The Handbook on Measuring 21st Century Skills was Launched on the 19th December, 2017 in New Delhi, India
The Handbook on Measuring 21st Century Skills is the outcome of extensive research to outline the definitions of four broad competencies required for the 21st century, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Empathy and Executive Function, and documents the existing methods of measuring these skills.
Speakers at Launch of the Handbook on Measuring 21st Century Skills
Shri Anil Swarup was Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development in India at the time of the conference. An IAS officer renowned for his strategic implementation of various schemes in multiple ministries, Mr. Swarup has led the Department of school education to many successful initiatives in the last year, including the National Achievement Survey on learning outcomes conducted in every district of India. A proponent of improving access, assessment practices and accountability in schools, Mr. Swarup maintains an active interest in government school functioning, public-private partnerships and in the dissemination of research in education by various forums.
Tara Béteille is a Senior Economist at the World Bank, where she has been working on the Bank’s India and Sri Lanka education programs. She is part of the team that produced the 2018 World Development Report, Realizing the Promise of Education for Development. In the education practice, her work has ranged from project design and implementation to research, covering school education through higher education. Tara is currently leading two engineering education projects in India aimed at improving the employability skills of graduates. Tara obtained her PhD from Stanford University in 2009, and holds expertise in the area of economics and political economy of education systems.
Isabel Sutcliffe is an independent consultant working in the education & skills sector. She worked with international education company, Pearson, for 8 years: five in London in the post of Regulation, Standards & Research Director and, latterly, three years in Delhi, India, working in senior roles in education & skills. She has had a long career in qualifications’ development and quality assurance covering school, college and work-place standards-based tests and assessments, and is an advocate for the importance of awarding in safeguarding the integrity of qualifications.
Vishal Talreja is the Co-founder of Dream a Dream, a 15-year old organisation that uses a creative life skills approach to impact the lives of over 200,000 young people from vulnerable backgrounds. Vishal is an Ashoka Fellow and an Eisenhower Fellow, and has deep grassroots level experience of working with children and young people for close to 20 years. Dream a Dream was recognized amongst 10 organisations in the world that is working to “Re-imagine Learning through Play” in the 21st century by Ashoka and Lego Foundation.
As Founding Managing Director of Sesame Workshop India, Sashwati Banerjee spearheads Galli Galli Sim Sim, a multi-platform initiative that combines the power of media with educational outreach to prepare children for school and life. A believer in the power of creativity in communication, Sashwati was instrumental in designing programs that use innovative delivery platforms to address the needs of over 18 million children in India each year. Additionally, in order to meet the growing demand for high-quality preschool education, Sashwati Banerjee launched Sesame Street Preschools in India.
Vyjayanthi Sankar is the founder and executive director for Centre for Science of Student Learning (CSSL). A Fulbright Humphrey fellow and an Ashoka fellow, Vyjayanthi specializes in psychometrics, Modern Item Response Theory, diagnostic assessments in multiple languages, curriculum and research. As the Founder and Vice President of Educational Initiatives Large Scale Assessment Division (2003-13), Vyjayanthi pioneered Large Scale Learning Achievement studies in South Asia with nearly 90 research and assessment projects covering 15 million students and teachers.
Pranav Kothari heads the Large Scale Education Programme and Mindspark Centres divisions at Educational Initiatives. This includes all the work with Governments, Foundations and Corporate CSR in the domain of learning level assessments, interventions and advisory consulting. Prior to EI, Pranav worked as a management consultant with Boston Consulting Group in USA, Germany, Chile and Argentina. Pranav graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Aditya Natraj is the founder and director of Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF), a Piramal Initiative. KEF is a social change organisation that supports the development of educational leaders in government and private institutions across the country. Aditya is an Ashoka Fellow, an Echoing Green Fellow and an Aspen India Fellow. He was previously the Director of Pratham in Gujarat for 5 years. At KEF, Aditya also founded the Gandhi Fellowship – a 2 year full-time programme to train young people in leading social change in grassroots education.
Fernando M. Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice in International Education and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative and of The International Education Policy Program at Harvard University. He is interested in understanding the ways in which schools can empower students to participate civically and economically in the 21st Century. Bridging the gap between policy and research, Professor Reimers brings a globally grounded perspective on skill development, and will join the Launch of the Handbook on Measuring 21st Century Skills through video conference.
Evaldesign Founder and CEO, Akanksha Bapna has worked extensively on K-12 Education, bridging the gap between policy, research and practice. In the past, Akanksha has worked with the Abdul Latif Jameel – Poverty Action Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to build education research capacity for the Haryana State Government’s Department of School Education. She has extensive analytical and quantitative experience in experimental design, both in the field of science as well as in the social sciences. Akanksha holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and a Masters' degree in International Education Policy from Harvard University.