Noncognitive skills—such as motivation, perseverance, social abilities, and self-control—drive long-term student success in school and in life. Although recognized as an important causal factor in student success, these skills show considerable variability in how much time and financial resources schools invest developing them. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) now requires states to include at least one nonacademic measure in their student accountability system and funding the implementation of new models to support student learning. We review the evidence for several malleable noncognitive skills that benefit student learning and long-term psychosocial outcomes. We recommend educational stakeholders take advantage of the increased flexibility ESSA provides to cultivate noncognitive skills that yield meaningful long-term educational, economic, and social benefits for students.
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