I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2536 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 14, 2011 

Mr. PETRI (for himself and Mr. LOEBSACK) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century Readi5 ness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2536 IH

1 (1) Students must be prepared in core academic 

2 subjects. 

3 (2) Students must possess the skills to be able 

4 to think critically and solve problems, be effective 

5 communicators, collaborate with others, and learn to 

6 create and innovate. 

7 (3) In order for students in the United States 

8 to be prepared to succeed in citizenship and work9 places of the present and future, core academic sub10 jects must be fused with critical thinking and prob11 lem solving, communication, collaboration, and cre12 ativity and innovation skills, as such skills are crit13 ical for success in the 21st century. 

14 (4) The work of the National Governors Asso15 ciation, along with the Council of Chief State School 

16 Officers, in developing a set of voluntary and inter17 nationally benchmarked national common standards 

18 in mathematics and English that include rigorous 

19 content and 21st century skills, is a positive develop20 ment and should serve as a basis for incorporating 

21 those skills and other critical skills throughout other 

22 core academic subjects in the future. Federal policy 

23 must support State leadership and encourage contin24 ued State innovation. 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2536 IH

1 SEC. 3. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STATEMENT OF 

2 PURPOSE. 

3 Section 1001 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu4 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301) is amended— 

5 (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

6 the semicolon; 

7 (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period 

8 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

9 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(13) fusing core academic subject knowledge 

11 mastery and higher-order thinking skills (such as 

12 critical thinking and problem solving, communica13 tion, collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to en14 sure that students can apply a range of skill com15 petencies alongside content knowledge, and do so in 

16 real-world contexts.’’. 

17 SEC. 4. EVALUATING OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READI18 NESS. 

19 Section 1501(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary 

20 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6491(a)(2)) is amend21 ed— 

22 (1) by redesignating subparagraph (O) as sub23 paragraph (P); and 

24 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (N) the fol25 lowing: 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2536 IH

1 ‘‘(O) The extent to which fusing core aca2 demic subjects and higher-order thinking skills 

3 (such as critical thinking and problem solving, 

4 communication, collaboration, creativity, and in5 novation) to ensure that students can apply a 

6 range of skill competencies alongside content 

7 knowledge in real-world contexts leads to readi8 ness for postsecondary education and careers.’’. 

9 SEC. 5. SCHOOL REFORM THROUGH 21ST CENTURY READI10 NESS INITIATIVES. 

11 Section 1606(a) of the Elementary and Secondary 

12 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6516(a)) is amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

14 (10); 

15 (2) by redesignating paragraph (11) as para16 graph (12); and 

17 (3) by inserting after paragraph (10) the fol18 lowing: 

19 ‘‘(11) includes a 21st century readiness initia20 tive designed to fuse core academic subject knowl21 edge and higher-order thinking skills (such as crit22 ical thinking and problem solving, communication, 

23 collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure 

24 students can apply a range of skill competencies 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2536 IH

1 alongside content knowledge, and do so in real-world 

2 contexts; and’’. 

3 SEC. 6. SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION STRATEGIES 

4 THROUGH 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIA5 TIVES. 

6 Section 1822(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 

7 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6561a(b)(1)) is amend8 ed— 

9 (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

10 the semicolon; 

11 (2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period 

12 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(K) implementing 21st century readiness 

15 initiatives, such as initiatives that fuse core aca16 demic subject knowledge and higher-order 

17 thinking skills (such as critical thinking and 

18 problem solving, communication, collaboration, 

19 creativity, and innovation) to ensure students 

20 can apply a range of skill competencies along21 side content knowledge, and do so in real-world 

22 contexts.’’. 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2536 IH

1 SEC. 7. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INI2 TIATIVES AROUND 21ST CENTURY SKILLS. 

3 Section 2102 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu4 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6602) is amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through 

6 (6) as paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively; and 

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(4) HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP10 MENT.—The term ‘high-quality professional develop11 ment’ means professional development that incor12 porates an aligned system of teaching and learning 

13 that includes 21st century skills (such as critical 

14 thinking and problem solving, communication, col15 laboration, creativity, and innovation), standards, 

16 curriculum, instruction, and assessments, such as 

17 high-quality professional development that— 

18 ‘‘(A) ensures that educators understand 

19 the importance of 21st century skills and how 

20 best to integrate such skills into daily instruc21 tion; 

22 ‘‘(B) enables collaboration among all par23 ticipants; 

24 ‘‘(C) allows educators to construct their 

25 own learning communities; 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2536 IH

1 ‘‘(D) uses expertise within a school or local 

2 educational agency through coaching, men3 toring, and team teaching; 

4 ‘‘(E) supports educators in their role as 

5 facilitators of learning; and 

6 ‘‘(F) uses 21st century skills technology 

7 tools.’’. 

8 SEC. 8. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AP9 PLICATION. 

10 Section 2122(b) of the Elementary and Secondary 

11 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6622(b)) is amended 

12 by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(12) A description of how the local educational 

14 agency will provide high-quality professional develop15 ment to enable educators to— 

16 ‘‘(A) deliver instruction on higher-order 

17 thinking skills (such as critical thinking and 

18 problem solving, communication, collaboration, 

19 creativity, and innovation) to ensure that stu20 dents can apply a range of skill competencies 

21 alongside core academic subject knowledge, and 

22 do so in real-world contexts; and 

23 ‘‘(B) use the latest available technology to 

24 deliver instruction on higher-order thinking 

25 skills.’’. 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 2536 IH

1 SEC. 9. HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

2 TRAINING. 

3 Section 2123(a)(3)(B) of the Elementary and Sec4 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6623(a)(3)(B)) 

5 is amended— 

6 (1) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

7 (2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the 

8 end and adding ‘‘; and’’; and 

9 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(vi) provide training on how to de11 liver instruction on higher-order thinking 

12 skills (such as critical thinking and prob13 lem solving, communication, collaboration, 

14 creativity, and innovation) so that students 

15 can apply a range of skill competencies 

16 alongside core academic subject knowledge, 

17 and do so in real-world contexts, which 

18 may include effectively integrating tech19 nology into curricula and instruction.’’. 

20 SEC. 10. EXPANDED 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING 

21 CENTER ACTIVITIES. 

22 Section 4205(a) of the Elementary and Secondary 

23 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7175(a)) is amended— 

24 (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

25 end; 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 2536 IH

1 (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at 

2 the end and adding ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(13) initiatives that allow students to apply a 

5 range of skill competencies (such as critical thinking 

6 and problem solving, communication, collaboration, 

7 creativity, and innovation) alongside core academic 

8 subjects, and do so in real-world contexts, which 

9 may include effectively using technology to improve 

10 student achievement.’’. 

11 SEC. 11. 21ST CENTURY READINESS ASSESSMENTS. 

12 Section 6111(2) of the Elementary and Secondary 

13 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7301(2)) is amended 

14 by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(I) Developing or improving assessments 

16 that use technology to measure core academic 

17 subject knowledge and higher-order thinking 

18 skills (such as critical thinking and problem 

19 solving, communication, collaboration, cre20 ativity, and innovation) to ensure that students 

21 can apply a range of skill competencies along22 side core academic subject knowledge, and do so 

23 in real-world contexts.’’. 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 2536 IH

1 SEC. 12. 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIATIVE DEFINI2 TION. 

3 Section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu4 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) is amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 

6 (43) as paragraphs (2) through (44), respectively; 

7 and 

8 (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(1) 21ST CENTURY READINESS INITIATIVE.— 

11 The term ‘21st century readiness initiative’ means 

12 any initiative that— 

13 ‘‘(A) embeds core academic subjects with 

14 critical skills; and 

15 ‘‘(B) is focused on ensuring that students 

16 are prepared for postsecondary education and 

17 careers, upon graduation from secondary 

18 school.’’. 

Æ 


tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS