PK-16 Durable Skills Developmental Progression
Preparing Every Learner for School, Work, and Life
Technical knowledge evolves. Durable skills endure.
Communication. Critical thinking. Collaboration. Leadership. Character. Fortitude. These are the competencies employers consistently demand and communities consistently value.
America Succeeds is developing a PK-16 Durable Skills Developmental Progression to help educators make these skills explicit, developable, and articulable across learning environments. This work builds on the nationally recognized Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework and translates it into a developmentally informed structure designed to support learners from early childhood to the early stages of their career.
Our goal is simple: equip adults with clear language, shared expectations, and practical tools to help young people build the skills that matter most for long-term success.
Why This Matters
Our research with Lightcast found that 8 of the top 10 most requested skills in job postings are durable skills. These competencies remain valuable across industries, technologies, and career stages.
At the same time, educators across the country are asking:
- How do we intentionally develop durable skills?
- What does growth look like over time?
- What counts as evidence?
- How do we align this work with existing curriculum and accountability structures?
This framework is designed to help answer those questions.
What We’ve Done So Far
This project has unfolded in four phases:
Phase 1: Research & Framework Development
We conducted a comprehensive literature review and collaborated with subject matter experts to draft a developmentally appropriate K-12 developmental progression grounded in research and practice.
Phase 2: Expert Feedback & Refinement
National educators, researchers, and practitioners provided structured feedback to clarify skill clusters, developmental progressions, and language.
Phase 3: Pilot Testing Across Learning Environments
Educators across classrooms, afterschool programs, and youth-serving organizations tested draft versions of the framework and associated tools. Their real-world implementation helped surface strengths, gaps, and usability improvements.
Phase 4: Refinement & Resource Development (Current Phase)
We are incorporating feedback from the pilot and subject matter experts, making updates like shifting from K-12 to PK-16, and refining the Development & Application Guide, to ensure clarity, rigor, and practical usability.
What’s Next
- The PK-16 Developmental Progression and the Development & Application Guide will be released this Spring. To get updates, click HERE.
- Have questions? Please contact Michael Crawford.