There is a long history of the American federal government calling for many of
the same competencies that foreign and local educators and business leaders have urged.
One attempt by the federal government was to create a framework of standards for the
21st century in the form of the 1990 Secretary’s Commission of Necessary Skills
(SCANS). This initiative was the response to the 1983 report, A Nation at Risk, which
outlined the failures of the American educational system when compared to international
counterparts. The report stated that in order for schools to be transformed into high
performing organizations, five competencies must be incorporated into the daily
instructional practices of educators. The report states the competencies that all effective
workers can productively use: