A bill to provide, develop, and support 21st century readiness initiatives that assist students in acquiring the skills necessary to think critically and solve problems, be an effective communicator, collaborate with others, and learn to create and innovate.

Summary: 21st Century Readiness Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to support 21st century readiness initiatives that fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure that students are prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon graduation from secondary school.

Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA to require the Secretary of Education, as part of the national assessment of title I programs, to examine the extent to which such initiatives improve student readiness for postsecondary education and careers.

Includes 21st century readiness initiatives in comprehensive school reform programs and school dropout prevention and reentry programs under title I.

Amends title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA to require high-quality professional development programs to incorporate an aligned system of teaching and learning that includes 21st century skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation), standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments.

Requires LEAs to use title II subgrants to enable educators to deliver instruction on higher-order thinking skills and use the latest available technology in doing so.

Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the ESEA to include 21st century readiness initiatives in 21st Century Community Learning Center activities. (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and after school programs to improve their academic performance.)

Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA to allow assessment grants to be used by states to develop or improve assessments that use technology to measure core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills to ensure that students can apply a range of skill competencies alongside core academic subject knowledge, and do so in real-world contexts.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Readiness Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Students must be prepared in core academic subjects.
            (2) Students must possess the skills to be able to think 
        critically and solve problems, be effective communicators, 
        collaborate with others, and learn to create and innovate.
            (3) In order for students in the United States to be 
        prepared to succeed in citizenship and workplaces of the 
        present and future, core academic subjects must be fused with 
        critical thinking and problem solving, communication, 
        collaboration, and creativity and innovation skills, as such 
        skills are critical for success in the 21st century.
            (4) The work of the National Governors Association, along 
        with the Council of Chief State School Officers, in developing 
        a set of voluntary and internationally benchmarked national 
        common standards in mathematics and English that include 
        rigorous content and 21st century skills, is a positive 
        development and should serve as a basis for incorporating those 
        skills and other critical skills throughout other core academic 
        subjects in the future. Federal policy must support State 
        leadership and encourage continued State innovation.

SEC. 3. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

    Section 1001 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6301) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) fusing core academic subject knowledge mastery and 
        higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and 
        problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and 
        innovation) to ensure that students can apply a range of skill 
        competencies alongside content knowledge, and do so in real-
        world contexts.''.

SEC. 4. EVALUATING OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS.

    Section 1501(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6491(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (O) as subparagraph (P); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (N) the following:
                    ``(O) The extent to which fusing core academic 
                subjects and higher-order thinking skills (such as 
                critical thinking and problem solving, communication, 
                collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure 
                that students can apply a range of skill competencies 
                alongside content knowledge in real-world contexts 
                leads to readiness for postsecondary education and 
                careers.''.

SEC. 5. SCHOOL REFORM THROUGH 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIATIVES.

    Section 1606(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6516(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (10);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
            ``(11) includes a 21st century readiness initiative 
        designed to fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-
        order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem 
        solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and 
        innovation) to ensure students can apply a range of skill 
        competencies alongside content knowledge, and do so in real-
        world contexts; and''.

SEC. 6. SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION STRATEGIES THROUGH 21ST CENTURY 
              READINESS INITIATIVES.

    Section 1822(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6561a(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(K) implementing 21st century readiness 
                initiatives, such as initiatives that fuse core 
                academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking 
                skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, 
                communication, collaboration, creativity, and 
                innovation) to ensure students can apply a range of 
                skill competencies alongside content knowledge, and do 
                so in real-world contexts.''.

SEC. 7. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AROUND 21ST 
              CENTURY SKILLS.

    Section 2102 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6602) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6) as 
        paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) High-quality professional development.--The term 
        `high-quality professional development' means professional 
        development that incorporates an aligned system of teaching and 
        learning that includes 21st century skills (such as critical 
        thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, 
        creativity, and innovation), standards, curriculum, 
        instruction, and assessments, such as high-quality professional 
        development that--
                    ``(A) ensures that educators understand the 
                importance of 21st century skills and how best to 
                integrate such skills into daily instruction;
                    ``(B) enables collaboration among all participants;
                    ``(C) allows educators to construct their own 
                learning communities;
                    ``(D) uses expertise within a school or local 
                educational agency through coaching, mentoring, and 
                team teaching;
                    ``(E) supports educators in their role as 
                facilitators of learning; and
                    ``(F) uses 21st century skills technology tools.''.

SEC. 8. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION.

    Section 2122(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6622(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) A description of how the local educational agency 
        will provide high-quality professional development to enable 
        educators to--
                    ``(A) deliver instruction on higher-order thinking 
                skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, 
                communication, collaboration, creativity, and 
                innovation) to ensure that students can apply a range 
                of skill competencies alongside core academic subject 
                knowledge, and do so in real-world contexts; and
                    ``(B) use the latest available technology to 
                deliver instruction on higher-order thinking skills.''.

SEC. 9. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING.

    Section 2123(a)(3)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6623(a)(3)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and 
        adding ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vi) provide training on how to deliver 
                        instruction on higher-order thinking skills 
                        (such as critical thinking and problem solving, 
                        communication, collaboration, creativity, and 
                        innovation) so that students can apply a range 
                        of skill competencies alongside core academic 
                        subject knowledge, and do so in real-world 
                        contexts, which may include effectively 
                        integrating technology into curricula and 
                        instruction.''.

SEC. 10. EXPANDED 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER ACTIVITIES.

    Section 4205(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7175(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end 
        and adding ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) initiatives that allow students to apply a range of 
        skill competencies (such as critical thinking and problem 
        solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and 
        innovation) alongside core academic subjects, and do so in 
        real-world contexts, which may include effectively using 
        technology to improve student achievement.''.

SEC. 11. 21ST CENTURY READINESS ASSESSMENTS.

    Section 6111(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7301(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(I) Developing or improving assessments that use 
                technology to measure core academic subject knowledge 
                and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical 
                thinking and problem solving, communication, 
                collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure 
                that students can apply a range of skill competencies 
                alongside core academic subject knowledge, and do so in 
                real-world contexts.''.

SEC. 12. 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIATIVE DEFINITION.

    Section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7801) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (43) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (44), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), the following:
            ``(1) 21st century readiness initiative.--The term `21st 
        century readiness initiative' means any initiative that--
                    ``(A) embeds core academic subjects with critical 
                skills; and
                    ``(B) is focused on ensuring that students are 
                prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon 
                graduation from secondary school.''.