XQ Competencies
XQ’s research-backed competencies are a new way to elevate high school learning.
The XQ Competencies define student success not by test scores or Carnegie units, but by the achievement of meaningful outcomes across academic content, cognitive skills, and social-emotional capacities.
This developmental framework, derived from the XQ Learner Outcomes and grounded in the science of adolescent learning, holds the potential to transform the way we design learning experiences, assess student progress, and certify students’ successful acquisition of essential skills and knowledge.
Used in concert with academic content standards, the XQ Competencies can work in any state, in any school, and in any outside-of-school education setting. They are an actionable tool, designed to be accessible to all members of the learning community—teachers, students, families, plus local partner organizations and businesses.
XQ Competency Navigator
Explore the XQ Competency Navigator, designed to make the 37 XQ Competencies accessible and easy to use. The XQ Competencies complement and enrich existing academic standards by integrating cognitive and social-emotional skills and capacities, paving a bold path toward true college and career readiness.
XQ Competency Builders
Check out the XQ Competency Builders, our growing collection of activities that help teachers bring the XQ Competencies into their classrooms right away. Plug an activity into existing curriculum in any content area to spark students’ interest and boost learning across academic, cognitive, and social-emotional dimensions.
Comparative Review of the XQ Competencies
A research study by Knowledge to Power Catalysts. This analysis by leaders in the field of youth development finds that the XQ Competencies provide a logical, coherent, and actionable framework for student learning. The study includes findings from a review by Harvard’s EASEL Lab.
XQ Learner Outcomes
What do young people need to thrive in today’s complex and rapidly changing world? The answer is our rigorous, scientifically based XQ Learner Outcomes, which show what all young people should know and be able to do. These Learner Outcomes are the basis of the XQ Competencies.
