27 / 32
Summer 2016
27
not require a postsecondary degree
increasingly pay low wages.
7
Dropping out prior to the comple-
tion of a high school diploma can
limit an individual’s ability to obtain
a living-wage job and can result in
increased costs to the community.
8
It is important to track student
dropouts and progress from sixth
grade through the completion of
a postsecondary credential or de-
gree in order to develop targeted
interventions.
9
Not all students have the resources
necessary to access and complete
a postsecondary credential or de-
gree. The cost of higher education
can act as a barrier that prevents
students from starting or complet-
ing a postsecondary credential or
degree. Additionally, students from
disadvantaged backgrounds or first-
generation college students may lack
the social and cultural knowledge of
what is expected and required to be
successful in college or university.
10
Some students come to college
academically unprepared for a
variety of reasons, which can be
addressed:
●
●
Increasing rigor by using peda-
gogical strategies that promote
critical thinking and problem-
solving skills can help better
prepare students for college and
support degree completion.
●
●
Actively identifying and engag-
ing students who are underper-
forming relative to their potential
can increase their achievement.
●
●
Social promotion in grades K–8
may result in a lack of preparation
at the secondary and postsec-
ondary levels.
●
●
It is crucial that students achieve
grade level proficiency in reading
and math prior to entering high
school in order to keep up with
curriculum.
11
Working students need predictable
work schedules so that they can
effectively structure their time.
12
Quality education should help
students find inspiration, cultivate
their talents, and build their skills
around their interests.
13
Gaps in academic achievement
and educational attainment that
are associated with race, ethnic-
ity, gender, and income harm our
community and perpetuate exist-
ing inequalities. Schools can work
to address the impacts of poverty
and inequality, which are barriers
to student engagement.
14
One educational model will not
necessarily generate success
for every student. An effective
educational system will include
alternative learning environments
that provide opportunities for all
students to be successful.
15
21st century skills are essential for
success in school and in the work-
place and are expected by em-
ployers. These skills include critical
thinking, problem solving, effective
written and oral communication,
dependability, adaptability, and the
ability to work in a team.
16
It is important to incorporate digi-
tal literacy into education because
technology skills play a large and
increasing role in all employment
sectors. Proficiency in these skills is
especially important in high-wage
jobs.
17
School culture and environment
have a significant impact on
student engagement and success.
To increase student engagement
and reduce the dropout rate, it
CONCLUSIONS
1
Investing in human capital —an
individual’s knowledge, abilities,
and experiences—is central to cre-
ating economic growth. Not only
does human capital drive innova-
tion, which generates increased
productivity, but a well-educated
workforce can also attract employ-
ers from outside the region.
2
High-quality education is a valu-
able community resource and is es-
sential to economic growth. Many
educational programs, facilities,
and services in our region depend
on school levies and bonds. It is
important to educate the public
about the value our educational
institutions bring to our region and
the ways in which public schools
depend on the passage of bonds
and levies to support student
learning.
3
New and shifting education poli-
cies and decreased public invest-
ment make it difficult to effectively
sustain and deliver high-quality
educational programs.
4
The ability to “learn how to learn”
is essential to long-term employ-
ability because workplace envi-
ronments can change quickly,
and because acquiring new skills
on the job can lead to career
advancement.
5
Engagement, which refers to an
emotional commitment to an or-
ganization and its goals, is essential
for success in school and in the
workplace.
6
It is important to increase educa-
tional attainment because jobs that
require postsecondary education
make up the largest part of the la-
bor market, and because they tend
to pay higher wages. Jobs that do
Conclusions