In summary, the core academic skills framework:

• Identifies and organizes key cognitive knowledge and skills in the academic domains that are most necessary for preparation for more advanced learning
• Focuses on bottleneck skills that are known barriers to college and career success
• Provides a detailed articulation of knowledge and skill development from kindergarten through career
• Emphasizes the connected, progressive nature of learning
• Provides rich context by integrating research on misconceptions and strategies
• Expands the current ACT College and Career Readiness Standards by putting more emphasis on STEM and oral communication
• Continues to constitute the core of our holistic model of education and workplace success
• Together with the cross-cutting capabilities framework, identifies the cognitive learning outcomes necessary for success in the 21st century