The Importance of Behavioral Skills and Navigation Factors for Education and Work Success. ACT Insights in Education and Work Series

Over the past decade, there has been greater recognition by educators, employers, and policymakers of the importance of behavioral skills and navigation factors (e.g., dependability, cooperation, interests, and goals) for education and career success. A growing body of research shows that these factors contribute to diverse positive outcomes in both education and workforce settings. In addition, recent legislation (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015) provides states with the flexibility to include a non-academic indicator (in conjunction with traditional academic achievement indicators) when measuring K-12 student progress and success, calling attention to the role of non-academic factors in contributing to educational outcomes. These factors are also important to employers. Surveys of employers indicate an increased need for employees with a range of behavioral and navigation skills that influence work outcomes. Recognizing the significance of behavioral skills and navigation factors, ACT recently advanced the ACT Holistic Framework, a more holistic approach to preparing people for success throughout their education and work journeys. This comprehensive, research-based framework includes core academic skills, cross-cutting capabilities, behavioral skills, and navigation factors across critical transitions that are considered essential for achieving education and career success. This report focuses on behavioral skills and navigation factors (drawn from the ACT Holistic Framework) that elementary, middle, and high school teachers, college instructors, and workforce supervisors consider important for success. The following four topics are discussed: (1) the behavioral skills and navigation factors featured in the ACT Holistic Framework; (2) a brief description of the 2016 ACT survey of college and career readiness expectations, by which data were collected on the factors considered integral to success in education and work; (3) survey results from educators and workforce supervisors, along with the potential implications of these findings; and (4) recommendations that translate the importance attributed to behavioral skills and navigation factors into actions for policymakers, educators, and employers.