Why Decision Education?

The need for Decision Education has never been greater.

Students face an unprecedented barrage of messages

These messages shape their decisions with significant and long-term impact, and data shows the vast majority struggle with those decisions.

Students have difficulty weighing options, evaluating evidence, asking important questions, and managing their emotions when making decisions that will impact their lives in both small and significant ways.

In a Stanford Study of a national sample of high school students, the Stanford History Education Group found that:

96%

assumed what they saw on a given website was accurate

~70%

could not discern news stories from advertisements

>50%

believed a misleading caption even after viewing a video that contradicted it

Fast-paced technological advances continue to reshape the world and workforce our students are preparing to enter.

Decision-making skills are repeatedly called out as their strongest assets for success.

35% of skills needed today will be different in just five years.

Students will hold 7 to 20 different jobs—including jobs that do not now exist.

The report by the World Economic Forum said that most critical workplace skills will be derived from an individual’s ability to form judgments and make decisions as situations become increasingly novel, complex, and collaborative.

The Forum lists 10 top skills needed for 2025 and beyond:

Eight of the 10 workplace skills needed for 2025 are related to and strengthened by Decision Education

  1. Analytical thinking and innovation
  2. Active learning and learning strategies
  3. Complex problem solving
  4. Critical thinking and analysis
  5. Creativity, originality, and initiative
  6. Leadership and social influence
  7. Technology use, monitoring, and control
  8. Technology design and programing
  9. Resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility
  10. Reasoning, problem-solving, and ideation

34% of all jobs in 2018 demanded strong decision skills.

That’s a 14 percent increase in just 11 years.

Experts say that percentage is higher today and continues to climb. The Harvard Study also showed that the increase in automation is driving demand for employees with strong decision-making skills as non-automated jobs become increasingly fluid, calling for employees who can adapt to unforeseen circumstances and effectively solve problems.

>91% of companies first look for problem-solving skills when hiring.

The survey was part of the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2020 Job Outlook Report.

We equip kids to read as early as we possibly can so they can be readers. We equip them to do math as soon as we possibly can so that they can be numerate.

So why wouldn’t we equip them to make the best possible decisions, or at least be able to evaluate what decision-making is?

Paul Wright
High School Government Teacher, Radnor High School, Philadelphia. Paul has been Teaching for 29 years.

Decision Education (DE) skills drive proven results

Philadelphia students taught just one aspect of Decision Education became:

  • 10% better in Math
  • 13% better in English, compared to other students in their school

With just 15 hours of Decision Education instruction in a high school history course:

  • Test scores increased by half a standardized grade
  • Heightened engagement

Show your support for our mission

Decision Education helped my students look at the various options instead of fixating on just one. The more we talked about it, the more I realized that this is applicable to so many different things beyond the classroom—because we make decisions all day long—and that’s what makes decision education very powerful.

Allen Wang

High School Science Teacher, KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate, Massachusetts. Allen has been Teaching for 7 years.

Hear teachers speak for themselves

Focusing students on what is important to them

Enabling discussion on tough topics

From reacting to thoughtful engagement

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