Pathsmith™ PK-16 Development and Application Guide
Preparing Every Learner for School, Work, and Life
Durable skills begin developing long before a student ever sets foot in a classroom, and they matter long after graduation. The Pathsmith™ PK-16 Development and Application Guide gives educators a practical, research-grounded resource for making durable skills visible and developable across the full learning continuum, from early childhood through early career.
Built on the Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework and informed by real-world testing across classrooms, afterschool programs, and youth-serving organizations, this guide translates what we know about how skills develop into language and tools educators can actually use.
What’s Inside
The guide covers 24 skills across four clusters, spanning the full PK-16 continuum from approximately ages 4 to 22. Each skill entry includes a description of the skill and its components, a developmental arc from early to more advanced capacity, grade-band descriptions with observable expressions and educator look-fors, reflection prompts for learners, design features and principles for building skill-supportive experiences, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Who It’s For
K-12 educators, curriculum designers, afterschool and youth program leaders, and anyone working to make durable skill development intentional across a learning environment.
Explore Our Other PK-16 Resources and Tools
- Learn more about how we built the DAG and our other Pathsmith™ offerings.
- Learn more about the Research Practice Collaborative.