Report of the Colorado Education Alignment Council

      Colorado’s inability to produce a higher percentage of college graduates is further exacerbated by the fact that the state’s K- 12 education system is not adequately preparing students to meet the expectations of the postsecondary education system. In fact, ACT only deemed 18 percent of the 2005 high school graduates in Colorado to be “ready for college” in four different academic disciplines. Given Colorado’s low college-readiness rate, it is not surprising that 30 percent of high school graduates who immediately enrolled in a public postsecondary education institution in 2004 required remediation in at least one of three academic disciplines.

      Low college readiness rates and high remediation rates are to be expected given the number of high school students who are not proficient in reading and math. In Colorado, results on the 2006 statewide assessment program reveal that 29 percent of 10th grade students are not proficient in reading. When examining the reading scores of minority students, the percentage of 10th grade students who are not proficient in reading is even more disturbing. For instance, 38 percent of Native Americans, 48 percent of African Americans, and 53 percent of Hispanics are not proficient in reading. Furthermore, results on the 2006 statewide assessment program reveal that an alarming 67 percent of 10th grade students are not proficient in math. When examining the math scores of minority students, the percentage of 10th grade students who are not proficient in math is even more alarming. For instance, 81 percent of Native Americans, 86 percent of African Americans, and 86 percent of Hispanics are not proficient in math.

      While evidence such as low college readiness rates and high remediation rates suggest that high schools students in Colorado are not adequately prepared to enter the postsecondary education system, there is also evidence to suggest that students are not adequately prepared to enter the workforce. In fact, a survey of national employers reveals that 45 percent of recent high school graduates are not prepared to advance beyond a low-wage, lowskill, entry-level job. Furthermore, this same national survey reveals that 46 percent of recent high school graduates who entered the workforce believe they do not possess all of the skills needed to meet all of the expectations of their employers. Just as disturbing, is that most students in Colorado do not possess the postsecondary education training needed to compete for jobs in many of the fastest growing occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the most significant education credential required for 60 percent of the 20 fastest growing occupations is an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree. As mentioned earlier, only 20 percent of the total number of 9th grade students in Colorado will graduate from college with an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.

      Because of these challenges and many others that are discussed throughout the full report, the Colorado Education Alignment Council (Alignment Council) strongly recommends that the state begin to modify and enhance existing policies as well as implement additional policies in order to ensure that expectations for student achievement are seamless across Colorado’s education system. As a result, the full report examines issues related to the alignment of the secondary education system with the expectations of the business community and the postsecondary education system.

Read the full report here.