RD131 - Education Commission of the States 2010 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
Education reform in the United States has been simmering for decades. The deep recession has turned up the heat on education reform to the point it is now boiling. Most reform efforts are focused on outcomes versus inputs and the current education system is being challenged on every front and every level. There is little disagreement that a high-quality and efficient education system is a critical component to a strong economy and economic development. While the U.S. education system has been incredibly resilient to change over the past 100 years, it is generally easy to get agreement on desired outcomes: 1) increasing college graduates; 2) increasing high school graduates who are both work-ready and college-ready; and 3) aligning the education system to workforce needs.

States are approaching their reform efforts differently and the role for ECS has never been more important. The need to convene state policymakers and share policies, data and practices is critical. The structure of the ECS Compact, with key policymakers in each state being designated as ECS Commissioners, has proven to be very effective in moving policy forward at the state level. The power of teams of state policymakers continues to be an effective model, even in times of great turnover and flux.

In 2010, ECS made the commitment to bring ECS commissioners as a team from each state to the National Forum. ECS will continue this effort to ensure that each state can bring their ECS Commissioners together at the 2011 National Forum in Denver. The team participation and exchange will foster successful implementation of their state education reform efforts.

ECS will continue to facilitate the exchange of data and information that can help states develop and implement policies that improve the achievement levels of students in this country and increase our ability to compete in this global economy. The need to align our education system with the changing workforce demands will be of critical importance and will require an ongoing dialog with employers and corporate leaders. ECS will expand opportunities for state policymakers and industry leaders to exchange thoughts, needs and strategies.