New Report: Governor’s Commission on College and Career Success

Posted by on March 9, 2009

Governor’s Commission on College and Career Success
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Final Report

Introduction
Globalization has arrived in Pennsylvania, with significant implications for business and education alike. Gone are the days when workers enjoyed a career in a single industry, perhaps even with a single employer, where the biggest competition they faced for jobs came from the town at the other end of the county. Instead, like never before in history, today’s workers find themselves competing for jobs with other qualified applicants from around the world. Jobs once thought to be permanent bulwarks of the American economy have moved overseas, where tasks can be performed less expensively and with the same results. This means that not only are Pennsylvania students competing with those from Indiana and Ohio for jobs after graduation; they are also competing with students from Singapore and Hong Kong. In short, if Pennsylvania is to compete—and win—in the global economy, our students must be world-class. We have a
long way to go to achieve this goal, both as a nation and as a commonwealth. Most research that compares U.S. students with their international peers shows us falling further and further behind. Even our highest performing students lag behind their international peers. Research conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that the U.S. ranks 23rd out of 29 OECD countries in math achievement.

http://www.pdenewsroom.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/lib/stateboard_ed/Commission_On_College_and_Career_Success_Report.pdf

For a YouTube video that echoes some of the sentiments in the report (albeit without source citations), visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY