FACT:  Employer expectations are higher than ever before … and rising.  Workplace demands for higher levels of knowledge and skills are escalating, and college and work readiness is increasingly being defined by national and international standards.

REALITY:  Far too many Central Ohio students are not being prepared for success in college* and careers …  Some because they are sequestered in traditional academic settings that offer few choices or learning pathways.  Others because they are the first generation in their families to go to college, under-represented minorities or students with disabilities. * “College” includes learning beyond high school that leads to credentialing (e.g., certificates and two- and four-year degrees.)

College must be a realistic goal for all young people and for many more adults already in the workforce. Yet for this to be achieved …the system needs to be redesigned to support high achievement and the development of life-long learning skills for all students.

This represents a major change in our thinking … in our learning practices … and perhaps in our culture of education … as they relate to college- and career-readiness.

So a critical question is: What do people think about efforts to close the gap between what students need to know and be able to do to graduate from high school and the knowledge and skills most demanded in postsecondary and workplace setting?

Here’s what some of our customers think.

What employers say...  39% of high school graduates with no additional education are not adequately prepared for their current jobs  42% of high school graduates do not have the skills to advance beyond entry-level jobs Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, (December 2004 and January 2005 surveys

What college instructors say... Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, (December 2004 and January 2005 surveys  42% of their first-year college students are not adequately prepared for college-level work  65% of instructors say high schools do not adequately prepare graduates to meet the expectations they will face in college  24% of instructors say they spend a significant amount of class time on remediation.

What students say …  39% of college students and high school graduates say they have gaps in the skills and abilities expected in their college courses or jobs, respectively  Knowing what they know today … 65% of college students and 77% of non-students say they would have worked harder in high school Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, (December 2004 and January 2005 surveys

Here’s what voters nationally think.

There is strong agreement that education or training beyond high school is necessary for future success.

There is strong agreement that rigorous requirements in high school are critical.

QUESTION: Generally speaking, when it comes to having sufficient academic knowledge and skills, do you believe graduates of our nation’s public high schools are very prepared, somewhat prepared, somewhat unprepared or very unprepared to meet the expectations they face as they take the next steps after high school?

By almost a two-to-one margin, voters tell us it is better to have rigorous graduation requirements for all students, than to have different requirements for different students Raising academic and graduation requirements means more students will drop out of high school. 63% Same rigorous requirements for everyone 32% Higher graduation requirements for top-performing students 49% Agree 50% Disagree

Clearly, there’s a pressing need for a college- and career-readiness agenda … and there’s widespread public support for it. But it’s not merely a matter of establishing demanding expectations, setting high standards and improving the quality of instruction. We also need to...

 Show children and young people the relevance of learning;  Reinvent our K-12 schools;  Provide “whole-child” student supports that remove the non-academic barriers to learning;  Bridge secondary and postsecondary standards/expectations;  Blend secondary and postsecondary learning;  Extend and capitalize on learning opportunities beyond classrooms and schools;  Align secondary and postsecondary standards/expectations; and  Connect education and employment needs. This is what the Central Ohio College & Career Success Network can be all about!