Governor to submit recommendations to legislature by January
A recently appointed panel is working to streamline state education from preschool to graduate school so that students will emerge better prepared for the demands of the 21st century workforce.
According to executive order issued by Governor Bill Ritter, the panel is drafting recommendations for improving education in Colorado. The P-20 Education Coordinating Council met at Morgan Community College on Nov. 16 to discuss 13 recommendations for improving all levels of education across the state.
The council met again on Nov. 27 to vote on the recommendations. The governor will review the finalized recommendations and decide which issues to introduce in the state legislature when session resumes next spring.
Students think that increasing preparedness for college work would be a good idea.
“I would have been a little overwhelmed if I hadn’t taken (advanced placement) classes,” said Lindsay Weber, a senior French and education major.
The panel’s recommendations aim to meet with Ritter’s goal of doubling the number of college degrees, cutting the state’s dropout rate in half, and closing the achievement gap by 2020.
The panel is comprised of representatives from school districts, universities and independent organizations. Members on the panel include representatives from Colorado’s universities such as Lorrie Shepard, dean of CU’s School of Education.
The panel is co-chaired by Benson Mineral Group CEO Bruce Benson, CSU at Pueblo President Joe Garcia and Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien.
According to the council’s draft of their recommendations, the recommendations include performance-pay incentives to maintain qualified educators, and state administered assessments for 11th graders to measure their readiness for entering college and the workforce.
Other recommendations include improving the preschool system by meeting the needs of all students.
The panel plans to improve preschool through high school education so that students will be better prepared for the rigor of collegiate work. Weber said she thinks students will be more prepared for college if more advanced courses are offered in high school to all students.
“If students are interested in advanced work in high school, they should be able to take more college-prep courses,” Weber said.
The panel plans to work with other government agencies such as the Department of Higher Education to implement the recommended changes.
Visit the council’s Web site for more information about Ritter’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Katherine Spencer at katherine.a.spencer@thecampuspress.com
