What does a 21st century learning look like in West Virginia? With the help of artist Peter Reynolds, West Virginia educators created this image when asked to think about their students and the state's vision for 21st century learning called Global21: Students deserve it. The world demands it.

Kids today need to know more and do more than ever before. That is why West Virginia is changing what teachers teach and how they teach from preschool to high school. This change to improve learning is fundamental and what we call Global21: Students deserve it. The world demands it. Global21 develops self-directed, motivated students who will be prepared for their future in an ever-changing world.

It includes a solid foundation in core subjects combined with 21st century performance skills. West Virginia has made the change by adding world-class rigor to math, science, English and other core subjects. We also aligned state standards with national standards in the National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP), ACT and SAT, as well as with international standards in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). We also developed a new, more challenging assessment that we call WESTEST2.

To learn more about Global21 and why public education is changing, click here.