A new test for the 21st century, literally.

ALL THE EFFORTS TO PROVIDE more emphasis on technology skills in schools may be paying off, as steps have been taken to nationally test, for the first time, students' technology literacy.

WestEd, a nonprofit educational research agency, was recently awarded a $1.86 million contract to develop the technology literacy component framework for the 2012 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card.

Those involved with the project say it will ultimately lead to ways to measure students' knowledge on an array of technology-related subjects, which include 21st-century computer and researching skills but also technology applications in fields such as agriculture, engineering, energy usage and medicine.

"This isn't just about computers," says Mary Crovo, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). "It's much broader than that. It's about how technology touches all aspects of our lives, regardless of whether it's in the end product."

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The announcement was made in October by the NAGB, which was created by Congress in 1988 to set policy for NAEP.

WestEd is currently convening steering and planning committees--which include technology experts, teachers, scientists and policymakers from across the country--to develop the content and framework for the new assessment.

Given the fast-changing nature of new technologies, project members say the content design phase will include some "hypothesizing" on what the landscape may be 10 years out, but an attempt to "outguess" any impending technological advancements is not an objective.

"We're going to focus more on core technologies and how students should think, not the hardware itself," says Steve Schneider, director of WestEd's Math, Science and Technology Program. "It should be about process--what is thoughtful design, what is careful analysis, what is critical thinking," he adds.

The board is slated to review and approve the framework in late 2009, which will then open up a competitive bidding process for a contractor to construct the actual test.

The work comes at a time when there are no nationwide requirements or a common definition for technological literacy, experts say.