“Fasten your seatbelt! This book brings clarity and insight to education priorities that prepare students for their futures, and pragmatic guidance for how schools can fulfill this promise. Grounded in decades of field expertise, the authors offer a powerful education North Star of immense value to educators, parents, and concerned citizens around the globe.”

—Ted Dintersmith
Founder, What School Could Be
Author, What School Could Be

“With the demands of the workplace never greater, and the need for effective citizenship never more urgent, the world demands a new generation of self-directed creative problem solvers. Redefining Student Success is the guide every leader needs to build an education system worthy of the students they serve.”

—Daniel H. Pink
Author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

“We must reconsider what we’re working towards in education and reorient towards a purpose that’s relevant for today’s world, with all its challenges and opportunities. Redefining Student Success is an incredible gift—it’s a roadmap for educators and other stakeholders seeking to develop a shared vision of the capabilities students (and educators) need to develop so they can shape a better future.”

—Wendy Kopp, CEO & Co-founder, Teach For All
Founder, Teach For America

“Let’s face it: most people know our schools can be better but they are not sure where to start. Redefining Student Success brings the steps for school transformation to life with sound advice, practical strategies, and rich stories sharing the whys and hows.”

—Cindy Johanson, Executive Editor
Edutopia

“All children, no matter their zip codes, deserve every opportunity to turn their dreams into reality. Redefining Student Success can serve as a ‘go-to’ resource to help ensure that education for all learners becomes equitable, engaging, and authentic.”

—Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director
AASA, The School Superintendents Association

“Ken Kay has long been a significant thought leader and contributor to advancing 21st century education. In this new book, Kay and Boss offer powerful stories of school system leaders engaged in 21st century, deeper learning and how the changes made have positively impacted young people. Their amazing examples of real work in districts across the country is inspiring!”

—Karen K. Garza, President and CEO
Battelle for Kids

“What if you could design schools where students were passionately invested in the learning process and in the meaningful outcomes of that process? The good news is you can. With powerful examples, reflection and action tools, Ken and Suzie show us how to engage parents, teachers, students and leaders in a critically important conversation about what learning must look like now and for our future.”

—Aaron Spence, Superintendent
Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia

“Ken Kay and Suzie Boss bring home the point that leadership matters in promoting transformational change in school organizations. I love the ‘ask yourself’ sections of this book! They pose critical questions for reflection on the myriad ways in which education practitioners have worked to implement change in our nation’s schools.”

—David W. James, Ed.D., Superintendent
Akron Public Schools, Ohio

“Redefining Student Success makes the case for why every student deserves equal access to 21st Century Learning Experiences and provides leaders with a set of tools and strategies to make this vision a reality.”

—Steven Holmes, Superintendent
Sunnyside Unified School District, Arizona

“As we emerge from a global pandemic, we literally have the opportunity to ‘reopen the schools of the future.’ Suzie Boss and Ken Kay provide a clear path forward for educators to solidify the best we’ve learned about 21st century education. Brilliantly written and easy to navigate, let this book be your GPS for true educational transformation.”

—Michael R. McCormick, Superintendent
Val Verde Unified School District, California

“Ken Kay and Suzie Boss have created a practical path that has the potential to transform American education. It includes an inspiring vision, vital components of change, and a realistic path forward. It is the long, overdue bridge from ideas to implementation. Redefining Student Success supports teachers and leaders in their journeys to create modern, personalized education for all students.”

—Elizabeth Fagen, Superintendent
Humble ISD, Texas

“When two authorities on 21st century skills and project-based learning join forces, the whole can be greater than the parts—and that is the case with this book. Ken Kay and Suzie Boss bring their exceptional expertise together to offer a synthesized vision that can truly transform schooling. If you’re ready to embark on the journey toward ‘future proof’ learning, this book is for you!” 

—Jay McTighe
Co-author of the Understanding by Design^® framework and Leading Modern Learning

“The vision of education needs to change and to make that happen, it must engage the community in a robust conversation about what our students really need for college, life, and career. Ken and Suzie’s book takes the premise that our new vision of education needs to be rooted in our communities and shows us what is possible as we build that vision and allow it to take root deeply in every phase of education.  It turns out when the community is engaged in developing the vision, they become co-owners and help light the path for students to obtain the skills, mindsets and dispositions they need to be successful.”

—Cheryl Carrier
Executive Director, Ford Next Generation Learning

“Redefining Student Success is an inspirational reminder that education is only limited by our vision, and teaching is first and foremost an act of leadership.”

—John Wright
Senior Director for Strategy, National Education Association

“Ken and Suzie have both made so many helpful contributions to innovative learning and teaching. I love that they have teamed up. The strengths of this book are the specific strategies that help educators translate their visions for learning into concrete, actionable structures. The ‘field trip’ examples from schools across the country and the Portrait of a Graduate connections are fantastic!”

—Scott McLeod, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
University of Colorado Denver
Founding Director, CASTLE

“For 20 years, Ken Kay has been the leading advocate for 21st century skills. Two decades into the century, Kay and Suzie Boss offer a timely update on what young people need to know and be able to do to thrive with a focus on creative problem solving and the addition of self-direction and civic engagement. This bold vision is a must read for any school or system reconsidering learning goals. We appreciate how they have incorporated sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship into a call for community connected project-based learning.” 

—Tom Vander Ark, CEO, Getting Smart
Author, Difference-Making at the Heart of Learning

“Suzie Boss and Ken Kay are veteran edu-leaders in our march to transform K-12 learning. In Redefining Student Success, they give school leaders a powerful, detailed, and ready-to-use set of tools to move beyond the ‘why’ and on to the ‘how’ of school change. The book is a cornucopia of examples of schools, leaders, and teams that are already well on the way.”

—Grant Lichtman
Author and Chief Provocateur