National Education/Business Advocacy Group Recognizes Kentucky - Twice

Kentucky receives

John I. Wilson Leadership for Learning Award

for its Content Leadership Networks and

Continuous Instructional Improvement Technology System (CIITS)

...and a 21st Century Education Award

for the Model Curriculum Framework

This from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

10 States Recognized for Best Practices

Stowe, VT - Julie Walker, executive director of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and chair of P21, along with Lillian Kellogg, vice president at Education Networks of America and P21 vice-chair, hosted the 21st Century Education awards ceremony recognizing 10 states for best practices at Institute.21 - Partnership for 21st Century Skills' 5th annual summit in Stowe, VT on Friday July 15, 2011.

Presented in recognition of state achievement in 21st Century Education, these awards acknowledge the efforts of the P21 Leadership States to integrate 21st Century Skills into their policy, practice and professional development.

The best practices ceremony this year included the new John I. Wilson Leadership for Learning Award, founded to honor John Wilson, NEA executive director, and founding member of P21 who is retiring this year. The criteria for the award includes an emphasis on multi-stakeholder collaboration to honor John Wilson's collaborative spirit and ability to create unique partnerships on behalf of the nation's children.

Wilson joined Walker and Kellogg on stage as Kentucky received the inaugural John I. Wilson Leadership for Learning Award for the state's Content Leadership Networks and Continuous Instructional Improvement Technology System (CIITS).

In presenting the award to its first-ever recipient, John Wilson remarked "I'm retiring from NEA, but not retiring from NEA's causes. P21 is a great cause. We need a continuing movement to demand a rich and engaging curriculum for every student, and P21 is a driver in that movement," said Wilson. "Educators and policymakers must learn from success in other countries, and P21 encourages that study. We know that meaningful action, real change in our schools, takes collaboration of stakeholders, and P21 brings together corporations, educators and non-profits to champion smart education policy. P21 respects the voice of teachers and is dedicated to the success of students. I am proud that NEA has been a part of this important work," he said.

21st Century Education Awardees included:

Arizona, recognizing 21st Century Education Resources for Arizona Teachers: AZ Teach 21, Ed Tech Grade Level Implementation Guides and AzTIM (Arizona Technology Integration Matrix);

Iowa, recognizing the Iowa Teacher Quality Partnership Grant;

Kansas, recognizing the Kansas Commission on Graduation and Dropout Prevention and Recovery's final report and recommendations: Ensure Economic Success for Tomorrow: Graduate All Students Today;

Kentucky, recognizing the Kentucky Model Curriculum Framework;

Louisiana, recognizing the Journey to Careers Curriculum;

Massachusetts, recognizing the Massachusetts New Literacies Institute 2011;

Nevada, recognizing the Nevada Pathway to 21st Century Learning;

North Carolina, recognizing the North Carolina Common Core State Standards and Essential Standards 2011 Summer Leadership Institutes;

Wisconsin, recognizing the Leadership Coaching PD Program;

West Virginia, recognizing the Comprehensive Data Access through "Data Portal for 21st Century for Success" (DP21) and "WVEIS on the Web" (WOW);

"These initiatives provide excellent examples of the implementation of the P21 Framework across our leadership states," said Julie Walker, "and P21 is pleased to recognize and celebrate the states' commitment to 21st century teaching and learning for all students."

P-21 is a national organization bringing together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers, that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school.

21st Century Leadership States: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Member organizations: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple Inc., Blackboard, Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Inc., The College Board's Advanced Placement Program (AP), Crayola, Dell, Inc., EdLeader21, EF Education, Education Networks of America, ETS, Ford Motor Company Fund, GlobalScholar, Goddard Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Intel Corporation, JA Worldwide, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Learning Point Associates, LEGO Group, McGraw-Hill, Measured Progress, MHZ Networks, Microsoft Corporation, National Academy Foundation, National Education Association, netTrekker, Oracle Education Foundation, Pearson, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, and Verizon.

For more information on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills please visithttp://www.p21.org / and connect with P21 on Twitter @P21CentSkills .