Which of the following are grade-level competencies that will meet student developmental needs and align with academic content as appropriate?

• A. Career Readiness
• B. Communication Skills
• C. Technology Proficiency
• D. Mindsets & Behavior

Answer: (D)

The focus is on how students’ dispositions and behaviors support their learning and connect to what they’re expected to learn at each grade level. Mindsets & Behavior cover how students approach tasks (for example, willingness to persevere, use effort, reflect on feedback), regulate themselves, and interact with others in a learning setting. When these elements are addressed as grade-level competencies, they create a solid foundation for engaging with academic content, enabling students to tackle challenges, stay organized, and keep working toward understanding and mastery.

Other options, while important in broader education goals, don’t map as directly to daily learning demands at the developmental level. Career readiness targets future work skills; communication skills are essential and often embedded in content, but they don’t alone guarantee the ongoing, classroom-ready approach to learning that mindsets and behavior provide; technology proficiency focuses on tools rather than the underlying learning approach or how students regulate themselves while learning.