Bringing Durable Skills to Life in Every Learning Environment
The Pathsmith® framework gives educators and system leaders a research-backed, employer-validated framework and suite of tools for making durable skills visible, teachable, and measurable at every stage of the learning journey, from early childhood through early career.
The Pathsmith® framework was developed with input from leading educators, national employers, and researchers to serve as the common foundation for durable skills work across every context. In addition to the suite of tools we offer to educators and system leaders, the framework has been embedded inside partner products, tools, and services, including:
When Pathsmith® is inside a product or program, it means the durable skills being developed are grounded in a common, employer-validated standard that travels with learners across contexts. Whether you’re a district leader designing system-wide strategy or a classroom teacher looking for practical tools, Pathsmith® meets you where you are.
A visual overview of 10 durable skill domains and the subskills within each, grounded in what employers actually ask for. The inner ring shows the 10 core skill domains; the outer ring maps 100 common job-posting keywords to the framework. A useful starting point for introducing durable skills to students, staff, or community stakeholders.
A free, downloadable practitioner guide for making durable skills visible and developable across the full learning continuum. Covers 24 durable skills from early childhood through postsecondary, with grade-band look-fors, developmental arcs, reflection prompts, and a crosswalk connecting PK-16 skills to the Pathsmith® Early Career Rubric and employer-defined expectations.
A free, downloadable overview of the Pathsmith® early career framework, including definitions for all 74 skills and rubric summaries for each domain at the applying level. A great place to start.
An extension of the Pathsmith® framework across the full learning continuum, from early childhood through postsecondary. Covers 24 durable skills organized into four clusters, with 360 behavioral indicators across five developmental levels. Designed for partners embedding durable skills into curriculum, assessments, and systems. Available through a Pathsmith® license.
The complete early career Pathsmith® framework: all 10 competency domains and 74 subskills defined across four proficiency levels (emerging, developing, applying, and exceeding). Provides practical, observable descriptions of how durable skills show up at every stage of proficiency. Available through a Pathsmith® license.
Edmentum integrates the Pathsmith® framework into standards-aligned middle school CTE curriculum. This helps educators teach and assess durable skills alongside technical content.
Hidden Skills helps students name and articulate the durable skills they build through internships, jobs, volunteering, sports, and other meaningful experiences. Using the Pathsmith® framework, students submit short audio reflections and receive personalized reports identifying the skills they demonstrated, in language they can carry into college applications and job interviews. Partner organizations receive cohort-level data to strengthen their programs.
This simple planning tool helps educators instantly embed durable skills into any lesson. Enter an idea and receive immediate, actionable suggestions aligned to the Pathsmith® framework.
Created in partnership with ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, educators can access self-paced courses and guided cohorts that support the teaching and development of durable skills.
TNTP provides opportunity assessments, professional learning, and hands-on coaching to help schools implement the Pathsmith® framework across instruction, school culture, and systems.
Willow’s advising and postsecondary planning platform integrates the Pathsmith® framework into Individual Career and Academic Planning (ICAP). Students build durable skills through lessons, reflections, and goal setting, and educators gain dashboards to track growth.
America Succeeds’ Research Practice Collaborative spent 16 months working alongside 12 high schools across nine states to understand what actually works when schools develop durable skills intentionally. The findings are clear: when schools make skills explicit, create authentic learning experiences with real stakes, and embed skills across the full student experience, learners graduate with not just knowledge but agency, identity, and a clear path forward.
Ready to Bring Durable Skills to Your Classroom, School, or District?
