Graduating students who can compete in the digital age is imperative but remains an uphill battle in the absence of a strong national technology policy, empowered education leadership, and ongoing dialogue involving business, community, government, and educators. Meantime, in pockets around the country, some states, districts, and schools are moving forward with innovative initiatives that aim to prepare students for success in the global digital workplace. In this article, the author discusses West Virginia's step towards refining and aligning state standards and assessments, as well as shaping a new curriculum. She also talks about West Virginia and North Carolina's "Partnership for 21st Century Skills' Framework," which they incorporate into their curriculum strategy. It is concluded that as policymakers consider reauthorization of No Child Left Behind legislation in the coming year, those schools, districts, and states taking the first steps toward integrating 21st century skills represent the pioneers in the next wave of education reform. Issues such as how to define and measure the new essential skills, whether to standardize them nationally, and how to determine their impact on workplace success remain very much works in progress. Six key elements of 21st Century Learning; a brief list of related resources complete the article.