The curriculum modification model develops, implements and evaluates a pilot initiative at a high school in the state of Delaware. In response to a district initiative to integrate “21st Century Skills into appropriate areas of the curriculum,” the author applied the six “Critical Elements for Creating 21st Century Skills” to propose a curriculum matrix to modify the English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. Members of the English Language Arts Department piloted a curriculum modification module at one grade level based on the theoretical model for Creating 21st Century Skills in ELA at Middletown High School derived from three guiding standards: the Delaware English Language Arts Core Content, the International Society for Technology in Education's National Education Technology Standards for Students, and principles of effective learning environments. The goals of the curriculum project were to measure staff and student readiness for current and future curriculum initiatives and to increase teacher and student proficiency in expressed and self-reported 21st Century Skills. As a member of the English department, the researcher utilized a participatory action research design to sample English department staff and students. At the conclusion of the curriculum modification project, the researcher compared pre- and post-survey and questionnaire data to determine the impact of the pilot initiative upon student expressed skills. The researcher applied an independent t-test and repeated-measures ANOVA and found that the curriculum modifications had a significant impact on the student command of digital tools to demonstrate web-based communication and collaborative skills. The project proved that a building response to a district initiative could make a significant difference in student learning.