Education and Workforce Development

Policy Priorities for 2012

Pre-K to 12

Provide research that supports access to high-quality schools for all children from pre-K through grade 12.
Support efforts to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which includes accountability; transparency; longitudinal data systems to guide instruction, improvement, and interventions; teacher evaluations that include student data; school choice; clear and high academic standards; and a dedicated strategy and funding stream to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
Advocate for proposals requiring a quality, rigorous, and well-rounded K-12 educational system that graduates students college and career ready.
Encourage better alignment between high school graduation requirements, state academic achievement standards, and postsecondary entrance requirements.

Postsecondary Education

Support efforts to generate more U.S. graduates well versed in STEM and increase the number of graduates with a degree in a STEM field.
Work to ensure that institutions of higher education are held accountable for their performance—both academically and financially—and that they provide transparency to empower students, parents, businesses, and policymakers to make informed choices.
Advocate for improving federal financial aid programs and systems that work to improve college access and affordability.
Support policies that enable and encourage innovation in higher education as well as on key nontraditional sectors of higher education, including institutions serving historically underrepresented groups, community colleges, and private sector colleges and universities.
Support efforts to increase college completion rates among all students.

Employment and Training

Continue to support a federal employment and training system that is driven by the actual needs of employers based on accurate and timely local labor market data.
Advocate for focused, non-duplicative workforce development and training programs that support collaboration across federal, state, and local programs; industry sectors; and geographic boundaries.
Support policies that stimulate lifelong learning, bolster career exploration, and provide opportunities for businesses to work collaboratively with workforce development agencies to deliver efficient and effective training to their employees.

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