[February 25, 2013]

Education Commission of the States to Build Blueprint for Underprepared High School Students

Too many high school students are unprepared for college and the Common Core Assessments will identify even more as not college ready. States have about 18 months to respond to this anticipated need. The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has teamed up with the Charles A. Dana Center, Complete College America, and Education First to develop a suite of evidence-based, early intervention strategies that states can use to move more high school students toward college readiness.

This yearlong initiative, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will involve state legislators, state education agency leaders, and higher education representatives.

ECS will convene experts to identify the most effective instructional methods used by colleges and universities to get lagging students back on track. ECS and its partners will use these instructional methods as a starting point for drafting a Blueprint for policy and practice.

Selected teams in 10 states will use the Blueprint to develop a statewide strategy, with the expectation that states will refine and customize their plan to meet their unique needs. Asimplementation laboratories, states will provide vital feedback to strengthen the final Blueprint.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, the current ECS Chair, said, "Education leaders nationwide are doing innovative work in our classrooms. If we can harness these best practices, we can spread and accelerate this great work so more students are ready for college and careers."

This ambitious initiative will host a Thinkers' Meeting in March, a State Team Meeting in April, and a two-day Blueprint Implementation Workshop in June.

"The goal of this initiative is for states to explore not only how they can increase college readiness, but how to implement long-term strategies that promote greater degree attainment and improved economic prosperity," noted ECS President Jeremy Anderson.

Education leaders and policymakers not involved in the project can follow along on the project website, where they will find research and policy resources related to Common Core, college readiness, and developmental education issues.

About ECS

ECS is the only nationwide, nonpartisan organization that works directly with governors, legislators, chief state school officers, higher education officials, and other leaders across all areas of education-from pre-K to college and the workforce. Since 1965, we have tracked policy, translated research, provided unbiased advice, and created opportunities for state policymakers to learn from one another. ECS is located in Denver and maintains the nation's most extensive clearinghouse on education policy.

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