FUTURE-PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORK:
Ca r d i na l’s
Jo u r n e y
COLLABORATION
COMMUNICATION
ADAPTABILITY
I work with others toward a common goal.
I contribute meaningfully to my team’s work.
I learn from others and contribute to the learning of others.
I work as part of a diverse team and value my teammates’ contributions.
I support the outcomes of collaboration.
Collaborators work together to achieve common goals effectively and respectfully. They build relationships, independently and collectively contribute to the team, navigate team dynamics, engage in shared decision-making, support the outcomes of collaboration, and learn from and contribute to the learning of others. Collaborators use appropriate tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by working with others, both locally and globally.
shared decision-making, teamwork, trust, idea generation and iteration, diversity of thought
Students Works in informal or educator-created groups to complete tasks and goals assigned by educators. Looks to the educator to resolve group conflicts.
Works in self-selected groups with defined roles to meet goals that are identified by the group.
Listens to others, values group members’ contributions, and uses educator-provided strategies to resolve group conflicts.
Educators Assigns learners to static groups and encourages learners to work together.
Resolves group conflicts for learners when they arise.
Administrators
Understands and names collaboration as important to achieve common goals.
Provides structures and defines roles to support intentional grouping and productive teamwork.
Teaches strategies and protocols that allow learners to practice conflict resolution when working in groups.
Leverages existing structures, like team meetings, as opportunities to establish non-negotiables around effective team collaboration.
Designs team structures that rely on member strengths to work toward a common goal together.
Establishes group norms, determine roles, and identify strategies for dealing with and resolving conflicts with educator support.
Positions learners to rely on each others’ strengths and contributions to reach a solution.
Assists groups in establishing norms, determining roles and identifying strategies for conflict resolution.
Models collaboration by including all stakeholder voices in decision-making.
Engages in professional collaboration as a member of a broader professional learning network.
Networks within and beyond group members to expand collective strength and influence of the team.
Establishes group norms and roles, apply strategies for dealing with and resolving conflicts, and reflect on team dynamics.
Asks questions to help learning teams self-monitor productive engagement and workflow.
Provides learners and groups feedback and opportunities for reflection on their collaboration skills.
Shares effective team practices and resources to further collaborative practice.
Leads professional collaboration as a member of a broader professional learning network.
Questions to ask your student to foster the development of this skill:
Who did you work with today, and what did you accomplish together?
What was the most challenging part of working with others today? How did you handle it?
How did you help someone else with their work or ideas today?
What’s something you learned from a classmate today?
When you had different ideas than your group, how did you work it out?
What role did you play when working in your group today?
How did you make sure everyone in your group had a chance to participate?
What made your team successful (or unsuccessful) today?
If you could do your group work differently next time, what would you change?
Who in your class is good at collaboration? What do they do that works well?
I actively listen to others.
I value other voices and ideas.
I respectfully express my thoughts and needs clearly.
I give, receive, and act upon feedback.
I clearly express my ideas in a variety of formats.
Communicators clearly and effectively exchange ideas or information with others by using a variety of mediums and formats. They practice active listening and purposeful dialogue, adjusting the medium and message based on the goal and audience. Communicators value and build upon the voices of others to foster understanding.
respect, self-expression, listening, speaking, writing, presentation
Students Responds to questions and ideas from others, recalling information to demonstrate understanding.
Seeks out and engages only with peers and adults like themselves, lacking the ability to see things from a perspective that differs from their own.
Educators Provides direct instruction needed for effective oral and written communication.
Assigns classroom activities that invite learners to work in groups and listen to each other’s ideas.
Administrators Builds consensus and common language among staff around feedback and communication.
Uses questioning and listening protocols provided by the educator to communicate with peers.
Engages with peers who are different from me only when directed to do so by educators, recognizing bias and stereotype when prompted.
Provides resources and practice time to support communication and collaboration skills.
Models empathy and appreciation of different skills and viewpoints through classroom interactions.
Engages staff in the process of identifying what makes feedback and communication effective.
Adjusts approach to communication of ideas and opinions for the intended purpose and needs of the audience.
Initiates opportunities to communicate with a diverse audience in authentic contexts, in ways that honor diversity.
Designs challenges that require learners to apply communication skills within the classroom.
Co-designs learning with learners that have a relevant context that acknowledges learner interests, needs, and/ or culture.
Models giving and receiving feedback, listening, and leading with questions.
Amplifies effective practices around feedback and communication.
Practices intentional communication with an audience beyond the classroom.
Helps design opportunities to practice communicating with peers whom I perceive as different from me without judgement.
Extends communication opportunities beyond the walls of the classroom.
Empowers learners to design their messaging, supporting them in making choices that include diverse audiences, viewpoints, and perspectives.
Celebrates feedback and communication in action.
Safeguards time to develop confidence and capacity among others.
Questions to ask your student to foster the development of this skill:
Who did you have the most interesting conversation with today, and what made it good?
When did you feel most heard or understood at school today?
Was there a time today when it was difficult to express your thoughts or feelings? What happened?
How did your teacher explain something challenging today? What made it clear or unclear?
Did you speak up in class or group discussions today? How did that feel?
When someone disagreed with you today, how did you respond?
What’s one thing you explained to someone else today? How did you know if they understood?
Did you need to ask for help today? How did you phrase your question?
What’s something you wish you had said differently today?
How did you show someone you were listening to them today?
What non-verbal signals did you notice from others today? What might they have been feeling?
How do you adjust how you speak to different people at school (friends versus teachers)?
How did technology help or hinder your communication with others today?
Did you have to give or receive feedback today? How did that conversation go?
When did words not seem enough to express something today?
How did you make someone feel welcome or included through your communication today?
I generate, evaluate, and apply ideas and information.
I assess resources, relevance, and authenticity.
I can identify opportunities for personal and collective improvement.
I analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches before making decisions.
I follow through on problem-solving processes from identification to solution.
Critical thinkers analyze information from a variety of sources, experiences, and perspectives to construct unique ideas and solutions. They process and evaluate information, seek connections and patterns, consider and synthesize different ideas, and apply the knowledge gained in authentic and inclusive contexts. Critical thinkers reason effectively, make judgements and decisions, generate and respond to purposeful questions, and justify decision-making.
Problem solvers apply and adapt various strategies to solve unique and complex problems. They frame problems, explore various solutions, determine possible outcomes, implement solutions, monitor effects, and reflect upon their learning. Problem solvers discover the underlying opportunities within each situation, view problems as opportunities in disguise, remain objective, seek long-term solutions, and work to gain consensus from all stakeholders.
developing new solutions, hypothesizing, inquiry, understanding thinking processes (metacognition), decision-making, reasoning effectively
Students Adopts goals and learning activities determined by others.
Uses information that is provided to solve problems with a singular or known solution.
Takes small risks in a supportive environment.
Educators Recommends learning goals and suggests sample approaches to learning.
Provides resources to solve problems with known solutions.
Creates supportive environments where learners can take risks.
Develops goals and makes decisions to personalize learning.
Finds and applies information to identify potential causes of a problem and presents multiple solutions to problems.
Takes risks and recognizes failure as part of the learning process.
Provides models and structures to help learners co-author goals and learning tasks.
Teaches relevant strategies for evaluating sources and thinking critically to design multiple solutions.
Models appropriate responses to failure and strategies to recover quickly.
Defines, monitors, and reflects on progress toward a goal.
Evaluates information to determine the root cause of a problem and inform the design of solutions.
Takes risks and learns from mistakes to reach a solution.
Coordinates opportunities for feedback and reflection to refine learning tasks.
Designs opportunities to practice application of real-world research and problem-solving skills.
Supports individuals and groups as they apply what they have learned from their mistakes.
Owns personal and group learning by monitoring goals and progress.
Designs and implements solutions to authentic problems that have a measurable impact.
Takes calculated risks and perseveres to reach a solution.
Provides data to help learners to design, implement, and monitor learning tasks.
Facilitates identification of real-world situations that invite independent thinking and problem-solving.
Provides time for cycles of learning and encourages self-directed reflection on the learning process.
Adopt Advance Amplify Ascend
Administrators Models critical thinking and problem-solving as an approach to everyday conflict and tasks.
Engages staff in structured, yet critical thinking around solutions.
Creates space and time to unpack problems of practice down to the root cause and identify solutions.
Creates and facilitates a system where everyone is actively engaged in identifying and solving problems.
Questions to ask your student to foster the development of this skill:
What was a challenging problem you faced at school today, and how did you work through it?
Did you have to figure anything out on your own today? What steps did you take?
When you got stuck on something today, what strategies did you use to get unstuck?
Did any of your classmates solve a problem differently than you would have? What did they do?
Were there any times today when your first solution didn’t work? What did you try next?
Did your teacher ask any questions today that made you really think? What were they?
How did you decide what information was important when working on a problem today?
Did you have to look at something from different perspectives today? How did that help?
How could you use what you learned about problem-solving today to help with situations at home?
What’s a problem at home that we could solve using the strategies you’re learning at school?
When have you noticed me using critical thinking at home? What did I do that showed I was thinking carefully?
How is solving a math problem different from solving a disagreement with your sibling? How is it similar?
What’s something around our house that you think could work better if we redesigned it?
If we were planning our next family activity, what questions should we ask to make sure it’s a good decision?
Can you teach me one of the thinking strategies you learned at school that might help me with my work or home projects?
I am open to changing my mind when I learn something new.
I am flexible when things do not go as planned.
I approach challenges with a growth mindset.
I adjust my communication and strategies depending on the situation.
I balance consistency with necessary change.
Adaptability is the capacity to effectively respond to change, uncertainty, and complexity. People who demonstrate adaptability can shift their thinking, approaches, and behaviors to navigate new or changing situations successfully; recognize when established methods are not working; and willingly explore alternatives and consider multiple perspectives. Rather than resisting change, they embrace it as an opportunity for growth and innovation.
flexibility, resilience, growth-mindset, creativity, innovation, embracing change
Students Works within structured routines.
Requires clear guidance when faced with new situations and may be hesitant to try new approaches.
Educators Provides predictable structures and models how to manage change.
Supports learners in recognizing when adjustments are needed.
Administrators
Recognizes the importance of adaptability and provides stability during change.
Acknowledges challenges but maintains a structured approach.
Adjusts their strategies with support when things do not go as planned.
Shows a willingness to try different solutions and can reflect on challenges with guidance.
Introduces strategies for handling change and encourages learners to shift approaches as challenges arise.
Fosters a mindset of flexibility and perseverance.
Models adaptability in decision-making and equips staff with tools to adjust strategies as needed within continuous improvement frameworks.
Encourages problem-solving and resilience.
Demonstrates confidence in navigating change.
Independently adjusts approaches based on feedback or new information and encourages peers to embrace challenges with a growth mindset.
Creates learning experiences that require adaptability, supporting students in reflecting on their responses to change and refining their strategies.
Fosters a school culture that embraces change by supporting innovation and flexible thinking within continuous improvement frameworks.
Empowers teams to experiment with new approaches.
Thrives in evolving environments by proactively adjusting strategies and leading others in navigating change.
Innovates, takes calculated risks and inspires flexibility within their communities.
Cultivates a culture of adaptability where students take ownership of adjustments, embrace new perspectives, and innovate solutions to complex challenges.
Leads with adaptability by driving innovation, anticipating shifts, and preparing the school community to navigate complex and evolving educational landscapes within continuous improvement frameworks.
Questions to ask your student to foster the development of this skill:
What unexpected changes happened at school today? How did you handle them?
When things didn’t go according to plan today, what helped you adjust?
Did you try a new approach to something that wasn’t working? What did you do differently?
When did you have to be flexible with others during group work or activities today?
What was the most challenging transition you had today? How did you manage it?
Did you learn anything in a way that was different from how you usually learn? How did that feel?
When did you need to shift from one way of thinking to another today?
How could the flexibility you showed at school help us when our family plans change unexpectedly?
What’s something we do at home that you’ve learned to approach differently based on your experiences at school?
When have you noticed me or other family members being adaptable? What did we do that showed flexibility?
What’s one thing you’d like our family to be more flexible about, and why?
How can we practice being more adaptable together as a family?
What helps you adapt to changes in our home routine that might also help you at school?
Can you think of a time when being adaptable at home made things better for everyone?