In the contemporary educational landscape, the significance of soft skills development, particularly in secondary education, garnered little attention. This study explored the critical role of soft skills, focusing on communication, feedback, collaboration, media literacy, and critical thinking in career and higher education. The central theme was the role of feedback on soft skills development, emphasizing the need for timely, goal-oriented, and actionable feedback in the form of a standards-based report card to foster continuous learning and skill refinement. The study showed significant improvements in students' abilities in communication, collaboration, media literacy, and critical thinking skills within three months, emphasizing the effectiveness of feedback in enhancing soft skill proficiency. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]