (Martin, & Mullis, 2006).
On the one hand, NCLB forces schools to hold all students to high standards and
academic rigor, validating the benefit of accountability. Despite socioeconomic
background, race, or ethnicity, every student is expected to be proficient. NCLB focuses
on student results, dispensing sanctions to schools that do not achieve the necessary
growth, and ensures that low-income and minority students achieve the same levels of
performance as their more affluent peers (Kantor & Lowe, 2006). However, on the other
hand, according to past and current international test scores, students in the U.S. rank
lower in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and on the scientific scale, creating an

11
academic gap in spite of NCLB sanctions (Martin, & Mullis, 2006). Some critics have
argued that the standardized tests students take only focus on basic skills—not the skills
students will need to be successful in the 21
st
century (Wagner, 2008).

Statement of the Problem
Today with the Internet, information is literally at our fingertips. Having the
correct answer has always been what is important and necessary; however, for
tomorrow’s student, asking the right questions will be what matters most. To prepare
students to become full participants in the 21
st
century economy, educators should not
stop at the educational formula set forth by NCLB, but should ensure that students
ascertain the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to become successful citizens.
Complex problem-solving, new forms of literacy, working collaboratively, and
maintaining new forms of acquiring and communicating knowledge are some of the
―new‖ skills for educators to focus on. The current economic crisis, research supporting
that the achievement gap for minority students is being perpetuated, low test scores
compared to other countries, and the need to sustain the prosperity of this country in a
global market are among the reasons to promote the acquisition of 21
st
century skills.

Purpose of the Study
Tomorrow’s worker will need to see the U.S. as part of the entire world— not as
an island. The United States is an entity tied ―to the welfare of other countries by
economics, the environment, politics, culture, information, and technology‖ (Merriman &

12
Nicoletti, 2008). To promote awareness of globalization in the classroom, educators will
need to guide their students toward maximizing their abilities and acquiring the skills
they will need to be successful in the 21
st
century.
The purpose of this study is threefold: First, this study will identify a public
school district that is successfully maintaining or exceeding the achievement targets set
forth in NCLB; secondly, the study will provide information on the type of curriculum
the district is utilizing, aimed at preparing students for a 21
st
century work place; finally,
the study will explicate how the organizational structure of a district ensures adequate
standardized assessment results while providing student access to 21
st
century skills.
Thus, this research will focus on (a) the process by which districts identify 21
st
century
skills and (b) the development, implementation, and monitoring of their plan to teach
these skills. The primary purpose of the study is to offer a template for other districts or
school sites that wish to maintain or exceed their accountability targets and provide their
students with the skills needed to participate successfully in a global economy.

Research Questions
This study will answer the following three research questions:
1. What process did the district use to identify and implement 21
st
century skills?
2. What does the district do to prepare and support educators to meet the challenge
of incorporating 21
st
century skills into the curriculum in the midst of standards-
based assessment?
3. How does the district measure the effectiveness of the 21
st
century skills plan?

13
Importance of the Study
Administrators today are concerned with making adequate yearly progress, as
defined in NCLB, and with maintaining their gains toward academic achievement. The
pressure interrelates with state assessments and accountability: At present, the purpose of
education is student achievement and teacher accountability; however, the world is
changing. The anticipated changes will involve personal redefinitions of the way
educators view and deliver instruction. Educators will need to understand how to manage
the influx of new knowledge and to appreciate how their students relate to increasing
globalization.
This study will assist educators in their quest to bridge the gap between standards-
based skills and 21
st
century skills by answering the research questions posed earlier. This
case study seeks to solidify the distinct features that can create a successful school
program and allow for more students to navigate effectively in a global society.

Limitations and Delimitations
The researcher chose Century Unified School District for the purpose of this study
for various reasons, including its overall API rankings, its comparison to traditional top
districts in the state, and its commitment to helping students meet their academic needs
and to providing them with an appropriate level of learning through challenge, depth,
complexity, and novelty. Century Unified School District has a strong staff that believes
in the district‟s mission and vision for the schools and for the students it serves. A high
degree of teacher attention provides students with an engaging, differentiated, and

14
meaningful curriculum. The district is committed to providing an authentic, experiential,
and hands-on learning environment for its students. To best understand how to teach 21
st

century skills while teaching state standards, this study chose to look at three school sites
within one school district.

Limitations
Several key limitations should be noted. Century Unified School District is self-
reporting on its success, thus proffering but one perspective. This analysis will consist of
administrative (Superintendent, Director of Educational Technology, Director of
Teaching and Learning, and principals) and teacher perceptions but no parent or student
opinions. The timeline for this study will be five months, creating a limited amount of
time for interviews. No observations were conducted for this case study.

Delimitations
Though a survey will be offered to teachers in the school district only three
principals will be chosen to conduct a formal interview with the researcher. Because the
purpose is to focus on a school district that is successfully maintaining its achievement
targets and preparing students for a 21
st
century work place, this study will only
investigate those items administrators feel are making it possible for them to achieve in
both areas.

15
Definitions of Terms
21st century skills or 21st century knowledge: This phrase appears in a variety of
literature regarding future demands on workers in an increasingly global job market
(Wagner, 2008). Generally, the phrase 21
st
century skills or 21
st
century knowledge
reflects the need for international knowledge and skills (Asia Society, 2008).
Cellular model of teaching: The process in which, over the years, teachers have worked
by themselves in their own classrooms (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
Failing schools: Schools that have not met their API target growth (California
Department of Education [CDE], 2006).
Global Competitiveness: The idea that global markets, including labor markets, are
increasingly interconnected. Aspects of ―global competitiveness‖ assert that increasing
competition with other nations will require U.S. citizens to improve and add to their
ability to compete for jobs with workers from any country (Amin & Luckin, 1996).
Goals 2000: President Bill Clinton signed The Goals 2000: Educate America Act (P.L.
103-227) on March 31, 1994. The purpose of this federal legislation was to help students
achieve their full potential. The legislation included a variety of funding initiatives,
including a strong emphasis on the use of technology to help students achieve high
standards at the dawn of the 21st century. Many view Goals 2000 as the precursor to
NCLB.
Nanotechnology: engineering functional systems at the molecular scale (Karoly &
Constantijn, 2004)

16
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): An assessment administered
nationally to compare students in the U.S. across states and territories using different
standards and standardized tests. NAEP includes assessment in mathematics, reading,
writing, science, and other areas with world history and foreign language tests anticipated
for 2012. NAEP is not required of all students, however, it represents the primary
―national‖ standardized test in the U.S. (Schleicher, 2007).
New forms of literacy: ―Literacies‖ describes educational settings and competencies in
the future job market. Literacies such as technology literacy, multicultural literacy,
electronic media literacy, and literacy in a foreign language are referred to in the
literature (Merriman, & Nicoletti, 2008).
NCLB (No Child Left Behind): This act is a reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA). President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) act in 2001. This Federal Act mandates standards-based education
reform and standards-based assessment for all states and territories. NCLB describes how
federal money to support education can be spent. Though it does not authorize national
standards, NCLB requires states and territories seeking federal dollars to set standards
and define standardized assessments (U.S. Department of Education, n.d).
PISA (Program for International Student Assessment): The Program for International
Student Assessment (PISA) collects data on students, institutional factors, and academic
outcomes in mathematics, science, and literacy as well in the application of knowledge in
these areas to new situations. PISA includes 57 participating countries (Schleicher, 2007).
Program improvement: According to NCLB, a school is required to increase its

17
subgroups scores in math and language arts to the level of proficient or advanced. A
school enters Program Improvement when it does not increase the number of those
scoring in the proficient or advanced levels in math and language arts for two consecutive
years (U.S. Department of Education, n.d).
Standards-based education reform: An approach to improving K-12 student performance
by using standards-based reform in the U.S. since the 1980s. Standards are clearly
defined to describe what students should be able to do and the knowledge they should
leave each grade level with as well as an accountability system to measure their
performance. The standards-based approach requires all students to reach the same level
of predefined ―proficiency‖ relative to the standards (Elmore, 2002).
Standardized testing: Standardized tests are administered, scored, and interpreted under
consistent conditions. These tests are used by many industrialized nations to measure and
compare student performance. With the authorization of NCLB, standardized tests are
administered in math, language arts, science, and social studies in grades 2-12 (Elmore,
2002).
TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study): The Third International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) tested student performance in mathematics and
science. TIMSS also accessed the educational practices such as instructional techniques,
materials, and time (Schleicher, 2007).
Virtual office: When individuals or groups do not work face-to-face, but rather
communicate using emails, conference calls, web cams, and so forth (Wagner, 2008)

18
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction
Public schools have the opportunity to develop the minds of future societies. The
school system acculturates and assimilates young citizens towards the social networks
that can be used to support educational and social attainment. An individual’s early
attitudes, abilities, and motivation within the dynamics of the school setting establish how
successful they are and are responsible for developing human capital. Public schools are
a major factor in our political system and originally meant to be used as the catalyst for
ensuring the stability and growth of society (Wirt & Kirt, 2005). This system creates
resources for the society it helps to maintain. Public schools allocate revenues, programs,
and professionals, all of which come with a set of specific values producing output (Wirt
& Kirst, 2005). Contextualizing education as a resource, the gateway to knowledge and
power, and viewing it through the lenses of our political system and human capital will
contribute to sustaining our country’s economic power (Wirt & Kirt, 2005).
The literature review will cover five topics that are relevant to this study and will
explain the need for 21
st
century skills in the classroom. The topics covered in this
chapter include the definitions of globalization, future work force and work skills needed,
21
st
century skills, challenges to incorporating 21
st
century skills in the classroom, and
organizational structures for developing the 21
st
century classroom. Wagner’s (2008) 21
st

century survival skills will provide a framework for 21
st
century best practices districts

19
should utilize. Bolman and Deal’s (2003) and Julius et al.’s (1999) leadership framework
will provide background for leadership best practices.

Definition of Globalization
Globalization has its roots as early as the 1970s when U.S. corporations relocated
to less economically developed countries in order to boost their economic clout. They
were interested in maximizing their production and increasing their profits (Olaniran &
Agnello, 2008). In the 1980s the term globalization generally referred to technology or
any entity coupled with it; however, globalization has a deeper meaning and stretches
beyond the mere concept of technology. Some educators during this decade recognized
this expanded definition and supplemented curriculum with conflict resolution, ecology,
and cultural tolerance as a major indictor of globalization (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
Often times, globalization and 21
st
century skills are used interchangeably, when in fact
they are not the same thing. In essence, globalization is the understanding of human
behavior and how mankind is connected in ways ranging from economics to global
history (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). United States citizens need to understand that the
welfare of this country is connected to the economies, environment, politics, and cultures
of other countries (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). In this section, the researcher will
briefly discuss different points of view regarding globalization (i.e., what it is and what
fears are associated with it) and then describe globalization within the educational
system.

20
Kellner (2002) describes two distinct points of view for globalization. For some,
globalization is an extension of capitalism— merely the next step in the imposition of
capitalist ideals on every culture. For others, globalization is the next step in
modernization (Kellner, 2002). Globalization is simply a way for society to generate
new economic opportunities, spread political democratization, and become culturally
diverse (Kellner, 2002). No matter the definition, globalization in its simplest form is the
product of different societies, economically developed countries (EDCs) as they relate,
interact, and affect less economically developed countries (LEDCs) (Merriman &
Nicoletti, 2008; Olaniran & Agnello, 2008).
Globalization is brought about by capitalism enmeshed with technology and
encompassing social tendencies that pertain to ideals about politics, capitalism,
economics, technology, and culture with each having an effect on the students’ society
for the type of educational institutions the country produces (Kellner, 2002). EDCs use
globalization to help set their own agendas to guide the rest of the world towards the
future they see and want (Kellner, 2002). To understand globalization the individual must
put aside their current definition of capitalism because it is no longer a system of goods
and services or of supply and demand (Kellner, 2002). Globalization pertains to goods
and services that have always been under the scrutiny of capitalists’ rules and regulations
but are no longer only produced by a few select industrialized nations (Kellner, 2002).
Globalization embraces the intertwined features of a restructured capitalism in which
economic, technological, political, and cultural features are brought together (Kellner,
2002). Kellner (2002) argued that individuals must comprehend and understand the

21
importance of the scientific and technological revolution, the forces that drive
globalization, and why capitalism is essential to its growth if they are to succeed in a
global economy.
While Kellner (2002) has tried to explain globalization through a restructuring of
capitalism, Rodrick (1997) described the feelings Americans have towards globalization.
The uncertainty our society may have towards globalization finds its roots in the idea that
it can undermine the American economy (Rodrick, 1997). Rodrick (1997) concluded that
Americans feared globalization would change this nation’s norms and social institutions,
which would in turn clash with those of developing nations as outsourcing of specific
labor continues to challenge society’s beliefs. The United States was at the forefront of
the industrial revolution where its products were produced at a minimal cost but
purchased for a higher price elsewhere (Rodrick, 1997). The nation’s norms and
institutions sprang from the capitalist economy that sustained itself for over 100 years;
but as globalization spreads into different markets, our society’s social stability is at risk
(Rodrick, 1997). Globalization also inevitably produces rising tensions with regard to
open-trade (Rodrick, 1997).
Olaniran and Agnello’s (2008) research may help alleviate Americans’ fears
towards globalization and help explain steps that need to take place to benefit everyone.
Olaniran and Agnello (2008) argued that it is more than likely that the citizens in LEDCs
have a different problem then the EDCs imagine. The citizens of LEDCs are less likely to
be equipped to handle the rise in technology-based careers (Olaniran & Agnello, 2008)
not because they cannot comprehend what needs to be done, rather their educational

22
system coupled with their already existing agricultural system will begin to break down
the advancement of their transition (Olaniran & Agnello, 2008). At the present, LEDCs
have substance-based economies with redundant labor. Their educational systems have
made a change towards the more Western style in order to help produce a workforce that
can handle the outsourcing from the EDCs (Olaniran & Agnello, 2008); however, the
success of an educational system in one context does not mean it will transfer
successfully to another environment (Olaniran & Agnello, 2008).
Simply put, globalization is the product of economically developing countries
relating, interacting, and affecting less economically developed countries (Merriman &
Nicoletti, 2008; Olaniran & Agnello, 2008). Further research by Kellner (2002) has
provided an expanded definition that espouses capitalism with modernization,
establishing the importance for understanding the scientific and technological revolution,
the forces that drive globalization, and why capitalism is essential to its growth. The
research presented in this section by Olaniran and Agnello (2008), Merriman and
Nicoletti, (2008), and Kellner (2002) indicates that globalization is the direction in which
our society is headed and that citizens need to be prepared to function in a global society.
Though some research shows that society may be fearful of globalization (Olanarian &
Agnello, 2008), other research explains the importance of change and helps to provide a
direction (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).

23
Future Work Force and Work Skills
For those individuals currently in the education system, as well as those already
working, the workforce and technology will change dramatically over the next 10 to 15
years (Pring, 2004). These individuals will need to be innovative, highly productive,
capable of producing profits (Pring, 2004), and able to work in a culturally diverse
environment because the future workforce will be made up of many cultures and foreign
languages creating international teams that work for one organization (Asia Society,
2008). This section will discuss (a) the make-up of the workforce and predictions for its
future as defined by recent trends and (b) work skills and how technology will influence
the type of skills needed.
Karoly and Constantijin (2004) have reflected on and reviewed data regarding the
trends in the labor market over the past 50 years. Though the workforce is predicted to
continue to grow, growth will not be at the rate the United States has experienced in past
generations (Karoly & Constantijn, 2004). Changes in the workforce will include a more
even distribution between nontraditional workforce participants such as women,
individuals with disabilities, and the elderly (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004). Their data
indicates that between 2020 and 2030, the work force will only grow 0.3% and the
composition of the workforce will also change (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004). At present,
because of the number of Baby Boomers in the work force, an age balance exists;
however, this equilibrium will diminish as the Baby Boomers retire because the number
of people leaving the workforce will be greater than the number of people entering
(Karoly & Constantijin, 2004). The data also showed that Hispanics and Asians are the

24
fastest growing ethnic groups in the U.S. and have experienced an increase in fertility,
immigration, and participation in the labor force, with 61% of Hispanic men between the
ages of 20 and 44 participating in the workforce (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004).
Researchers predict that this growth spurt in immigrant labor will contribute to the
change in the workforce (Karoly &Constantijin, 2004)
Provoking further changes in the workforce is the U.S shift from an industrial
economy to a more service economy, in which jobs provide employees with a range of
wages, benefits, and levels of job security (Tanner, 2002). Past generations have always
had well-defined educational opportunities before being placed in the workforce;
according to Tanner (2002), labor experts predict that the next two decades will see a
shortage of workers due to a decreasing general population. The labor force during the
1980s and 1990s increased by 50%, most likely because of the Baby Boomers and the
high number of women and minorities who entered into the workplace; however, the
labor force is only predicted to grow by 16% in the next 20 years (Tanner, 2002).
Both studies (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004; Tanner, 2002) reviewed current data
to predict what the future work force would look like. Though the final projections may
not be exactly the same, the US work force will get smaller, as explained by Karoly and
Constantijin’s (2004) study, which discusses a decline in the generations born after the
Baby Boomers, adding that the traditional participants will be joined by the increasing
growth that minorities and women will have in the workforce (Tanner, 2002).
Coupled with the slow growth rate of the work force is the influence technology
will bear on labor skills (Tanner, 2002). Labor experts warn that in order to be successful

25
in the workplace, future workers will need to constantly update their work skills because
the available jobs will require some level of education (Tanner, 2002). As technology
changes, individuals need to update their knowledge or training. Tanner (2002) discussed
in his research that employers will pick their employees from an international pool rather
than from the United States exclusively because computers, communication devices, and
the Internet allow people from other countries to acquire outsourced jobs. U.S. companies
can employ these individuals for less money and fewer benefits (Tanner, 2002).
Karoly and Constantijin (2004) discussed the impact technology has had on the
workforce and how this impact has caused changes in organizations and their production.
In past decades, companies were organized vertically, allowing the organization to
develop and control all aspects of production (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004). Today, due
to informational technology, organizations have many different possibilities to create a
product without having to control each level of production (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004).
Karoly and Constantijin (2004) discovered that companies have found it economically
lucrative to outsource noncore activities and to focus on the core competencies or human
resources of their main product. Informational technology in the 1970s cost about $7601
for 1 megahertz of processing power and about $5,257 for 1 megabit of storage (Karoly
& Constantijin, 2004). However by 1999, 1 megahertz of processing power or 1 megabit
of storage cost about 0.17¢ (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004). The low cost made it possible
for informational technology to establish networks using telephones, fax machines,
computers, web cameras, and so forth that can monitor and control production in several
different places at minimal cost to the organization (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004).

26
Technological changes will occur not only through advances in informational technology,
but also through biotechnology and nanotechnology, all of which, according to Karoly
and Constantijn (2004), will directly affect future generations because the need for skilled
individuals will rise. In their study analyzing data between 1959-1998, Levy and
Murnane (2002), as cited by Karoly and Constantijin (2004), found that as labor became
more computerized, the demand for rote manual and cognitive tasks decreased but the
need for nonroutine types of problem-solving or more complex communication skills
rose.
Karoly and Constantijn’s (2004) study reviewed trends and research in
technology, revealing that advances in biotechnology and nanotechnology will most
likely have the greatest affect on the U.S. economy. Biotechnology has the potential to
extend life expectancy or to improve the quality of life for individuals who may have a
disability or chronic illness. Karoly and Constantijin (2004) concluded that
biotechnology could increase the workforce because it would allow individuals to stay in
the workforce longer or allow those who would otherwise not be able to participate in the
workforce to work. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at the atomic scale and
is not yet functional (Karoly & Constantijin, 2004); however, Karoly and Constantijin’s
(2004) study discussed the implications of nanotechnology on the workforce. Because
this type of technology is highly advanced, those employed to maintain nanotechnology
would need extensive education to understand how it works (Karoly & Constantijin,
2004).

27
Karoly and Constantijin’s (2004) study revealed that changing technologies
require that the future workforce be flexible and capable of adapting to these new
technologies. They concluded that education would not just end with graduation but
rather continue throughout one’s life in order to keep up with the changing technologies.
Karoly and Constantijin (2004) explained that whereas NCLB seeks to test educational
agencies in how well they teach routine cognitive skills such as reading and math,
tomorrow’s citizens will need to be proficient— if not advanced— in abstract reasoning,
problem solving, communication, and collaboration— skills NCLB does not require
(Karoly & Constantijin, 2004).
Specializing in a field of study will become obsolete due to the overwhelming
amount of information available on any given topic, therefore the skills needed to
succeed in the future workforce will not be the rote skills today’s student is learning
(Wagner, 2008). Employees of the future will problem-solve with a team of individuals,
bringing a plethora of knowledge to be sifted through and analyzed (Wagner, 2008) and
corporations will depend on the innovation of their workers to surpass the competition
(Pring, 2004). To sustain a productive economy and allow its citizens the continued
luxury of prosperity, governments will need to guarantee that their citizens are equipped
with the necessary skills to sustain them (Pring, 2004).

Definition of 21
st
Century Skills
The term 21
st
Century Skills has been used in recent years to mean that the teacher
is providing technology in the classroom or that students have access to computers

28
(Merriman & Nicolettu, 2008). Twenty-first century skills are not just about technology
but rather about skills that require an individual to function without memorizing facts and
figures. For the purpose of this paper, the researcher will use Wagner’s (2008) seven
survival skills as the definition of 21
st
century skills; these skills are (a) critical thinking
and problem solving, (b) collaboration across networks and leading by influence, (c)
agility and adaptability, (d) initiative and entrepreneurialism, (e) effective oral and
written communication, (f) accessing and analyzing information, and (g) curiosity and
imagination.
Wagner (2008) developed these seven skills after several CEOs of large
corporations divulged to him that the individuals their companies interviewed were not
equipped with the skills needed to sustain their employment or to benefit the
organization. Wagner (2008) found that the CEOs were looking for individuals who
knew what questions to ask. Basically, organizations were looking at the thought process
of the potential employee or for individuals who could engage in a two-way conversation
with good discussion (Wagner, 2008). And, finally, they wanted to hire individuals who
could work well with others by engaging coworkers to learn what they need to know in
order to accomplish a specific task (Wagner, 2008).
Wagner (2008) first discusses critical thinking and problem solving. Wagner
(2008) found that a recurring theme was the individual’s ability to ask good questions.
Asking a good question allows the individual to obtain the information he/she needs in
order to accomplish a given task (Wagner, 2008). Asking specific questions entails
higher level thinking skills or critical thinking, at the same time developing the necessary

29
steps and information needed in problem solving (Wagner, 2008). It would seem obvious
that every student knows how to think. On the contrary, Wagner (2008) discusses in his
findings that most students cannot ask the right questions. These skills are important in
the workforce because the organization of corporations have changed (Wagner, 2008).
Wagner (2008) distinguishes the difference between corporations today and yesterday. In
the past, corporations were organized in a top-down arrangement or in hierarchies
(Wagner, 2008). Today, corporations are ―flattened,‖ with networks or teams working
together on one project (Wagner, 2008). The main difference Wagner (2008) found was
that ―work‖ is the task at hand or the goal that a team is trying to accomplish. Critical
thinking skills and problem solving require the individual to handle a constant and
sometimes overwhelming flow of information, to analyze it, and then decide whether or
not to keep it (Wagner, 2008).
The second 21
st
century skill is collaboration across two types of networks, (a)
virtual and (b) fluid, and the ability to lead by influence rather than practice a ―command
and control‖ type of leadership (Wagner, 2008). Wagner (2008) described virtual
collaboration as contact between individuals via different types of technology and fluid
collaboration as the necessity for individuals to work around the world, understanding
culture, time zones, training, and task management. Wagner (2008) tells how one of his
CEOs was part of a project, in which a team of individuals worked on major
infrastructure projects, but were not in the same office. Instead, they were equipped with
the technology to work from the road by teleconferencing, emailing, and providing web
casts. The biggest problem was changing employee behavior so that they could work

30
independently and work together, sharing their successes, failures, and information to
complete the project. What made this virtual collaboration difficult was that the
individuals lacked the trust needed for successful collaboration. Trust was not easily
gained because the individuals who had created the team did not have the conventional
interaction their predecessors had (Wagner, 2008). Next, Wagner (2008) explained fluid
collaboration as the ability for individuals to take into consideration talent and cost; in
other words, employers are seeking out talent from every corner of the globe. Wagner
(2008) discovered that when employers put together a team for their organization, they
choose the best engineers, the best assemblers, the best packaging, and so forth. If the
employer needs to cross borders for talent then each member of the team will need to
collaborate from afar and will not be together in the same building (Wagner, 2008). Once
organizations started to cross boarders, employees had to understand the cultural
differences that existed and trust was harder to obtain (Wagner, 2008). The overriding
theme for both virtual and fluid collaboration is trust. Wagner (2008) found that U.S.
employees had difficulty with trust when it came to empowering others and letting go of
control, which leads us into influence leadership rather than the ―command and control‖
type. The final piece to Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century skills is influence leadership. An
important factor for working across virtual or fluid collaboration will be how an
individual leads others. Knowing how to influence others who may not work directly for
the organization, or who may speak a different language, becomes the ultimate goal
because without collaboration the intended task will not be completed and millions of
dollars may be lost (Wagner, 2008).

31
The third 21
st
century skill is agility and adaptability (Wagner, 2008). During his
conversations, Wagner (2008) discovered that organizations were changing from a
hierarchal type of authority to a broader team environment coupled with vast amounts of
information and data collection. To be successful in such an environment, according to
Wagner (2008), an individual must be agile and adaptable to an ever-changing work
environment. As new goals or tasks present themselves, the worker will need to take
his/her existing skills and adapt them or add to them in order to accomplish the
organization’s objectives (Wagner, 2008). These skills will be necessary at all levels of
the organization because without agility and adaptability the quality and productivity of
the organization will not be able to improve (Wagner, 2008). Wagner (2008) discovered
that organizations change what and how they do things all the time to be more efficient,
to create better products, and to increase profits. The reality is that agility and adaptability
enable an individual hired for a specific position to change as the position he/she hold
changes (Wagner, 208).
Wagner’s (2008) fourth 21
st
century skill is initiative and entrepreneurialism.
These two skills reflect each other and, when harnessed, allow the individual to view
solutions to new problems differently (Wagner, 2008). Initiative and entrepreneurialism
also expand upon Wagner’s second 21
st
century skill, leading by influence. After several
interviews with CEOs from different organizations, Wagner (2008) discovered that these
leaders look for workers who show initiative and entrepreneurialism because the tasks
required of them sometimes entail a proactive type of leadership. To accomplish this
goal, individuals need to be able to initiate their influence and ideas to others (Wagner,

32
2008). In his interviews, Wagner found that skills of initiative or entrepreneurialism are
often found in individuals driven by results, which is necessary for an organization to
continue its success and maintain its appeal (Wagner, 2008). An individual with these
skills tends not to be complacent. Wagner (2008) found that initiative and
entrepreneurialism bring passion and allow the individual to ―embrace new ideas.‖
Wagner’s (2008) fifth 21
st
century skill is to develop effective oral and written
communication. As organizations start to incorporate so-called ―virtual offices,‖ fewer
face-to-face interactions occur thus making communication difficult (Wagner, 2008). The
ability to communicate orally or in writing becomes essential within the ―virtual office‖
because ideas must be shared in some cases without human contact (Wagner, 2008). The
study showed that employers found oral and written communication extremely important
because the worker will create and send ideas to their colleagues through memos or
letters and will at some point create complex reports putting the entire team’s proposal
together and share it with the organization (Wagner, 2008). To communicate effectively,
individuals need to take information, create their idea, and be able to communicate that
concept with others (Wagner, 2008).
Wagner’s (2008) sixth 21
st
century skill is the ability to access and analyze
information. In connection with the first 21
st
century skill, accessing and analyzing
information relates to critical thinking and problem solving (Wagner, 2008). Wagner
(2008) continually conveyed that the amount of information a worker encounters grows
at a phenomenal rate each day. The individual must sift through all available information
and then make a decision as to which information is important to the task at hand

33
(Wagner, 2008). The ability to access and analyze information allows the worker to take
key points to a situation and then work with their team to develop a plan for the problem
they need to solve (Wagner, 2008). Wagner (2008) discovered that recent college
graduates lacked the skills to participate in the kind of give-and-take conversation
essential to collecting necessary information. To productively discuss a problem or
solution, an individual must be able to actively listen to others around them, synthesize
the information, and then contribute to the conversation (Wagner, 2008).
Wagner’s (2008) seventh and final 21
st
century skill is curiosity and imagination.
These two skills heighten an individual’s ability to problem-solve, Wagner’s first 21
st

century skill (Wagner, 2008). Based on interviews with CEOs, Wagner’s (2008) findings
revealed that although in the past critical techniques could be taught, employers today
seek individuals who can creatively think ―out of the box‖ when problem-solving.
Individuals trained to use their imagination help the organization stay ahead of the
competition and use their curiosity to change and enhance existing products (Wagner,
2008). Curiosity brings about the inquisitiveness needed for an individual to understand
how a problem was created or how it evolved (Wagner, 2008). CEOs agreed that to do a
system analysis, workers need curiosity in order to find the root of the problem (Wagner,
2008).
As Wagner’s (2008) findings make clear, technology is not the only 21
st
century
skills, but because of technology mastery of 21
st
century skills is necessary for the
success of any individual. All seven skills overlap with one another to some extent.
Problem-solving and critical thinking are the main skills students need to learn if they are

34
to be competitive in a global society (Wagner, 2008). In asking the right questions,
students are able to collect necessary information and solve the equations (Wagner,
2008). To train students as proficient problem solvers or critical thinkers, Wagner’s
(2008) other skills, assessing and analyzing information and curiosity and imagination are
are also necessary. Thinking critically will only get the employee part of the way; how
one net-works or leads by influence will matter in a global society because once the
individual has solved a particular problem, he/she will need to convince others of the
value of their idea (Wagner, 2008). What happens when an individual finds that his/her
skills are obsolete? Wagner (2008) found that agility and adaptability help create blue
prints for the new worker. Change within an organization is inevitable and all workers—
from those on the assembly line to those in the boardroom—need to adapt to all changes,
adding new skills to their existing repertoire (Wagner, 2008). Finally, initiative and
entrepreneurialism allow employees to take their critical thinking, problem solving,
agility, and adaptability skills and develop the processes the organization needs to create
avenues for leadership that will in turn achieve the necessary outcomes.
Twenty-first century skills are not taught in schools today; however, they can be
incorporated into existing curriculum (Wagner, 2008). In essence, understanding
curriculum content should be viewed as the goal. Today’s classroom focuses on
memorizing information, not understanding it (Wagner, 2008). Wagner’s (2008) first
survival skill, critical thinking and problem solving, creates the foundation for students to
become competitive in a global society. Students who can problem-solve using the
standardized curriculum by asking the right questions will engage in critical thinking

35
(Wagner, 2008). This strategy is important because, as stated earlier, the future work
force will engage in problem-solving by collecting data and viewing several solutions to
one question. The second survival skill, collaboration across networks and leading by
influence, explains the significance and change in teamwork. As technology has become
more and more intertwined with everyday life and how people communicate, boundaries
are disappearing (Wagner, 2008). Many corporations are multinational and are placing
multiculturalism at the forefront; as such, the need to understand and work effectively
with people from other cultures will increase as companies continue to outsource jobs
(Wagner, 2008). The third survival skill, agility and adaptability, requires that individuals
be able to take in new information and adapt to the situation at hand. These skills allow
for the worker to continue producing results (Wagner, 2008). The fourth survival skill,
initiative and entrepreneurialism, relates to the third survival skill in that it requires the
individual to go one step further. Employers are searching for candidates that are agile
and adapt well to any situation but are also willing to look for opportunities to do things
better (Wagner, 2008). The fifth survival skill, effective oral and written communication,
involves how well an individual can relate, discuss, and influence others through verbal
skills (Wagner, 2008). In a global economy where companies are multinational,
communication via e-mail, during conference calls or the ability to produce quality
reports, memos, or letters is imperative (Wagner, 2008). The sixth survival skill,
assessing and analyzing information requires the individual to collect all types of
information on a given subject, sift through the data and produce a comprehensive
answer. According to Wagner, (2008), how people deal with the influx of information

36
they receive is important to how they react and how well they perform. The seventh
survival skill, curiosity and imagination, provide the cornerstones to new ideas and allow
the individual to be creative (Wagner, 2008).

Supporting 21
st
Century Skills in the Classroom
Wagner’s (2008) second survival skill, collaboration across networks and leading
by influence, and Kneip’s (as sited by Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008) Human Values
explain the importance of understanding others and working together. When researchers
(Wagner, 2008) speak of globalization, the notion encompasses the entire globe. But how
does globalization relate to the classroom or to one specific school site? This section will
briefly discuss the traditional make-up of today’s classrooms as they relate to cultural
settings and models, and then explore the type of support that is needed there to ensure
21
st
century skills and globalization are being taught.
The traditional make-up of today’s classrooms is influenced by how educational
leaders bring their own settings and models into the schools where they work, combined
with all of their life experiences (Galimore, 2001). Galimore’s (2001) research discusses
two aspects, cultural settings and cultural models; both contribute to the environment in
the classroom and the school site. First, cultural settings are occasions or activities
regarded with importance by the group around which people come together over a
specific period of time (Galimore, 2001). These cultural settings are created from the
activities shared by society and sustain the beliefs and way of life for the individual
(Galimore, 2001). Cultural models are the shared environmental interpretations or ways

37
of thinking that individuals bring with them (Galimore, 2001). These cultural models are
shared mental schema of how the world works; behavioral and cognitive affective
components of a shared way of thinking (Galimore, 2001). To provide an environment
that supports globalization, educators will have to change current cultural settings and
cultural models (Galimore, 2001).
Over the years educators have fallen, by default and not realizing its negative
impact on student achievement, into what Galimore (2001) has dubbed the ―cellular
model of teaching.‖ Galimore (2001) found over the years that teachers work by
themselves in their own classrooms not participating in grade-level meetings or having
the opportunity to see what their colleagues were doing. The research also indicated that
whether teachers preferred to work alone did not matter because the makeup of
classrooms in the studies were 20-35 pupils with one teacher in an enclosed area
(Galimore, 2001). Galimore (2001) also discovered that teachers often chose to use prep-
time in their own classrooms rather then to work with other teachers on school-wide
issues. This cultural model was established because of the school structure and the fact
that teachers spend countless hours on their own (Galimore, 2001).
Galimore’s (2001) study found that when teachers changed from the cellular
model of teaching to a more collaborative model where they could share best practices,
support one another, or simply collaborate with colleagues, student achievement
increased (Galimore, 2001). These aspirations created a new cultural model by
establishing common goals, indicators to assess whether the goals were being met
through assistance and strong leadership— a step in the direction of true globalization

38
(Galimore, 2001). Cultural models and settings are important to a school’s dynamics and
align with several aspects of globalization, among them Wagner’s (2008) survival skills
and Kneip’s (as cited in Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008) human values. Teachers will need
to utilize the appropriate cultural settings for collaboration with other teachers and their
students in order to maximize student learning (Galimore, 2001).
Kniep (as cited in Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008) recommended four domains in
which the educational system in the US could be structured to incorporate globalization
into the school setting and to promote the type of support classrooms need to ensure that
21
st
century skills and globalization are being taught. These ideas will be central to this
study.
Kniep (as cited in Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008) believed that human values,
global systems, global issues and problems, and global history were necessary aspects of
globalization that students should learn in their everyday lessons. Kniep’s (Merriman &
Nicoletti, 2008) ideas help to support Kellner’s (2008) argument that globalization can
embrace the intertwined features of a restructured capitalism in which economic,
technological, political, and cultural features are brought together if the individual can
comprehend and understand the importance of the scientific and technological revolution,
and the forces that drive globalization.
The first domain, human values addresses the study of similar and diverse values
as they are learned and appreciated (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). The importance of
human values for individuals in the future workforce is that understanding and tolerance
of others are cultivated in this domain (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). If an individual

39
does not have tolerance towards other cultures, navigating within an organization will be
difficult, as described later in this paper by Wagner (2008). Wagner’s (2008) definition of
the 21
st
century skill of collaboration across networks and leading by influence elucidates
that at some point an individual will work with other individuals in different countries
rather than with a group of individuals that reside in the same building. The study of
human values will create an understanding of shared values that two different cultures
may have and give the opportunity for people to understand diverse populations, allowing
for successful collaborative work (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
Kniep’s (Merriman, 2008) second domain, global systems, emphasizes how each
country’s economy, ecology, politics, and technology are dependent upon each other.
Merriman and Nicoletti’s article (2008) defines global systems to be economics, ecology,
politics, and technology because each of these domains is intertwined between the U.S.
government and other governments around the world; for example, if an organization
out-sources jobs to another country, the U.S. economy will be affected (Merriman &
Nicoletti, 2008). The Internet, search engines, and email have become a part of everyday
life for anyone who owns a computer (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). This technology
allows infinite amounts of information to be shared between groups of individuals at a
phenomenal rate (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
The global issues and problems domain investigates worldwide concerns and
challenges focusing on peace and security, environmental issues and human rights
(Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). Kneip (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008) has suggested that
students study issues that impact the world they live in to help foster global awareness.

40
Issues ranging from terrorism to infectious diseases are to be explored by students in
order to help them understand the global issues and problems that will eventually have an
affect on their lives (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
Finally, the global history domain emphasizes the evolution of universal and
diverse human values, the history of global systems and the roots of global problems
(Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). Global history entails how cultures were developed and
the study of politics, religion and social systems throughout history (Merriman &
Nicoletti, 2008). Global History is already embedded in US curriculum but Merriman
and Nicoletti (2008) has suggested that educators elaborate on the basic facts and discuss
how these systems affected our society in the past and how these systems will affect our
society in the future.
Galimore’s (2001) observation that teachers spend prep-time in their own
classrooms rather than working with their colleagues on school-wide issues and that a
cultural model has been established in which teachers spend countless hours on their own
raises questions about whether the cellular model will cause difficulties for teachers who
are equipped and ready to move in the direction of globalization. Kniep (as cited in
Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008) argues that four domains— human values, global systems,
global issues and problems, and global history— are critical to understanding and
participating in globalization. However, Kniep’s (as cited in Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008)
domains reflect a deeper understanding of not just one society but also of the ideals
carried by others, the knowledge needed to maneuver between economies and politics,
and the understanding of global history

41
Organizational Leadership Structures Towards Developing the
21
st
Century Classroom
Schools and districts are finding themselves in a dilemma because of the dearth of
school administrators who are also effective leaders (Olson, 2000). Research has shown
that schools have changed and administrators are ill-equipped to handle the change
because education has been inundated with new expectations in the form of higher
teacher standards, higher student standards, and high stakes testing (Merriman &
Nicoletti, 2008; Olson, 2000). Olson (2000) further concludes that the ineffectiveness of
leaders is due to the unclear definition of the role as ―instructional leader‖ and that the
notion of an instructional leader changes from district to district and school site to school
site. This section will first generally define effective leadership and then discuss two
organizational leadership structures that will help create effective leaders.
To provide effective leadership, an individual needs to know that he/she will be
held accountable for implementing decisions (Bolman & Deal, 1994; Olson, 2000). As
stated above, the ineffectiveness of leaders comes from the vagueness of the role of
―instructional leader‖ and the lack of clear definition by districts or the variation in
definition from district to district and school site to school site (Olson, 2000). Some
principals may be told that in order to be instructional leaders, they need to spend time
supervising students, whereas others may be told to coordinate processes at their sites
(Olson, 2000). Effective leadership is a gateway to 21
st
century skills because it creates
leaders who are accomplished in instruction and have or are working toward having a
dynamic inspirational way about them focused almost exclusively on raising student

42
achievement (Olson, 2000). These ideas become important towards establishing 21
st

century skills because, as this researcher discussed earlier, such skills do not just mean
that the teacher is providing technology in the classroom or that students have access to
computers (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008). Twenty-first century skills entail technology
and require an individual to function without memorizing facts and figures, as described
by Wagner’s (2008) seven survival skills.
Keeping in mind that to push forward with 21
st
century skills we need a certain
type of leadership and thus discussing leadership frameworks is important. Notably,
there is a difference between leadership and management (Bolman & Deal, 1994). In
fact, Bolman and Deal (1994) define management as a system that helps to keep
consistency, control, and efficiency within an organization, however leadership provides
an organization with passion, purpose, and imagination. Bolman and Deal (1994)
discovered a consensus about distinguishing differences between leadership and
management, a critical distinction because today’s leaders must first sift through the
misconceptions of leadership that have evolved over the centuries to unite the two and
make them one in the same (Bolman & Deal, 1994).
The first misconception is that leaders have all the answers and do not need help
to lead (Bolman & Deal, 1994). The second misconception is that leadership and
management are the same (Bolman & Deal, 1994). Bolman and Deal (1994) deciphered
management from leadership by associating management with maintaining the
organization’s structure. In essence, managers keep existing systems running smoothly,
changing only to create better efficiency (Bolman & Deal, 1994). This system has

43
allowed for quick fixes to be the norm rather than creating long-term remedies (Bolman
& Deal, 1994). As organizations change or experience new challenges, they look to
leaders to help guide the change (Bolman & Deal, 1994). This next section discusses two
organizational leadership frameworks that will help create effective leaders.

Frameworks
Throughout history leaders have developed new nations, shifted societies’
paradigms, and brought people together after horrific tragedies. Inner strength and the
ability to change the way others view and accept their surroundings is a skill leaders
utilize to develop their vision (Julius et al.,1999). To guide others in becoming effective
leaders, Julius et al. (1999) have established 10 rules that serve educational leaders
seeking to steer their sites towards change. They are:
Rule #1 Integrity
Rule #2 Build a team
Rule #3 Concentrate your efforts
Rule #4 Strategic planning
Rule #5 Use committees effectively
Rule #6 Know when to engage conflict
Rule #7 Learn the history
Rule #8 Use the formal
Rule #9 Follow through
Rule #10 Glance backward

44
These rules describe characteristics and insights the effective leader should
follow, what types of teams to build, who should be placed on those teams, and what the
committees or groups should be focused on. Following these rules, an organization can
take responsibility for building personal relationships and coalitions alike. Groups can be
created that move forward the decision-making process with a vision guiding them.
These rules suggest that in order for change to occur, effective leaders need to have
solutions to problems or risk being viewed as incompetent (Julius et al., 1999).
When set along-side Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century survival skills Julius et al.’s
(1999) 10 rules start to create an understanding as to why 21
st
century skills are
important. Julius et al. (1999) proclaims that organizations are looking for individuals
with integrity, who can build a team, concentrate their efforts, use committees effectively,
know when to engage conflict, use the formal, or glance backward, know how to learn
the history, and provide strategic planning, and follow through. Recall that Wagner
(2008) developed seven 21
st
century survival skills after his conversations with CEOs of
large corporations. Wagner (2008) found that CEOs were looking for individuals who
could think critically, knew what questions to ask, and could engage in two-way
conversations with productive discussion. Organizations want to hire individuals who
work well with others, engaging and challenging coworkers when accomplishing a
specific task (Wagner, 2008).
Effective leaders seeking change must accurately assess the type of organization
they work in, know how decisions are made within the organization, and know who will
be held accountable for implementing any decisions (Julius et al., 1999). In an analysis of

45
assessing the organization one works for, Julius et al. (1999) discuss how an educational
leader must understand that the academic organization serves the client and therefore
needs to have a vision in order for the decision-making process to make a difference.
Otherwise, new individuals can enter the organization and, with enough ambition and
persistence, will easily galvanize workers to follow a different agenda. Such individuals
can hurt the educational leader, taking the leader’s eyes off the vision that was deemed
important and necessary and placing unnecessary pressure on the decision-making
process (Julius, 1999). Further pressure comes from unclear goals and degrees of
participation an administrator receives from the staff. There are four types of
participation individuals will encounter when working on committees: fluid participation,
issue carrousels, subsidiary processes, and conflict. These four types of participation help
effective leaders understand and summarize the nature of decision-making for their site
(Julius et al., 1999). The 10 rules established by Julius et al. (1999) are key components
to the effective leader implementing change and are important to adhere to because
people will not simply change for the sake of change. These rules help create the kind of
groups administrators need to move forward with their vision.
There are many ideas about what makes a true leader. In understanding
leadership, understanding how decisions come to pass is imperative. It is crucial that
administrators always keep the best interest of students at the forefront, which may
require an individual at times to engage with ethics. A different side to leadership
exists— the soul within the individual. With the changes our world has seen and
experienced, becoming part of the educational field allows the individual to continue

46
believing in the idea that human life is sacred and that there is nothing more important
than its nourishment and development (Bolman & Deal, 2002).
Bolman and Deal (2003) discuss four frameworks, structural, political, symbolic,
and the human resources frame in Reframing Organizations. These frameworks provide
for an explanation on how the world of leadership and management can be interpreted
and explored. In general, today’s leaders need to view their actions and situations they
find themselves in through different lenses. Having a vision is important but being able to
communicate it and have others follow is the key (Bolman & Deal, 2003).
Bolman and Deal’s (2003) Structural Framework represents the bureaucracy in
each organization with a mechanistic hierarchy and clear lines of authority. It is assumed
in the structural framework that the organization exists to provide goals and objectives,
thought-out and specialized roles, relationships, and control over emotions to allow for a
more collaborative work environment (Bolman & Deal, 2003). Problems occur within the
structural framework when there is a breakdown of goals, roles, relationships, or
collaboration.
The Human Resource Frame places an emphasis on human needs and how the
organization can be tailored to meet those needs (Bolman & Deal, 2003). The Human
Resource Frame encourages a participative, democratic, decision-making organization
and strives to meet people’s needs while creating opportunities for them to realize their
aspirations (Bolman & Deal, 2003). When organizations use cooperation and equity to
lead their employees instead of a hierarchy approach, participation will rise (Bolman &
Deal, 2003).

47
The Political Frame defines organizations as arenas in which coalitions among
groups within an organization are created (Bolman & Deal, 2003). These coalitions may
differ in values, beliefs, information, interests, or perceptions of reality, thus creating
conflict (Bolman & Deal, 2003). The competition for power and scarce resources creates
another dilemma. To successfully maneuver the political frame, bargaining, negotiation,
coercion and compromise become important, much-needed skills (Bolman & Deal,
2003).
Bolman and Deal’s (2003) Symbolic Frame discusses the invented processes and
cultures that organizations create to maintain their shared meanings, rituals, or myths
(Bolman & Deal, 2003). This framework originates from social and cultural anthropology
by viewing the organization as a tribe in which culture and shared meanings are
important to the success of the organization (Bolman & Deal, 2003). Like any culture,
problems occur when shared meanings get lost, rituals are no longer deemed important,
or individuals do not behave in an appropriate manor defined by the culture (Bolman &
Deal, 2003).
Understanding these four frames will help a leader to change an organization or to
improve performance of those within the organization (Bolman & Deal, 2003). Bolman
and Deal’s (2003) frames influence what leaders see and do, and define roles and
understanding of the organization’s behavior. Frames also help in determining what’s
important and what can safely be ignored (Bolman & Deal, 2003).

48
Conclusion
This literature review discussed the definitions of globalization, future work force
and work skills needed, 21
st
century skills, challenges towards incorporating 21
st
century
skills into the classroom, and organizational structures towards developing the 21
st

century classroom. These five areas intertwine with each other to provide an
understanding of why 21
st
century skills need to be taught in the school system.
Globalization is not to be feared as many feel it will be the cause of the U.S. citizen’s
way of life (Olanarian, 2008). Globalization is merely a direction in which society is
headed. The 21
st
century skills defined by Wagner (2008) are imperative to the success of
individuals who will participate in the future work place and work force, which will
change because of globalization. As the work force changes, the skills and leadership also
must change (Pring, 2004).
This researcher used Wagner’s 21
st
century skills as a springboard to articulating
what students will need for effectively understanding globalization, future work skills,
and leadership. With these concepts in mind, educators can build a 21
st
century classroom
that will incorporate and teach the necessary skills.

49
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY

Introduction
As explained in previous chapters, tomorrow’s worker will need to see the U.S. as
part of the entire world, not as an island unto itself (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008).
Researchers (Kellner, 2002; Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008; Olaniran & Agnello, 2008;
Wagner, 2008) have established that the United States is an entity tied to other societies
throughout the globe because of shared economics, the environment, politics, culture,
information, and technology. Achieving globalization in the classroom will only take
place if educators guide students towards maximizing the abilities and skills needed to be
successful in the 21
st
century.
The intent of this study was to explore actions taken by district and site
administrators that promoted and provided in-depth descriptions on how to teach 21
st

century skills and provide standards-based education. Secondly, this study aimed to offer
a template for other districts or school sites that wish to maintain or exceed their
accountability targets and provide students with the skills needed for a global economy.
Though a district within a high socioeconomic neighborhood may have an easier
time implementing 21
st
century skills in the classroom, this characteristic was secondary
to its leadership and the structures put in place by its leaders to support 21
st
century skills.
This dissertation explored the systems put in place by district leaders. The information

50
used in the study came from district and school administrator interviews, teacher surveys,
and document analysis (Patton, 2002).
The three main research questions guiding the study were:
1. What process did the district use to identify and implement 21
st
century skills?
2. What does the district do to prepare and support educators to meet the challenge
of incorporating 21
st
century skills into the curriculum in the midst of standards-
based assessment?
3. How does the district measure the effectiveness of the 21
st
century skills plan?

These questions sought to understand how a district successfully incorporated 21
st

century skills into its curriculum. Although these questions entailed how a district
developed and maintained its support system for 21
st
century skills and self-reported
definitions that may or may not align with research, these questions contributed to the
analysis of how reported definitions compared to research. In looking at institutional
contexts, this study sought to understand how structures and methods hindered or
facilitated the development and sustainability of 21
st
century skills in the classroom.
This study examined the nature and level of 21
st
century skills and specifically
focused on the identification of those skills, how the district supported its teachers, and
the measurement of its success. This project was a case study aimed at understanding
how 21
st
century skills could be taught in the classroom while teaching state standards at
a high level of success.

51
Criteria and Measures to Select School District
This study focused on one school district in southern California. The researcher
chose the district based on three factors: (a) the success of its schools (API scores were
used to determine “success”), (b) the district‟s mission and vision, (c) its programs
intended to achieve 21
st
century skills. Criterion sampling was used to specifically seek a
district that is successfully incorporating 21
st
century skills and standards-based
curriculum. All of the schools in Century Unified School District (CUSD) scored in the
top 2% in the state as indicated by recent Academic Performance Index (API) rankings.
The district could also boast that 99% of its 10
th
-graders passed the CAHSEE. Student
performance levels were the highest in the county and compared favorably to other high
socioeconomic districts in southern California. Century Unified School District was
named one of the top 29 (out of 1000 schools) “Outperforming School Districts in
California” according to a Standard and Poor research study funded from a grant from the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The study was intended to find school districts that
provided higher levels of performance and could sustain their performance over time.
CUSD not only provided a mission and vision statement to project its
commitment to teaching 21
st
century skills, but also used them to guide its district plans
(i.e., school-level plans, technology plan), exhibiting a driving force to provide a
differentiated education so that all students could succeed. CUSD aligned its district
artifacts to frameworks presented by Wagner (2008) and Bolman and Deal (2003) used
by this researcher for this case study.

52
Design of the Research
According to Patton (2002), ―purpose is the controlling force in research.
Decisions about design measurement, analysis and reporting, all flow from purpose.‖
Patton (2002) has made it clear that expectations, audiences, reporting, and dissemination
approaches are different with each type of research. The purpose of this study was to help
other school districts create an environment in which 21
st
century skills could be coupled
with standard-based curriculum. Merriam (1998) has stated using case studies allows the
researcher to gain insight, and to make discovery and analysis. By using a case study
approach, the researcher was allowed to discover the process including a description of
the context and the people in the studies (Merriam, 1998). Most importantly, the
researcher was able to describe the development and practices by which a school district
continued to evolve its practices to guarantee that students were equipped with the
appropriate 21
st
century skills (Merriam, 1998). For these reasons, this researcher created
a case study to provide a program evaluation in examining processes CUSD has used to
become successful at creating the desired outcomes.
Qualitative methods allowed the researcher to pursue questions with depth, detail,
context, and nuance, providing a window into how CUSD merges 21
st
century skills with
NCLB skills. This case study included six interviews of district staff and principals, as
well as document research, and teacher surveys.

53
Instrumentation
The instrumentation for this case study to analyze the process CUSD had in place
to provide 21
st
century skills to its students, a collection of qualitative data was procured.
First, the district was chosen due to purposeful sampling. The researcher then initiated
and conducted interviews, provided surveys, and reviewed district documents (i.e.,
district/school brochures, vision/mission statements, and school/district plans).
Interviews were recorded on digital voice recorders and then transcribed by an
independent agency. Interviews, surveys, and district documents were coded and
analyzed to correlate findings to research questions. The researcher also collected data
from the district’s website.
Six interviews were conducted over a period of two days. At the district level, the
Superintendent, Director of Educational Technology, and Director of Teaching and
Learning were given the structured interview questions, and were interviewed at the
district office. The three school site administrators were given the structured interview
questions, and were each interviewed at their site. Those selected to participate in the
interviews were contacted first by telephone and then with a follow up e-mail to confirm
their participation in the study.
The Structured Interview Questions for the Superintendent, Director of
Educational Technology, and Director of Teaching and Learning were:
1. What is your understanding of 21
st
century skills?
2. What are the district practices that support 21
st
century skills and how do you
promote these practices?

54
3. From your leadership perspective, what are the most important practices your
district does to support 21
st
century skills? How do you promote these practices?
When and how do you and/or your staff discuss these practices?
4. What has been your leadership role in raising awareness of global education at
school sites?
5. Does your Language Arts program reflect understanding of other world cultures?
6. Does your district offer programs that promote contact with other cultures and
nations?
7. How was the district’s vision developed and how does it drive the instructional
programs at the school sites?
8. What policies or strategies have been officially adopted in support of teaching 21
st

century skills?
9. Does the district offer the opportunity to participate in professional development
opportunities to increase staff knowledge of 21
st
century skills and the use of
technology towards promoting student learning?
10. What have you done to maintain a balance between meeting NCLB, AYP, and
teaching 21
st
century skills at the school sites?
11. What challenges did you or your school sites encounter while incorporating 21
st

century skills into the curriculum?
12. How does the district measure success? (Evidence of success)

55
The Structured Interview Questionnaire for site principals included the following
questions:
1. What is your understanding of 21
st
century skills?
2. What are the classroom practices that support 21
st
century skills & how do you
promote these practices? When and how do you and/or your staff discuss these
practices?
3. What has been your leadership role in raising awareness of global education at
your school site?
4. Does your Language Arts program reflect understanding of other world cultures?
5. Does your school offer programs that promote contact with other cultures and
nations?
6. How was the school’s vision developed and how does it drive the instructional
programs at your school site?
7. What policies or strategies have been officially adopted in support of teaching 21
st

century skills?
8. Does the staff have time for curriculum planning so that they can include a global
perspective in the school curriculum?
9. Does the staff have time for curriculum planning so that they can discuss current
curriculum, assessments, and student needs?
10. Does the staff have the opportunity to participate in professional development
opportunities to increase their knowledge of 21
st
century skills and use of
technology towards promoting student learning?

56
11. What have you done to maintain a balance between meeting NCLB, AYP, and
teaching 21
st
century skills in the classroom?
12. What challenges did you or your school site encounter while incorporating 21
st

century skills into the curriculum?
13. How does the district measure success? (Evidence of success)

Teachers were elicited to participate in a survey via email. Thirty-three teachers in
CUSD participated in the survey. The structured survey questions used for the teachers
were divided into five categories: collaboration opportunities, curriculum for global
education, school leadership, levels of implementation, and use of data. Anonymity was
assured by using Survey Monkey, a web-based survey engine that allowed the researcher
to create questions, collect responses, and analyze results. Questions on the survey
allowed for teachers to choose from four responses (i.e., weekly, monthly, quarterly,
biannually), or in an open response box. Once the survey was created, a link was sent via
email to all participating teachers. The survey was kept open for 15 days.
The Structured Survey Questionnaire for Teachers consisted of the following
prompts:
1. How often do you meet with leadership staff?
2. Who leads the sessions during the meeting?
3. What are the components of your collaboration?
4. How does the school vision support a global education?
5. Who initiates addressing 21
st
century skills in the classroom?

57
6. How do you use technology in your instruction in support of a global education?
7. My school administrators deliver vision and goals clearly to the staff…
8. My school administrators help teachers identify and analyze student assessment
data such as CST scores, API’s to boost student performance.
9. My school administrators provide prompt feedback and support for implementing
any practices of programs.
10. My school administrators provide ways for teachers to improve their instructional
strategies to support a global education (21
st
century skills).
11. My school administrators greatly contribute effort and enthusiasm to create a
culture in support of preparing students for the 21
st
century workplace.
12. My school administrators make decisions based on the needs of students.
13. My school administrators make decisions in support of the school’s vision.
14. How often do you actually implement new programs or newly learned teaching
strategies into your classroom practice
15. I receive support/feedback from administrators during the process of the
implementation
16. Most programs implemented are based on the needs for the students.
17. Most programs implemented are in support of the school’s vision.
18. How often do you use the CST scores (or other tests) to plan your instructional
program?
19. I review any available student data to guide my instruction to help with diverse
student backgrounds?

58
20. Teachers/administrators analyze student data to support students’ learning.
21. What is your understanding of 21
st
century skills?

Data Collection
This study’s primary tool for collecting data was the interview. The researcher’s
intent in using the interview was to help capture how CUSD’s employees view their
district and what type of terminology they used, and to capture the complexities of their
individual perceptions and experiences (Patton, 2002). Working with other researchers,
this researcher assembled a set of interview protocols to guide the process; a
semistructured approach was used during the interviews. Using the research questions
listed previously, interview questions were prepared. Patton’s (2002) ―Interview Guide
Approach‖ was combined with his ―Standardized Open-Ended Interview‖ to keep
consistency between all interviews. The goal of the interview was not only to ask
structured questions that may elicit textbook answers but also to allow for some freedom
with regard to more probing questions. The researcher coded the interview responses
offered by staff, with the intention of offering detailed insight into perceived and actual
programs. The interviews lasted approximately 45-60 minutes. One interview was
conducted with each administrator. Notes were taken during the interview, with
reflective notes added after its conclusion. The interview was recorded and the results of
these interviews were transcribed for analysis. The survey used for all administrators was
developed and reviewed by peers.

59
The artifacts collected for this case study were elicited from school-site
administrators and department heads from early September 2009 through January 2010.
The district’s website was consulted to establish a feel for its beliefs toward 21
st
century
skills, to help create interview and survey questions, as well as to provide data.
Interviews were conducted after the completion of IRB in October 2009. Survey Monkey
was used to send surveys to participating teachers via email in December 2009. All
collected data was then analyzed in January and February 2010.

Data Analysis
CUSD’s documents contributed to formulating the interview and survey questions
the researcher used for this case study. This researcher focused on analyzing the data for
evidence that 21
st
century skills were being taught in the classrooms along with NCLB
standards; how the district was providing 21
st
century skills; and the type of leadership or
decision-making processes in place to support 21
st
century skills.
Information pertaining to leadership or decision-making gathered from CUSD
was organized and viewed through the leadership lens of Bolman and Deal (2003), and
the decision-making lens of Julius et al. (1999). The 21
st
century conceptual framework
of Wagner (2008) was used to verify that CUSD was promoting 21
st
century skills in the
classroom. A summary of Wagner‟s (2008) 21
st
century skills framework is summarized
in Table 1, below; Julius et al.‟s (1999) decision-making framework is summarized in
Table 2, below; and Boleman and Deal‟s (2003) leadership framework is summarized in
Table 3, below.

60
Table 1

Wagner’s (2008) Seven Survival Skills The Global Achievement Gap
Skill Description
Critical thinking and problem solving

A student needs to be able to ask good
questions and engage in critical thinking
and problem solving.
Collaboration across networks and leading
by influence

A student needs to be able to work with
networks of people across boundaries and
different cultures.
Agility and adaptability

A student needs to be agile and adapt to his
or her surroundings.
Initiative and entrepreneurialism

A student needs to be able to seek out new
opportunities, ideas, and strategies for
improvement.
Effective oral and written communication

A student needs to be able to express
his/her views clearly in a democracy and to
communicate effectively across cultures.
Accessing and analyzing information

A student needs to be able to access and
analyze large quantities of information.
Curiosity and imagination A student needs to be able to develop
creative solutions to problems through
curiosity and lively imagination.

61
Table 2

Decision Making Rules (Julius et al., 1999)
Rule Description
#1 Integrity Strive for the good of the organization; build
personal relationships and external
constituencies
#2 Build a team A committed group of people who are willing
to support each other and to become change
agents for the organization.
#3 Concentrate your efforts Prioritize what change the group will focus on;
timing
#4 Strategic Planning Focus team on objectives, strategy, assess
strategies, evaluation, and reflection on any
successes or failures.
#5 Use committees effectively Appoint the right people, keep ideas flowing,
structure the decision making process
#6 Know when to engage conflict Do not fight to win all the time
#7 Learn the history Know your data/research and policy
convergence
#8 Use the formal system The organization itself
#9 Follow through Push the decision flow
#10 Glance backward Does performance live up to the expectations?
Know when to stop a project

62
Table 3

Bolman and Deal (2003) Reframing Organizations

The Structural Frame
This frame emphasizes goals, specialized
roles, and formal relationships in the
organization.
The Human Resource Frame
This frame sees an organization like an
extended family with needs, feelings,
prejudices, skills and limitations.
The Political Frame
This frame sees organizations as arenas,
contests, or jungles.
The Symbolic Frame
This frame sees organizations as cultures,
propelled more by rituals, ceremonies,
stories, heroes, and myths than by rules,
policies, and managerial authority.

As noted in an earlier chapter, the researcher used Wagner‟s 21
st
century skills as a basis
for what students need to understand and maneuver their way around issues of
globalization, future work skills, and leadership. The researcher then speculated that with
these concepts in mind, educators could build the 21
st
century classroom they would need
to teach the necessary skills. In Table 1, each of Wagner’s 21
st
century skills was
defined. In Table 2, the decision-making rules presented by Julius et al. (1999) are meant
to help the reader understand how decisions are made. Julius et al. (1999) created 10 rules
that leaders could follow when making decisions that would help them move their
organizations forward. And finally, Table 3 briefly describes Bolman and Deal’s (2003)

63
four frames of leadership. The researcher used these frameworks to help highlight the
best practices found in the data for CUSD.

Validity and Reliability
To ensure validity, the researcher enlisted peers to review the conclusions from
the interviews and surveys. Patton (2002) explains that using open-ended questions
during interviews or surveys provides the researcher with an understanding of the
interviewees‟ point of view. Because the idea of 21
st
century skills is not prevalent at
school sites, it was important for this researcher to understand and “capture participants
„in their own terms‟” (Patton, 2002).
The Superintendent, Director of Educational Technology, Director of Teaching
and Learning, and three site principals were given interview questions that were adjusted
per their work site. The interview questions were structured to provide each of the 3
research questions with 4 to 10 items to measure each construct and to provide content
reliability. The questions were predetermined and open-ended to guide the structured
interview. To help validate the collected data, the researcher compared the information
taken from interviews, surveys, and district documents.

IRB
The researcher obtained informed consent from all participants prior to
interviews, observations, and document retrieval. The intent was to ensure that there was
voluntary participation in the research study. Compliancy with the University of

64
Southern California’s procedures were followed during the data collection, analysis, and
reporting process. The district understood the nature of the study and that there was an
option to withdraw from it at any time.
All data gathered during taped interviews, the interview transcripts, field notes,
and documents were kept confidential and the utmost care was taken to honor anonymity.
The study was conducted at the district and school-site levels; therefore it is believed by
the researcher that anonymity will not be compromised. All information is presented in
such a way that the individuals’ identities should not be compromised. The researcher
was diligent in adhering to guidelines for ethical conduct in research. Institutional
Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained through the University of Southern
California.

Conclusion
This chapter described the research questions used in this case study and
summarized the method used to identify a ―successful‖ school district that incorporates
standards-based curriculum and 21
st
century skills. This chapter explained how the
researcher collected and analyzed the data and explained the design of the research. It
also discussed the frameworks the researcher used to support what CUSD established as
best practices for their school district. This study touched on an evaluative model of
research. A collection of information regarding its activities, characteristics, and any
outcomes will be used to help other school districts create a program to enhance students‟
ability to acquire 21
st
century skills.

65
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Introduction
Over the past 60 years, Americans have been bombarded with the rising presence
of globalization— from the first designed computer to current trends in nanotechnology
(Mullis, 2006). Tomorrow’s technology already exists. People of all ages, including
students, use technologies, from electronic notepads to parallel processing computers
everyday (Handel, 2003). Technology has also changed over the past 60 years in that
computers are not the only technology that individuals live with. When people discuss
technology, they could be discussing neural networks that combine computer hardware
and software to mimic the human brain or antinoise technology that can cancel out sound
(Handel, 2003). The United States, which has been at the forefront of technology since
the industrial revolution, is now rapidly discovering that the educational system created
to provide literate workers for an industrial society economic security and improved
quality of life is no longer enabling citizens with the right tools for future technological
and globalization trends (Broadfoot, 2000).
To add to the ongoing frustrations around globalization, district and school
accountability increased with the onset of NCLB. States started testing students using a
form of standardized testing, which then became the focus on school campuses and aided
educators to drive toward a systematic teaching approach and a way to measure student
success (Elmore, 2002). However, as seen in Wagner’s (2008) study, standards and

66
school accountability are not the direction the future workforce is headed. The
standardized tests currently used by educators do not align with the 21
st
century skills
employers and universities are looking for marketing successful students and workers
(Wagner, 2008).
Today with the Internet, information is literally at the fingertips of all U.S citizens
and having the correct answer is not necessarily as important as asking the right
questions. Educators are facing the challenge of preparing students to become fully
participant in a 21
st
century economy at the same time meeting the educational criteria set
forth by NCLB. This researcher believes that due to the current economic crisis, research
supporting trends in the future workforce and work skills, low test scores compared to
other countries, and the need to sustain the prosperity of this country in a global market
are reasons that support the promotion of 21
st
century skills.
The focus of this case study was to identify a public school district that was
successfully maintaining or exceeding the achievement targets set forth in NCLB and
providing a curriculum aimed at preparing students for a 21
st
century work place.
Secondly, this study aimed to offer a template for other districts or school sites that wish
to exceed NCLB accountability targets and provide their students with 21
st
century skills
for a global economy. Thirdly, the researcher wanted to identify how the organizational
structure of a district ensures adequate standardized assessment results while providing
students access to 21
st
century skills. Thus, the researcher undertook the following
activities and processes to discover what CUSD does differently to ensure 21
st
century
skills.

67
The research questions were as follows:
1. What process did the district use to identify and implement 21
st
century
skills?
2. What does the district do to prepare and support educators to meet the
challenge of incorporating 21
st
century skills into the curriculum in the
midst of standards-based assessment?
3. How does the district measure the effectiveness of the 21
st
century skills
plan?
This chapter will give a brief description of the participants and settings for data
collection, an overview for each research question, a data analysis of all sources and,
finally, a summary of what the evidence suggests.

Setting/Participants Overview
The researcher’s primary tools for collecting data were the interview, which
followed a set of interview protocols developed by a group and allowed for a semi-
structured approach, a teacher survey, and documentation from the district. The open-
ended interview questions were developed for CUSD’s Superintendent, Director of
Educational Technology, Director of Teaching and Learning, and three site principals
(See Appendix A and B). The researcher used the interview in the hopes that the
structured questions would not elicit textbook answers but rather would allow the
interviewees a chance to answer openly and honestly. All of the interviews lasted
approximately 45-60 minutes and were conducted at either the district office or the site

68
administrator’s school. The interviews were recorded and the researcher simultaneously
took notes. Artifacts— school plans, district technology plan, and district brochure and
website materials— used by the researcher were collected from early September 2009
through January 2010. The survey used for teachers was developed and reviewed by
peers. Survey Monkey, a web-based survey engine that allowed the researcher to create
questions, collect responses, and analyze results, was used to deliver the survey to a
group of teachers employed in CUSD. Questions on the survey allowed for teachers to
choose from four responses (i.e., weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually) or in an open
response box. Once the survey was created, a link was sent via email to all participating
teachers who had the option not to participate. The survey was kept open for 15 days
until it was ―closed‖ and all data was then collected. Finally, this researcher reviewed the
district’s Moral Imperatives, Educational Technology plan, individual school site plans,
and California Distinguished School Applications (where applicable). The information
was used to help create and guide the interview and survey questions and to generate a
better picture as to where the district was with regard to 21
st
century skills.
CUSD has three elementary schools with student populations ranging from 375 to
512 students. Each of the elementary schools prides itself on viewing the child as an
individual with unique qualities and needs. The schools provide different programs to
meet the needs of their GATE students as well as their at-risk students. All three
elementary schools boast API scores of over 900 and two out of the three have been
awarded the California Distinguished School Award. The elementary schools have high

69
numbers of parent volunteers, which helps to provide a quality education in a safe and
nurturing environment.
The participants interviewed for this case study were the Superintendent, Director
of Educational Technology, Director of Teaching and Learning, and three elementary
principals. For purposes of anonymity, pseudonyms were given to the principals. They
are Dr. Alpha, Ms. Beta, and Mr. Delta. Thirty-three teachers responded to the survey.
The district currently has 250 teachers.
The schools are located in a middle-class neighborhood. Student demographics
are as follows: 80% White, 11.3 % Asian, 4% Hispanic, 1.2% African American, 1.2 %
other, and 2.4 % multiple (Department of Education website). There are 88 English
Language Learners in the district and 84 students who receive free/reduced lunch
(Department of Education website). The principals at each site receive an overwhelming
amount of support from the superintendent, who in turn has total support from the board
of education. The superintendent has worked closely with the board to create the Moral
Imperatives that help guide the direction of the district.

Findings: Research Question 1
What process did the district use to identify and implement 21
st
century skills?
There are two parts to understanding this research question. This section will first
discuss what the district ―identifies‖ as 21
st
century skills. The researcher will present
CUSD’s foundation for 21
st
century skills and then use Wagner’s (2008) seven survival
skills discussed in Chapter Two as a benchmark to verify whether the district is

70
identifying 21
st
century skills. The seven survival skills are (a) critical thinking and
problem solving, (b) collaboration across networks and leading by influence, (c) agility
and adaptability, (d) initiative and entrepreneurialism, (e) effective oral and written
communication, (f) Accessing and analyzing information, and (g) Curiosity and
imagination (Wagner, 2008). This section will also discuss globalization— a theme that
reoccurred throughout the interviews and data collection as part of identifying 21
st

century skills. The researcher will then discuss how CUSD uses technology and
incorporates special programs to ―implement‖ the 21
st
century skills they have identified
and discuss how district leadership helps to create the necessary vision to move students
toward acquiring 21
st
century skills.

Identification of 21
st
Century Skills
A foundation for 21
st
century skills was evident in the district’s mission statement
and district brochure. The district’s mission statement states that they are to:
Provide students with a strong foundation for learning
which meets the challenge of the present and of the future
through a balanced education which includes academic
achievement, personal growth, and social responsibility.

Additionally, the 21
st
century skills the district did identify were highlighted in the Moral
Imperatives. CUSD’s Board of Education works collaboratively with the superintendent
and district leadership team to develop its Moral Imperatives in three specific areas:
Authentic Learning, Organization and Shared Leadership, and Finance, Budget, and

71
Facilities. In support of 21
st
century skills, Moral Imperatives states: ―Students [will]
experience a challenging learning environment through depth, complexity, and novelty.‖
The data provided evidence that the district had presented a process for
identifying 21
st
century skills in Moral Imperatives and was looking beyond NCLB state
standards. According to CUSD’s Moral Imperatives – Authentic Learning, the district
identified three beliefs that provide a foundation for understanding that NCLB skills are
not the only skills students will need in a global society. The beliefs are as follows:
 State standards are the guide for learning content at
each grade level and in each subject. All instruction
should be related to ensuring that our students can meet
and exceed these standards. This does not mean that we
are restricted to teach only the state standards. They are
a floor, not a ceiling. Teaching using the state standards
as a guide should not restrict creativity or imagination
in the teaching and learning process.
 It is essential to recognize and value diversity and we
understand that it is our obligation to prepare our
students to live in a global society.
 Technology is a tool that will be used to optimize
authentic learning experiences.

Though the three beliefs from CUSD’s Moral Imperatives do not specifically refer to
Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century survival skills, they do create a springboard for the
principals to develop curriculum outside of NCLB standards and coincide with earlier
discussions regarding globalization.
The superintendent explained that the district uses the Moral Imperatives to
―guide them and keep them focused on the goals they have set for the district.‖ The
Moral Imperatives start with the Board of Education, which according to the
Superintendent has been the catalyst for merging 21
st
century skills with NCLB skills.

72
The Board drafts the goals it feels are necessary for accomplishing high levels of student
performance. The Superintendent and district leadership team collaborate with the board
in finalizing the Moral Imperatives. There was also the understanding that NCLB skills
were different from 21
st
century skills and not one in the same. Aloong these lines, the
superintendent stated:
NCLB are some of the basic literacy skills, the writing
skills, the mathematic skills, the things that we basically
test for. Twenty-first century skills are another set of skills
like innovation and understanding of technology, world
cultures, languages, the things that we know a person, an
educated person, in 2010 need to have.

In order to analyze the results, a benchmark was needed to measure where the
district thought it was in comparison to Wagner’s (2008) seven survival skills. This
researcher found that CUSD not only identified several of Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century
skills but also had a few of their own. Table 4 depicts Wagner’s 21
st
century skills and
denotes the number of sites (maximum three) that identified each particular skill. The
table also provides CUSD’s self-proclaimed 21
st
century skills and the number of sites
that indentified those particular skills. This researcher found that Wagner’s (2008)
survival skills of critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration across networks,
and effective oral and written communication were identified most often.

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Table 4
CUSD’s Identified 21
st
Century Skills

21
st
Century Skills
(Wagner, 2008)
Number of sites who
implement the skill
District proclaimed 21
st

Century Skills
(identified from
interviews, surveys,
school site plans)
Number of sites who
implement the skill
Critical thinking and
problem solving
3 Technology as a tool to
facilitate and enrich
curriculum
3
Collaboration across
networks and leading by
influence
3 Technology skills to
acquire literacy skills
needed to succeed in the
workplace.
3
Agility and adaptability 2 Understanding world
cultures and languages
(globalization)
3
Initiative and
entrepreneurialism
2 Environmental
awareness
(globalization)
3
Effective oral and
written communication
3 Diversity (globalization) District vision
Accessing and analyzing
information
2
Curiosity and
imagination
3

74
Wagner’s (2008) first 21
st
century survival skill— critical thinking and problem
solving— was most often referenced, reflecting a consensus that students need to be able
to invent their own strategies for learning using new technologies, because educators
―don’t know what the new world is going to be like in terms of demands for job skills‖
(Director of Teaching and Learning). All six individuals interviewed identified this
survival skill as necessary for students to thrive in a global society, thus verifying the
district’s Moral Imperative that its students need to be prepared for a global society. The
teacher responses from the survey showed that they were all aware of technology and the
capacity for which it should be used, however, only 16% of the surveyed teachers even
mentioned one of Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century skills in the open-responses. The most
identified skill from those surveyed was critical thinking or problem solving. Teacher
responses from survey participants are below. To the question: ―What is your
understanding of 21
st
Century skills?‖ teachers offered the following‖
1. Process information, develop higher thinking skills (beyond
memorization)

2. moderate

3. Digital Age Literacy; Synthesis of information to creative solutions;
Social and personal skills; Quality results

4. Skills that bring technology and new teaching strategies into the classroom
to help support the development of global citizens. 21st century teaching
strategies incorporate skills and knowledge that students need beyond the
classroom.

5. Using technology (computers, smart boards, internet access, etc.) to
facilitate the learning process.

75
6. 21st Century Skills- means being able to perform successfully as an adult
in the 21st Century. This includes comprehension of topics that are
significant to today's society such as the current state of the environment,
state of the economy, etc. This also means that students can function as an
adult, they are responsible and know how to complete tasks on time, get
bills paid and are able to think critically and solve problems they are faced
with in their job/employment. This also means that students know how to
use the tools that are available for them, such as internet, computer
software and that they are comfortable and capable of using technology.

7. Using technology in the classroom, such as computers, internet, Smart
boards, etc. so that students learn the curriculum in a variety of ways.

8. Using computers and interactive as a tool which add strategies to the
variety of strategies which we are using in the classroom to meet every
student’s need. It is also a way to motivate and engage the students better

9. Use the technology available to assist student in acquiring the skills
necessary to be successful.

10. Being able to incorporate technology (computers, internet, smart board
hardware and software) into the curriculum to enhance student learning.

11. Bringing technology tools into the classroom for teacher and student use.
Most of my lessons are given via my smartboard. They often incorporate
material I have gathered from the internet. I use software and hardware in
almost every aspect of my teaching from research to analysis of student
product to spontaneous learning opportunities. My students have a laptop
to use every single class. The complete many, if not all, of their
assignments using Word and rely heavily on the internet for research and
materials for presentations. Students learn and use Word,Excel, Power
point, Garage Band, Photo Booth, and other applications regularly in class.

12. The 21st Century will demand many forms of literacy from our students,
not the least of which will be the fluency with ever-changing digital
media. The trick, of course, is avoiding the pitfall of replacing proven and
valuable print literacy with the seductive literacy of vibrating electrons.

13. The use of various tools such as a smart board, internet, cameras, podcasts,
and many other used during instruction. These tools are used to reach out
to a very technological advanced generation of students; keeping them
engaged during the learning process.

76
14. Bringing in technology as a tool for instruction. The skills and concepts
we teach in school should reflect the skills and concepts children will need
in the adult world one day soon and technology helps us to do this in a
more relevant manner. In addition, kids are using all sorts of technology in
their daily lives – social networking, online gaming, email/texting, etc. We
make them sit in rows, hand them a 2-dimensional textbook, and ask them
to sit and read!

15. 21st Century teaching centers around students learning to be skilled at
using the changing technology/info systems to learn in the areas of school
content and many other abilities that they'll need to take their place in a
changing world.

16. Skills that are valuable in our society. These skills are important for the
workplace, socially, and for continuing ones education. They take into
account technology as well as a global understanding concerning different
people and the environment.

17. In order to provide universal access to all students 21 Century skills are a
must. It is my responsibility to enhance these skills with the support of the
administrators. Students will then be competitive in the world.

18. You have not clearly identified whether these skills are teacher skills,
student skills, or administrative skills. I believe that a collaboration of
administrators, teachers, students, and parents should have the ability to
use 21st century skills to change the ways that schools operate. Schools
need to move away from the 6 or 7 period physical location model.
Students should learn by doing and should not come daily to a classroom.
Real world experiences should be in the real world. Students have
technological skills that they are wasting on iPhone, gaming, texting, and
video gaming.

19. Computer literacy and knowledge of available equipment and programs to
facilitate and enrich curriculum.

20. 21st Century skills involve giving students the tools to address global
issues and succeed in a more technologically advanced world. They help
students to be successful in their pursuit of a higher education and their
future career.

21. 21st Century skills include strong academic skills,
thinking, reasoning, teamwork skills, and proficiency in using technology.

77

22. real world "hands-on" skills that prepare students to enter tomorrow’s
workforce.

23. Be able to work with others, collaborate, for a common goal.
Be able to find/acquire the information you need in order to: make
decisions, solve problems, improve processes and contribute positively to
your organization. Be intrinsically motivated to complete a task working
independently. Have the organizational skills to complete that task.

24. Technology skills that help us to keep up with the technology of the 21st
century.

Wagner’s (2008) second 21
st
century skill, collaboration across networks and
leading by influence, was partially identified by four out of six individuals who were
interviewed as skills students would need in a global society. The Director of Educational
Technology identified collaboration as a necessity, stating that, ―we have to become more
global, we have to be able to collaborate; we have to be able to work with other people.‖
CUSD’s Moral Imperatives did not directly state collaboration or leading by influence as
a student standard, however, these skills are directed towards the teachers and principals
in the district. A focus area for CUSD, as explained in the district’s Moral Imperatives, is
to promote opportunities for collaboration through staff development, school visitations,
and district leadership activities. Of the teachers who were surveyed, only one discussed
collaboration among administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Ms. Beta described
her original knowledge of 21
st
century skills as being anything that had to do with
technology; however, she soon realized ―The interconnectedness of the world would
create an atmosphere where collaboration and problem solving were important.‖

78
Wagner’s (2008) third 21
st
century skill, agility and adaptability, was confirmed
by 3 out of 6 individuals interviewed. The Director of Technology shared that:
We have to be able to think on our feet; we have to know
how to get knowledge; we have to know how to evaluate
what we find; and we have to know how to synthesize all
that to get our answers.

For example, she never used the word ―agility‖ (Wagner’s 3
rd
survival skill), but stated
that ―sometimes we need to reinvent the wheel,‖ meaning that what they have doesn’t
always work and needs to be changed.
Wagner’s (2008) fifth 21
st
century skill, effective oral and written communication,
was the third most identified 21
st
century skill by those who were interviewed. However,
this skill is mentioned neither in the Moral Imperatives nor by the teachers who were
surveyed. Written communication is, however, a goal in the school-level plans. All
involved school sites had a specific goal to incorporate Writer’s Workshop to enhance
student learning in the area of writing.
As for Wagner’s (2008) fourth, sixth, and seventh 21
st
century skills— initiative
and entrepreneurialism; accessing and analyzing information; and curiosity and
imagination— all were mentioned by at least 1 of the 6 individuals who were interviewed
or by the teachers who were surveyed. One surveyed teacher explained that ―digital age
literacy [in which] synthesis of information to creative solutions‖ was imperative to
understanding 21
st
century skills. Notably, however, the actual process the district uses to
identify 21
st
century skills was not clear in this researcher’s findings. Those who were
interviewed or surveyed did seem to have an understanding of 21
st
century skills. The

79
process as to how they came upon them is unclear. This researcher found from the
interviews and school site-plans, that awareness of 21
st
century skills was indeed
prevalent.
Chapter Two offered several definitions for globalization. For the purposes of this
section, the researcher will remind the reader that globalization and 21
st
century skills are
often used interchangeably; however, further consideration reveals that they are, in fact,
separate entities. CUSD’s school mission statements define globalization as (a) having
environmental awareness, (b) understanding world cultures and languages, and (c)
providing diversity. CUSD’s Moral Imperatives establishes environmental awareness,
stating that:
A district-wide plan for environmental awareness will be
developed which will include a focus on the impact that
individual students can have on conservation of resources
including energy, water, carbon footprints and global
warming.

The elementary schools have strong recycling programs in which student
monitors sort the trash. The Superintendent discussed how the district is trying to achieve
―80% diversion of trash this year from the landfills into recycling or waste reduction.‖
Environmental awareness is also evident in the renovation projects in which the district
participates. When the high school was given money to renovate its parking lot,
explained the superintendent, the district opted to ―put in a new filtration system so that
the storm water doesn’t run off into the street and into the creeks any longer; it all goes
into a bio-swim that soaks down into the land.‖

80
CUSD also actively sought and received funding to develop an opportunity for the
students to attain proficiency in Chinese. The district applied for and received a FLAP
(Federal Language Assistance Program) grant for $600,000, to be dispersed over three
years, to imbed a Chinese language program in their schools. Though the district does not
have a large Chinese population, the superintendent explained that the district felt ―it was
important to give students choices other then the two existing choices they currently
have: Spanish and French.‖
At the elementary level, Ms. Beta described how the students at her school site
contribute to understandings of globalization by evaluating their own experiences. For
example, students may be presented with a problem such as trash at their school site. In
response, they will ―put together or sort out the likes and differences of the trash problem
and then work on a project to resolve the problem at their school.‖ Service projects also
verified that school sites were supporting global awareness among the students. Ms. Beta
described a global service-learning project for her school that was facilitated by the
student council. In the previous year, every student had the opportunity to participate in
the ―Pennies for Peace‖ project, based on Greg Mortenson’s book Three Cups of Tea.
Later in the school year, Mr. Mortenson was a distinguished speaker in Thousand Oaks
and the students were able to present him with a check for the amount of money they had
raised with the pennies. Curiosity about the world is encouraged at all the school sites.
The schools provide activities such as ―field trips, community gatherings, international
food dinners, and cultural awareness fairs‖ (Dr. Alpha).

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CUSD embedded Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century skills into its mission, vision,
technology plan, and Moral Imperatives. Ideas pertaining to globalization, such as
environmental awareness and understanding world cultures and languages, were
established in the district’s mission statement and are prevalent in numerous site
acitivities

Implementation of 21
st
Century Skills
Evidence of implementation came from interviews, surveys, school site plans, and
the district’s Technology Plan. Collected data supported that CUSD followed Wagner’s
(2008) 21
st
century skills to some degree: (a) critical thinking and problem solving, (b)
collaboration across networks and leading by influence, (c) agility and adaptability, (d)
effective oral and written communication, (e) initiative and entrepreneurialism, (f)
accessing and analyzing information, and (g) curiosity and imagination. The
globalization skills CUSD identified were (a) environmental awareness, (b)
understanding world cultures and languages, and (c) providing diversity. In order to
implement the 21
st
century and globalization skills CUSD has identified, the district uses
technology, incorporates special programs, and has consistent, effective leadership.

Technology to Teach Core Subjects
The idea of technology as a tool for implementing 21
st
century skills is prevalent
as one enters the district’s 21
st
century classrooms equipped with interactive Smart
Boards, document cameras, laptops, digital cameras, digital microscopes, student

82
response systems, and other types of technology depending on the grade level. The ―21
st

century classroom‖ is meant to engage the student and to incorporate Wagner’s (2008)
21
st
century skills. The idea is supported in CUSD’s Moral Imperatives, which states that:
―Technology will be used to assess real world data and information combined with
opportunities for student exploration‖ and ―is a tool that will be used to optimize
authentic learning experiences.‖ Technology is merely the tool used to create an
environment inclusive of skills students already have and bring to the classroom. To help
insure that all students have access to technology, all three elementary schools have
COWs (Computers On Wheel). The sites have two carts with laptop computers and a
printer. COWS can be checked out by a teacher (grades K-5) to use in the classroom.
Because all sites are equipped with wireless internet, the COWS provide independent
work stations.
An understanding of technology as a tool was prevalent among teachers who
were surveyed, 45% of who discussed how technology ―met every student’s need‖ or
―enhanced student learning.‖ The principals who were interviewed all discussed how
technology was used on their campus not as a 21
st
century skill but rather as a tool to
involve students in the learning process. CUSD uses technology to assess real world data
and information, implementing the 21
st
century classroom where teachers are extensively
trained to identify and access internet resources.
At the school sites, technology incorporates cultural literacy and global awareness
via the World Wide Web or by communicating student ideas through technology

83
providing diversity, one of CUSD’s self-identified globalization skills. Dr. Alpha
explained:
We talk a lot about knowing and understanding all the
cultures. We do a lot of work in both the computer lab and
in the classroom with streaming video, talking about things
that are important, and what has happened in other
countries.

Table 5, below, presents the data taken from the surveyed teachers, 45% of who strongly
agreed that the school visions support global education. This finding supports CUSD’s
administrators’ interview responses. Table 6, below, presents the data provided from
CUSD’s teachers, indicating that computers and the Internet were most used to support
instruction in global education, another supporting detail to the responses made by those
who were interviewed.

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Table 5
Teacher Responses to Survey Question Regarding Global Education

85
Table 6
Teacher Responses to Survey Question Regarding Technology

Special Programs
A second prevalent theme within the data collection was that CUSD provides
special programs to implement 21
st
century or globalization skills. The superintendent
believes that ―if you engage kids in school, with what they’re interested in and emphasize
authentic learning it will pay off in the end.‖
At the sites involved in this case study, critical thinking was promoted through
activities such as ―Curriculum Compacting,‖ school-wide enrichment models that provide

86
high-end learning opportunities for all students, and ―special events and activities [meant
to] enrich the curriculum, apply and extend student knowledge, and provide an outlet for
creative talents‖ (Dr. Alpha). Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century goal of effective oral and
written communication is apparent in arrangements to implement Writer’s Workshop and
to provide ample professional development for this program. The school sites anticipate
an increase in writing fluency and in the depth and complexity of writing. The intent is to
have students focus on a wide range of genres and to be able to write effectively across
the curriculum. The plan to implement a K-5 writing program derived from analysis of
district program components and student data pages.
Opportunities for students to collaborate are provided by sites that implement
―Big Buddies,‖ a program that pairs up a 3
rd
-grade classroom (or other upper grade
classes) with a kindergarten classroom. These ―buddy classes‖ meet regularly to complete
projects, in which case the students learn how to work in groups with others who are not
part of their everyday lives. Another component of the ―Big Buddies‖ encourages 3
rd
-
graders to choose a challenge book for themselves along with a picture book with their
―little buddy‖ in mind. Kindergarteners practice tracking and reading sight words, while
3
rd
graders build fluency and learn how to choose literature with an audience in mind.
Wagner’s (2008) collaboration skill is defined as being able to collaborate across virtual
and fluid networks. In this case, the ―Big Buddies‖ program provides a fluid type of
network, in which students have contact with individuals who are not part of their 3
rd
-
grade culture, and do not have their same ―training.‖ By working on projects together,

87
students obtain the skills needed for future work across different cultures, time zones, and
levels of training (Wagner, 2008).
―Think it Through Thursday‖ is a program that the elementary schools have to
help students solve problems or conflicts through role-playing. Ms. Beta described this
program as a way to ―teach children that type of empathy and compassion they are going
to need to be successful global citizens.‖ This program is mainly initiated by the
students; however, teachers and parents can encourage the children to utilize the
counselor. The counselor works with small groups. A student will present a problem
occurring in the classroom or on the playground and the counselor will ask the group,
―What can you do?‖ The students receive feedback from peers of similar ages.
The Director of Teaching discussed how middle school students are given the
opportunity to participate in an enrichment activity— a marine biology trip to Catalina.
As she stated, ―It doesn’t matter whether you are handicapped, Special Ed., getting all
F’s, everybody goes.‖ She regards this opportunity as an example of an activity that
reaches out to students who are struggling and that will provide rich opportunities for
promoting 21
st
century skills.
Effective Leadership
As discussed in Chapter Three, Julius et al. (1999) established 10 rules the
educational leader should follow to be successful in leading their site towards change.
The 21
st
century skills could not be implemented as efficiently as they are in CUSD if it
were not for the effective leadership of its superintendent and site principals. The
superintendent of CUSD clearly demonstrated integrity (rule #1) not only by preaching

88
its importance to his staff but also by actually going out and developing such excursions
as the 5
th
grade field trip to Santa Cruz Island. The superintendent stated:
I guess maybe it’s a way of living from my point of view
but I go in and I teach these lessons in the 5
th
grade
classrooms in the fall about the endemic life on Santa Cruz
Island, what lives only there and how it got there and the
formation of the island and the importance of protecting
that. And then we take the kids out there and the naturalist
and I lead these hikes out there on the island and we lead
marine science experiments out on the pier. We measure
the ocean and do several hands-on work with the kids.

He consistently concentrated the district’s efforts (rule #3) on incorporating 21
st
century
skills with standards-based curriculum, infusing technology as an important teaching
instrument, providing professional development, and focusing on environmental
awareness.
Further effective leadership using Bolman and Deal’s (2003) Structural
Framework was evident in that the site principals, with the help of teachers, created goals
and objectives to address emotions that may arise during decision-making. Because
collaboration time is meant for processes ranging from data analysis to brainstorming
effective intervention, roles and relationships were clearly defined. Bolman and Deal’s
(2003) Symbolic Frame was also evident at the school sites because the principals had
developed processes and cultures (i.e., collaboration and professional development) to
maintain its shared goals.
This researcher concluded that the district and school-site leadership was a
catalyst towards implementing 21
st
century skills. Without strong effective leadership, the
district would not have the technology to incorporate 21
st
century skills. The professional

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development would not be possible if it were not for the commitment of the
superintendent to keeping it a high priority.
Findings: Research Question Two
What does the district do to prepare and support educators to meet the challenge of
incorporating 21
st
century skills into the curriculum in the midst of standards-based
assessment?
The collected data indicates that CUSD believes in professional development to
prepare and support its educators. The district’s Moral Imperatives, states that:
Professional development is the key to fulfilling our vision
for teaching and learning. This needs to be authentic and
differentiated just as instruction is for our students.
Teachers who have gained particular expertise should be
teaching other teachers in our district. Teachers need to
have choices and invest in their own professional
development plan.

CUSD’s professional development ranges from preparing teachers for 21
st
century
classrooms to supporting teachers to create the best possible learning environment for
their students. This section discusses the different types of professional development that
is offered to teachers in CUSD and the school culture that has emerged to support
educators.
Professional Development
CUSD believes in ―professional development, having a plan, and allocating funds
to fulfill the district’s vision‖ (Superintendent). Mr. Delta stated:
This district is devoted to professional development. The
superintendent truly is such a driving force in this area. The

90
district will move mountains to make sure that teachers
have opportunities to go.

The district’s Technology Plan and individual school site plans clearly stated goals for
achieving specific 21
st
century goals and then unfolded a plan to accomplish the goals.
The most extensive plan was the district’s Technology Plan, 122 pages, which outlines
who the stakeholders are, a curriculum component, professional development,
infrastructure (hardware, technical support, and software), funding, collaborative
strategies, and research. The plan also outlined six goals for professional development
(Appendix C), which outlined how technology teams would be put together and who
would receive professional development.
According to the district’s Technology Plan, the integration of technology into the
curriculum originally sought to ―systemize the delivery of technology-reinforced
curriculum to all of the Districts’ students and to improve [their] English Language Arts
and Mathematics achievement.‖ The district not only identified a need for technology,
but also provided the teachers with the proper professional development and all necessary
hardware or software. The district implemented teams to research and develop lessons in
the core subject areas for each grade level where technology is an effective fortification
to teach curriculum standards and help students learn and utilize K-12 Tech Standards
skills. The Superintendent elaborated on the use of technology by explaining that: ―If
you want students who are more flexible and able to make presentations, to do authentic
learning the technology is a wonderful tool to have.‖

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The Technology Plan specifically discusses a Professional Development
Component. The District uses a ―variety of models for training and for ongoing
professional development‖ (Technology Plan p. 35). The Technology Coordinator and
the Teacher Leader in Educational Technology work together to provide workshops
teachers can attend and offer phone and email help lines. CUSD teachers are required as
per their contract to fulfill 14 hours of professional development per year. Up until 2005,
the teachers usually attended subject matter seminars to fulfill their 14-hour requirement;
however, the goal of the Technology Plan was to encourage teachers to take professional
development courses in technology. The district worked with the California Technology
Assistance Project (CTAP) staff to provide opportunities for their teachers to take on-line
professional development. CUSD also provided technology professional development to
classified employees that would be using or supervising the Technology Plan.
The Director of Educational Technology verified many of the Technology Plan’s
ideas to incorporate technology into the classroom and described the training that was
involved to see this happen. From her interview, this researcher determined that the
Technology Plan had in fact been implemented. The most interesting piece of
information was the 21
st
century classroom roll-out: Once the district had decided to
provide teachers with SMART Boards, document cameras, student response systems, and
digital microscopes, the next step was to provide training. The Technology Team
collaborated to develop what the professional development should look like. An
application process was also developed to decide whether the teachers were going to use
this technology or revert back to what they knew and felt comfortable with. The

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application asked three questions. The first question— ―Why do you feel you are an
excellent candidate?‖— allowed candidates to talk about their technology qualifications
and gave the district a benchmark as to the teachers’ technology skills. The second
question (2-parts)— ―How do you anticipate this will change the way that you teach?‖
and ―What is this going to do for you as a teacher?‖— allowed for the candidate to
articulate the degree to which he/she understood that this endeavor would change the
classroom. The final question— ―What do you anticipate this is going to do for your
students and your students’ learning?— allowed for teachers to articulate whether they
understood that this technology classroom would benefit their students.
The district website provides a section on to which teachers can log on and peruse
the different professional development in-services offered. During the summer, 28
different in-services were offered to teachers through the district. All in-services were in
one of five technology categories: 21
st
century classroom, general technology,
school/wires website, online/on demand, and department/grade level. As evidenced by
the district website, this researcher found support that the district is indeed providing
substantial opportunities for professional development. The district has also just created a
―21
st
century classroom mentor‖ position for each site who is a ―curricular mentor and is
going to work with software as it relates to taking existing curriculum and making it
interactive‖ (Director of Educational Technology).
School-site plans also reveal Professional Development as a support for teachers.
All school-site plans reviewed for this case study provided staff development and
professional collaboration as a means to achieve the site-specific goals. Though the

93
district focuses on technology training, the school-site plans suggested training in areas
from writing, for example the Columbia Writing project, to participation in the UCLA
Literacy Program. The Columbia Writing project teaches educators how to help students
become better writers; the UCLA Literacy Program trains teachers to become proficient
in project-based learning. The principals also use staff meetings for staff development,
where teachers can share ideas or what they have learned from an in-service they recently
attended.
As indicated in interviews, staff development is attached to the programs or
technology that the district feels is important for raising student achievement. The
programs CUSD has chosen, such as Writer’s Workshop, Reader’s Workshop, and
Sandra Kaplan’s Icons, are all student-driven and provide 21
st
century skills. Table 7
exemplifies the teachers who were surveyed in which 77% answered that ―most of the
time‖ if not ―all the time,‖ their administrators provided ways for teachers to improve
their instructional strategies to support a global education.

94
Table 7
Teacher Response to Survey Question Regarding Global Education

At the school sites, more intimate professional development occurred. The site
administrators agreed that the roll-out plan for the SMART Boards was successful in
allowing teachers to volunteer for the technology and then providing them with the
necessary skills. While the district provided large-scale professional development for the
SMART boards, as discussed earlier, the site administrators used staff meetings or
teacher collaboration time to review or provide intensive training. The teachers came
together to discuss lessons, problems, or success stories regarding the SMART boards.
Professional development is such an important entity in CUSD that at one school site, the

95
PTA has funded materials, professional development opportunities, or additional funds to
provide substitute teachers. As Dr. Alpha stated:
The district has made it very easy of the teachers to have
wonderful professional development and I’ve taken my cue
from them. I will use 15 minutes of the staff meetings to
have our technology specialist do a mini lesson on
something that the teachers are curious about, or struggling
with.

School Culture
The school sites have created a culture in which teachers work together to obtain a
specific goal. Each site has curriculum time planning incorporated into the work week.
Two out of the three elementary schools ―bank‖ time each week. They have increased
their school day in order to have an early release day once a week at which time teachers
are free to work with each other to collaborate on ways that will help increase student
achievement. The third elementary school has ―common planning‖ time, which allows
teachers to have a block of time (45 minutes) four days a week. While all the students at
one grade level are at an activity such as P.E., art, or music, the teachers collaborate with
each other. Whether the site has an early release day or common planning, the outcome is
teacher collaboration.
Collaboration has many different faces. As professionals and as representatives of
a grade-level, the teachers decide what they want to discuss or work on. The principals
will have some input if needed, but generally the teachers create their own agendas for
collaboration time. Dr. Alpha stated:
These people are professionals who know what they need
to do. They may decide that they need to plan what they’re

96
going to do next week or they may agree that they have an
incredible amount of paperwork to take care of and they
will use their time towards completing grades. These
teachers share lessons and ideas.

The teachers also use their collaboration time to create the type of intervention
they may need for a particular group of students. As a group, they look at data (i.e.,
assessments or student progress) or the behavioral needs of students. The teachers
consistently talk about students and what will benefit them most. During collaboration
times, teachers can group students for academic or behavioral intervention. The time is
also used to discuss differentiating lessons for students in need of remediation or
acceleration.
A second aspect of district culture is that teachers share their training they receive.
Though the district will do everything possible to keep professional development
available to its teachers, the teachers will gladly share what they have learned after they
return from training. Mr. Delta explained that:
Even when teachers go to a training, they are expected to
come back and present learning in some way to their
colleagues. Teachers can do demonstration lessons or
provide information that will benefit everyone.

Finally, the school culture is one in which teachers feel safe to share their
successes as well as their failures. Discussions with the principals made it apparent that
staff meetings often functioned as forum of professionals discussing what was successful
and what they needed help with. Ms. Beta revealed:
These professionals can share what they may be doing right
in the classroom that is getting results. It is communicating
new ways of teaching something. Teachers willingly share

97
and listen to each other so that they can take advantage of
something that’s good, that’s going on. It could be about a
kid who’s a difficult kid, that they turned around or a
program that’s working in our learning center that’s
clicking with kids.

Findings: Research Question 3
How does the district measure the effectiveness of the 21
st
century skills plan?
This researcher could not find a defining measurement for the effectiveness of
CUSD’s 21
st
century skills plan because the district does not have a plan per se.
However, it believes in 21
st
century skills as discussed in the first research question. The
skills are part of the district’s Technology Plan and are implied in the Moral Imperatives
and the school site plans. That said, this section focuses on how the district measures the
effectiveness of its Technology Plan, the professional development dedicated to training
teachers and raising student achievement.
As discussed in previous chapters, technology is a defining factor in incorporating
21
st
century skills into the classroom. CUSD has provided the technology and training
necessary to have a successful program. CUSD’s Technology Plan does have an
effectiveness measurement, as described thusly:
The goals in the existing Technology Plan have been
established to align with the overall district and Site goals
as reflected in the school and District Plans for
Improvement. These will serve as the ultimate measure of
the effectiveness of a total model for academic
improvement in which technology takes an increasingly
larger role in education over the next 3-5 years.

98
The researcher was able to confirm that the Technology Plan was originally aligned with
the district’s site goals and the district plans for improvement; however, because the
Technology Plan was in its fifth year, the Director of Educational Technology was in the
process of rewriting it to coincide more closely with what is happening in 21
st
century
classrooms and on at school sites. This researcher concluded that because the Technology
Plan was continually referred to when the 21
st
century classrooms were being established,
the measurement of its effectiveness was met.
CUSD provides its teachers with a Technology Skills Self-Assessment; the results
are aggregated and analyzed annually to provide the district with a direction for
professional development opportunities. Qualitative data is collected regarding what the
teachers think about the 21
st
century classroom materials and equipment. The district tries
to analyze whether the technology improves student motivation, student discipline, or
student achievement. The superintendent stated that:
It’s a very qualitative way of measuring but it’s tough to
measure the impact of these things. There are no really
strong empirical quantitative measures for 21
st
century
skills. It’s difficult to measure global awareness or
environmental concerns. We look to anecdotal evidence
from our students and other qualitative measures. We talk
to our students. We have focus groups. We look at how
everything is working towards moving students forward.

Administrators and teachers analyze student data from district performance
assessments in order to evaluate which skills students need assistance with. The staff is
then able to make necessary changes to maximize student learning. The superintendent
went further to explain:

99
We measure student success by making sure that all of our
students are literate and have literacy and numeracy that
they are supposed to have first. To ensure this, we look at
state testing and Dibble scores so that we can provide
intervention for those kids who are having trouble.

At the school sites, measurement toward program effectiveness takes the shape of
API scores, Dibbles tests, teacher observations, report cards, and parent feedback, all of
which are used to verify whether a program or lesson is contributing to student
achievement. As professionals, the teachers and administrators measure student success,
one student at a time. Dr. Alpha summed this notion by saying:
I measure our success not only by our scores but by the
level of parent participation. I measure our success from the
pride of ownership that parents and staff have of this school
and of its students.

Unanticipated Occurrences
One obstacle this researcher encountered was that CUSD was in the process of
rewriting their Technology Plan. The one used for this research was originally written in
2005 and was considered obsolete by those who were interviewed. If this researcher had
waited a year, this problem could have been avoided. However, the timeline for this case
study was specific to five months (September 2009 – January 2010).
An unanticipated occurrence was that those who were interviewed had projects or
ideas relating to 21
st
century skills; however, they were in the infancy stages of
development. All six individuals interviewed had a pet project or an idea they were
working on to raise global awareness. For example, the Superintendent discussed a
language lab having an interactive conferencing ability that would soon be improved

100
because of the FLAP grant the district had received. The goal was to make it possible for
students to collaborate with students from other countries, thus enforcing the 21
st
century
skill of collaboration.

Conclusion
The purpose of this case study was to provide an explanation of how a district
ensures adequate standardized assessment results while providing students access to 21
st

century skills. Century Unified School District has created a clear and coherent
Educational Technology Plan, Moral Imperatives, and individual school site plans that
help to provide 21
st
century skills in the classroom. These plans are created with teacher
and community support, stakeholders with whom the students learn. The Moral
Imperatives are developed and revisited each year with the help of the Board of
Education and district administrators. The school-site plans are developed by site
administrators and parents who participate in the School Site Councils.
In developing the Technology Plan, the Moral Imperatives, and the school-site
plans, Century Unified School District successfully identified Wagner’s (2008) 21
st

century skills and added five of its own (as seen in Table 4). CUSD has also successfully
implemented these skills through the use of technology and by providing special
programs for students. From CUSD’s Moral Imperatives, this researcher concluded that
the district is aware that the world around it is changing and that students need help to
become successful in a global society and to understand world cultures and languages.

101
CUSD’s plan supports environmental awareness and provides opportunities for students
to become active community participants.
In addition to CUSD’s plans, the leadership of the Superintendent has served as a
catalyst for the direction CUSD has taken. He supports the state standards that were
established through NCLB, at the same time providing guidance for 21
st
century skills.
His foresight and commitment to student achievement and teacher professional
development have made it possible for CUSD to promote understanding of technology
and 21
st
century skills. Support from the district is visible in the Superintendent’s attitude
toward and vision for student achievement and 21
st
century skills. The Superintendent
made it clear in his interview that ―even with all the budget cuts, we’ve protected
professional development.‖

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CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary
The background for this study was the educational sanctions that have occurred
over the past 50 years and the educational gap that has been exposed between American
and international students. Though this study focuses on NCLB sanctions, in reality,
educational reform has been a part of the landscape since the 1960s. The Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was the precursor to what is now known as No Child
Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB not only requires schools to hold all students to high
standards and academic rigor, but also holds LEAs (Local Educational Agencies)
accountable to raise students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and ethnicities to
proficiency. Student results are what matters from this perspective and, under NCLB
guidelines, schools that do not increase student achievement risk receiving sanctions. The
intent of the sanctions is to ensure that low-income and minority students achieve the
same levels of performance as their more affluent peers (Kantor & Lowe, 2006).
However, despite NCLB sanctions, students in the US continue to rank lower in reading
literacy, mathematics literacy, and on the scientific assessments conducted by TIMMS
(Martin & Mullis, 2006).
The purpose of this study was to identify a public school district that is
successfully maintaining or exceeding the achievement targets set forth in NCLB and

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providing a curriculum aimed at preparing students for a 21
st
century work place. The
researcher postulated three research questions meant to identify how the organizational
structure of a district ensures adequate standardized assessment results while providing
students access to 21
st
century skills. A primary purpose for this study was to offer a
template for other districts or school sites that wish to maintain or exceed their
accountability targets and provide their students with the skills needed to function in a
global economy.
The first step taken by the researcher was to formulate questions that best suited
the primary line of inquiry. Initial research focused on studies pertaining to education and
how it is coupled with one or more of the following ideas: 21
st
century skills,
globalization, work trends, skilled labor, or organizational leadership. The research by
Merriman (2008), Olaniran (2008), Wagner (2008), Karoly and Constantijin (2004),
Pring (2004), Kellner (2002), Tanner (2002), Galimore (2001), and Rodrick (1997)
encompassed ideas from 21
st
century skills to future trends in the job market of a global
economy. An overall theme shared by the previous researchers is the inevitable change in
the types of skills needed for individuals to be successful in a global economy; however,
our educational system is not changing how we teach students and prepare them for the
future.

Emergent Themes
CUSD successfully identified 21
st
century skills when it recognized the value of
Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century survival skills. The district identified 21
st
century skills in

104
its mission, vision, Technology Plan, Moral Imperatives, and school-site plans. Once
these skills had been established, four themes emerged from the triangulated data:
technology was used to implement 21
st
century skills;
school sites utilized special programs to implement 21
st
century skills;
professional development was consistently provided to teachers;
a positive culture had been established at the district and site levels to
encourage teachers to collaborate

Recommendations for Future Research
This case study provides a description of how one school district with the help of
three school sites, implemented 21
st
century skills with their standards-based curriculum.
CUSD has consistently provided its students with a standards-based curriculum and
maintained a steady upward progression according to API scores, with district API scores
ranging from 895-955. Further recommendations for CUSD are as follows:
To consider whether the implementation of 21
st
century skills, technology used as
a tool, or the district’s special programs has caused API scores to increase;
To compare and contrast how each site administrator and staff member
implements 21
st
century skills, technology, and special programs;
To conduct research on the attitudes that principals bring to each site and the
effect on teaching 21
st
century skills and globalization;

105
During interviews, the principals all shared at least one idea they had relating to
21
st
century skills and how to teach them in the classroom. Further study to reveal
whether the site followed through with its ideas relating to 21
st
century skills
would thus be warranted.
Continue to create a new Technology Plan, preferably incorporating Wagner’s
(2008) 21
st
century skills.
Research shows that future workers will need to keep their work skills constantly
updated (Tanner, 2002). In the future the majority of jobs will require some level of
education and capability to work with technology. Wagner’s (2008) discussions with
CEOs revealed that employers are looking for individuals who can think critically and
problem-solve, collaborate across networks and lead by influence, be agile and adapt to
changes, initiate their own ideas, effectively communicate, access and analyze
information, and bring curiosity and imagination. This case study sought to reveal how
these skills could be taught effectively and successfully; however, CUSD is a small
school district, therefore further study to help identify the practices that work best to
teach 21
st
century skills should be examined on a larger scale. Further research to
understand best practices for incorporating 21
st
century skills into a standards-based
curriculum could follow the lead of these questions:
 How important is professional development in technology toward incorporating
21
st
century skills into a standards-based curriculum?
 Without the use of technology, is teaching 21
st
century skills possible?

106
 How would teaching 21
st
century skills look at a low-socioeconomic school site
where more than 50% of its students is Limited English Proficient?
 What type of teacher preparation is needed to successfully teach 21
st
century skills
in a standards-based classroom?
 Does consistently teaching 21
st
century skills in the classroom provide higher
standardized test scores?

Implications
As they enter the second decade of the 21
st
century, educators cannot ignore that
basic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics are not the only skills future
citizens will need to be successful. The amount of technology that has engulfed even the
most average family increases each year. Students come to school with a set of skills to
successfully manipulate information through technology, via iPods, digital cameras,
home computers, and video game systems (i.e., Wii). However, in the classroom,
educators ask them to sit for long periods of time and process information from a
noninteractive textbook. Educators need to remember that today’s students can access
the World Wide Web from a hand held iPod or Nintendo DSi system.
As the deadlines for NCLB approach (2013-2014), lawmakers may want to
consider 21
st
century skills before they reauthorize any school sanctions. President
Obama’s ideas on education reverberate with past ideas. He wants to hold teachers
accountable and provide money to fund NCLB. However, President Obama and our
current lawmakers talk about students belonging to a global society. If this is indeed their

107
belief, then a better understanding of 21
st
century skills and how to teach them in the
classroom would provide the type of education our future citizens will need.
This study examined the skills researchers are predicting will be needed for
success in the 21
st
century and beyond and provided ways those skills may be
successfully taught. Though it is imperative that students are proficient in basic reading
and writing skills, using technology as a means to teach those skills may be more
beneficial than previously thought. As students continue to decline in their ability to
outperform other countries in math and science (TIMMS report, 2003) at a time where
innovation is most needed, 21
st
century skills are a foundation students should not be
lacking.
Finally, the intent of this case study was to provide a template for any school or
district interested in fusing 21
st
century skills into their standards-based curriculum. As
seen by the data collected from CUSD, the standards-based curriculum was used as a
springboard to provide opportunities to learn 21
st
century skills. The process by which
CUSD delivers these skills includes:
Adequate professional development whether in technology or literacy; teachers
need to be well-equipped to teach the fundamentals and have strategies to enrich
every student’s academic experience;
A positive school/district culture in which teachers feel comfortable to share their
success stories or to ask advice for their perceived failures;
The use of technology when teaching standards-based curriculum or 21
st
century
skills;

108
Leadership that elicits help from the entire group and guides change.
This process is important to any site administrator trying to incorporate 21
st

century skills and develop specific practice or policy at the school or district level.

Conclusions
In the literature review, the researcher discussed five topics relevant to this study.
The research was meant to explain why districts must incorporate 21
st
century skills in
the classroom. Globalization, future work force and work skills needed, and challenges
towards incorporating 21
st
century skills in the classroom were discussed to give the
reader a general idea as to how and why the world is changing and why 21
st
century skills
are so important. What 21
st
century skills are and organizational structures toward
developing the 21
st
century classroom were meant to serve as a yardstick with which to
measure whether CUSD was identifying and implementing 21
st
century skills in the
classroom. The district by far surpassed expectations. All those interviewed proudly
discussed their site programs, and Wagner’s (2008) 21
st
century skills were imbedded in
each discussion.
Though it wasn’t specifically stated, the district was following Merriman’s (2008)
idea of using technology as a tool to provide curriculum, and it was obvious through the
school site plans, teacher surveys, and the district’s Technology Plan that technology was
being used to enhance student learning. CUSD is not only placing computers and
SMART boards in the classrooms, but it is also training its teachers to provide students
with an interactive education. The majority teachers surveyed described using

109
technology as a way to facilitate the learning process. The teachers surveyed had a good
grasp on the fact that technology should be used as a tool to engage and enhance student
learning. CUSD’s Technology Plan, though expiring at the end of this school year, is still
insightful in understanding where the district is trying to go in terms of technology and
21
st
century skills.
The data that was collected made apparent that CUSD had created a culture where
teachers felt safe to share their successes as well as their failures. Teachers, depending on
the actual school site, had either an early release day once a week or common planning
time four days a week. The teachers utilized this time to collaborate on student
curriculum, achievement, or intervention. Teachers were also eager to share the
knowledge they obtained by going to professional development. Furthermore, the
researcher discovered that because CUSD had made attempts to identify 21
st
century
skills, several special programs focused on problem-solving and communication skills
were provided to the students. The district provided opportunities for all students to
experience an enriched curriculum regardless of academic status.

110
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113
APPENDIX A
SUPERINTENDENT, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY,
AND DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What is your understanding of 21
st
century skills?

2. What are the district practices that support 21
st
century skills & how
do you promote these practices?

3. From your perspective, what are the most important practices your
district does to support 21
st
century skills? How do you promote these
practices? When and how do you and/or your staff discuss these
practices?

4. What has been your leadership role in raising awareness of global
education at school sites?

5. Does your Language Arts program reflect understanding of other
world cultures?

6. Does your district offer programs that promote contact with other
cultures and nations?

7. How was the district’s vision developed and how does it drive the
instructional programs at the school sites?

8. What policies or strategies have been officially adopted in support of
teaching 21
st
century skills?

9. Does the district offer the opportunity to participate in professional
development opportunities to increase staff knowledge and use of
technology towards promoting student learning?

114
APPENDIX A (continued)

10. What have you done to maintain a balance between meeting NCLB,
AYP, and teaching 21
st
century skills at the school sites?

11. How does the district measure success? (Evidence of success)

115
APPENDIX B
PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What is your understanding of 21
st
century skills?

2. What are the classroom practices that support 21
st
century skills & how do you
promote these practices? When and how do you and/or your staff discuss these
practices?

3. What has been your leadership role in raising awareness of global education at
your site?

4. Does your Language Arts program reflect understanding of other world cultures?

5. Does your school offer programs that promote contact with other cultures and
nations?

6. How was the school’s vision developed and how does it drive the instructional
program?

7. What policies or strategies have been officially adopted in support of teaching 21
st

century skills?

8. Does the staff have time for curriculum planning so that they can include a global
perspective in the school curriculum?

9. Does the staff have time for curriculum planning so that they can discuss current
curriculum, assessments, and student needs?

10. Does the staff have the opportunity to participate in professional development
opportunities to increase their knowledge and use of technology towards
promoting student learning?

11. What have you done to maintain a balance between meeting NCLB, AYP, and
teaching 21
st
century skills in the classroom?

116
APPENDIX B (continued)

12. What challenges did you or the school site encounter while incorporating 21
st

century skills into the curriculum?

13. How do you measure success? (Evidence of success)

117
APPENDIX C
CUSD ’S SIX PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS
(TECHNOLOGY PLAN)

Professional Development goal 1
District Technology Team Selected/Trained

District Technology Team Members (1 per school) should be:
Interested in technology
Responsive to change
Users of a variety of teaching strategies
Skilled at working in groups
Committed to teaching, coaching and sharing new information about technology
Able to train users at their sites
Provide suggested procedures for developing technological vision for their school
and district with increasing staff awareness of the need for change
Develop technical expertise needed to help schools develop their implementation
plans
Professional Development goal 2
School Technology Team Assist Staff Through Plan Development Process

Training: (site Staff):
Develop rationale including how it reflects vision, beliefs, priorities, and student
goals
Specify equipment configuration for instructional delivery, i.e., LCD projectors
Identify procedure for selecting curriculum software
Develop site staff development plan
Establish evaluation and revision process based on student data
Professional Development Goal 3
All Century Unified School District Staff to Receive Training

Training (CUSD Staff)
Introduction to District recommended hardware/software, i.e., Zangle
Using basic software with enough knowledge and skill to engage in initial
applications

118

APPENDIX C (continued)

Professional Development Goal 4
School Technology Team Provides Leadership for Implementing School Based
Plan

School Technology Team members will:
Provide in-service at the department level
Become peer coaches
Develop strategies for sharing technological expertise
Model best instructional practices
Training: (School Technology Team):
Specialized training on hardware and software
Using technology to change instructional practices
Developing technology support groups at site/district level
Professional Development Goal 5
School Staff Members Training and Coaching Their Colleagues

Training: (Century Unified School District Staff)
Practice with hardware/software with available coaching
Attend teachers’ in-service provided by technology team and other colleagues
Attend district sponsored technology classes
Join technology support groups and access information from a variety of sources
including on-line services
Share developing skills with students and colleagues
Do peer coaching with others on your staff
Professional Development Goal 6
Options for continuing Staff Training and Development

Training and ongoing support for school-based plan:
Provide continued support for identified staff development needs in school-based
plans
These needs may include: specialized hardware/software training, integration of
technology in the classroom, developing innovative instructional practices
Provide staff development that incorporates technology into the new curriculum
Provide staff development that integrates technology into grade specific
classrooms and subject areas.

119
APPENDIX D
TEACHER SURVEY

120
APPENDIX D (continued)

121
APPENDIX D (continued)

122
APPENDIX D (continued)

123
APPENDIX D (continued)

124
APPENDIX D (continued)

125

APPENDIX E
SURVEY RESULTS

126
APPENDIX E (continued)

127
APPENDIX E (continued)

128
APPENDIX E (continued)

129
APPENDIX E (continued)

130
APPENDIX E (continued)

131
APPENDIX E (continued)

132

APPENDIX E (continued)

133
APPENDIX E (continued)

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This dissertation reflects the outcomes of a small school district that is successfully incorporating 21st century skills with the demands set forth by our current educational policy, No Child Left Behind. Considerations regarding globalization, future work force and work skills, definition of 21st century skills, supporting 21st century skills in the classroom, and organizational leadership structures toward developing the 21st century classroom are reported. It was the intent of this dissertation to provide a template for other schools or districts to use for incorporating 21st century skills with standards-based curriculum. The data from this district revealed four emergent themes: (a) technology was used to implement 21st century skills, (b) school sites utilized special programs to implement 21st century skills, (c) professional development was consistently provided to teachers, and (d) a positive culture had been established at the district and site levels to encourage teachers to collaborate.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Aguilar-Torres, Gloria (author)

Core Title The role of the school district toward preparing students for the 21st century

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 06/03/2010

Defense Date 03/23/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag 21st century skills,future work force,OAI-PMH Harvest,organizational leadership models

Place Name California (states)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Garcia, Pedro E. (committee chair), Reed, Margaret (committee member), Stowe, Kathy Huisong (committee member)

Creator Email gloria_torres@chino.k12.ca.us,torresfamily5@roadrunner.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3109

Unique identifier UC150352

Identifier etd-AguilarTorres-3744 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-342839 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3109 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-AguilarTorres-3744.pdf

Dmrecord 342839

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Aguilar-Torres, Gloria

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu