Press Release - Historic Education Milestone
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OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009
CONTACT:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER REMARKS FROM TODAY'S HISTORIC EDUCATION MILESTONE
Click Here to listen to Gov. Bill Ritter's remarks at today's historic meeting of the State Board of Education and Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
The boards approved new landmark definitions for what skills and knowledge high school students need to enter college and the 21st century workforce. Colorado becomes the first state in the country with such "post-secondary and workforce readiness" -- or POWER -- definitions. The definitions mark the most significant milestone to date from Senate Bill 08-212, the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids, or CAP4K.
Here are Gov. Ritter's remarks as prepared:
On the night I was elected Governor, I spoke about a child who was born earlier that day. I pledged to work tirelessly to give that child, and all children, the best education and the best opportunities to live up to their God-given potential.
Today is a historic day for Colorado, as we take a major step toward fulfilling that promise. It's a historic day as our P-12 and higher education governing boards come together for the very first time to adopt postsecondary and workforce readiness standards -- what we are calling "POWER" standards.
These standards will serve as guideposts. They will outline the skills, knowledge and behaviors that high school graduates will need in order to enter college and the workforce so they can compete and succeed in a 21st century global economy.
Two years ago, critics argued that P-12 and higher education were too different, too entrenched and too inflexible to enact meaningful reform. Today, we prove them wrong. You accepted the challenge--and delivered.
This isn't to say we don't have significant challenges, because we do. One in four kids who start 9th grade do not graduate. Two-thirds of students who begin high school do not go on to college. One-third of college freshmen need remedial training. And we are producing a generation of young people that will actually be less educated than their parents' generation.
We can do better. We must do better. And your actions today send a clear message that we are going to do better. Your actions today prove that real change is underway, driven by intentional collaboration among local educators, business leaders, government officials, and policymakers.
In 2008, the legislature passed and I signed Senate Bill 212, the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids, or CAP4K. As a first step, you quickly set out and defined "school readiness." Later this morning, the State Board of Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education will jointly adopt the definition of postsecondary and workforce readiness--the POWER standard.
And by the end of the year you will have content standards that form the bridge from school readiness to workforce readiness, with modern testing and assessment tools following shortly thereafter.
This is completely unprecedented for Colorado and for the nation. It is bold. It is comprehensive. It is student-focused. And it will create new possibilities and new opportunities for hundreds of thousands of students. It's a remarkable accomplishment and a remarkable milestone. And it's already making a difference in places like Westminster 50 and Aurora Public Schools, where the district will soon break ground on a "CAP4K campus."
Let me close by thanking the many people at the Departments of Education and Higher Education who made today possible:
Commissioner Dwight Jones
Executive Director David Skaggs
Deputy Commissioner Ken Turner
Chief Academic Officer Julie Carnahan
Associate Commissioner Rich Wenning
Assistant Commissioner Jo O'Brien
Assistant Commissioner Jeanette Cornier
DHE staff Vicki Leal and Matt McKeever
And CDE staff Samantha Long and Kady Dodds.
Let's give these people a round of applause for their tireless efforts.
As Governor, I'm proud to say that once again Colorado is a national leader and national model for education reform. As a parent, and the husband of a former teacher, I thank you for your commitment to seeing that our children and grandchildren will have the very best educational opportunities anywhere in the world. Thank you.