What is the best educational approach to prepare today's students to become tomorrow's leaders? How do we equip today's students with 21st century skills necessary for success? These important questions face parents, educators, policymakers, and communities. ASCD proposes a new whole child approach, supported by research, to provide the foundation for success in school, the workplace, the community, and life.

The current educational climate focuses on students' success in reading and math, two vital subjects. However, the educational experience should be made up of more than just these two subjects. ASCD proposes a broader definition of achievement and accountability that promotes the development of children who are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

This definition evolved from the work of ASCD's Commission on the Whole Child, especially the Commission's 2007 report, The Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action. What does it mean to educate the whole child? Commission Cochair Hugh Price said it best: “What parents want for their child is what we want for all children.” How do parents, educators, policymakers, and communities address these challenges?

• Healthy kids make better students. What can we do to ensure that all kids arrive at school healthy and ready to learn?
• Students who are scared have trouble concentrating. What can we do to ensure students feel safe and secure, both physically and emotionally, in their schools?
• Academic engagement is critical for success. How can schools and communities engage students in ways that are relevant and tied to the broader community beyond the classroom?
• Students who are supported by caring adults are most likely to excel. What are the critical elements for student support, both inside and outside the classroom, to ensure high success? What does support for students mean, and how can we ensure all students have it?
• Students must be prepared for life outside school. What must we do to provide a challenging, rigorous curriculum that prepares today's students for success in the workplace and higher education?

In this issue of Infobrief, we address these critical questions and provide an in-depth look at the central tenets necessary to improve education for all children.