Business Community Cites Need to Improve Education

System Not Producing Able Workers, American Competitiveness at Risk

WASHINGTON, DC-The nation's education system must focus more strongly on improving curriculums, academic expectations, and performance measures to ensure students are prepared for college and the workforce, according to a new survey of business owners and chamber of commerce executives conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"These findings confirm what we know instinctively-our education system is falling short in many areas," said Arthur Rothkopf, Chamber senior vice president and head of its Education and Workforce Development Initiative. "Without improvements, our workforce will not be equipped to compete and succeed in an increasingly global economy."

A total of 571 business organizations from around the country-including small businesses, chambers of commerce, and association/nonprofit groups-responded to the survey. Some highlights of their responses:

• 96 percent of those surveyed agreed that a rigorous curriculum in K-12 classrooms is necessary to prepare students for college and the workplace and more than half of those polled (53 percent) feel that current curriculum standards are inadequate.
• 56 percent said that school systems need a substantial amount of input from the business community when setting state standards for college and workforce readiness.
• 91 percent agree that better compensation should be given to effective teachers.
• The business community is in favor of reforming testing methods of school systems with four-fifths agreeing that a yearly state-developed assessment should be implemented to identify a student's potential learning problems before they escalate and a clear majority, (87 percent) believe that No Child Left Behind standards should be extended to include high schools.

"These findings strongly support the Chamber's efforts in conjunction with the business community to extend and strengthen the provisions of No Child Left Behind," said Rothkopf. The Chamber has organized a business coalition along with the Business Roundtable to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind legislation next year.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

Note: Complete survey results are available here.

www.uschamber.com

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