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In 2000, the Texas studied its educational system and compared it to the its competitors – other large states. It found we were falling behind in the competition for jobs.
It found the other states
- were turning out more college graduates,
- had a greater percentage or their populations in college,
- spent more on higher education and
- were more successful at getting research dollars.
The State’s Report “Closing the Gap” recommended that Texas set a goal of upping the number of students in colleges by 630,000 by 2015. The report also had goals for issuing vastly more degrees per year, gaining more research dollars, etc. In 2003, the State Legislature formalized the structure.
A P-16 Council was formed at the state level and the state pushed for the formation of regional P-16 councils. The goal of these councils can be summed up as “fostering a college-going culture at the state and local level".
To learn more about the history of the Texas P-16 Council go to http://www.tea.state.tx.us/p16/p16council.html.
The local P-16 councils are made up of local education, businesses, and community leaders who represent the key stakeholders in education. These leaders are committed to education and work together to dramatically increase the success rates among all students, kindergarten to college, with a particular focus on low-income and minority students.
The key to the economic future of Southeast Texas is being competitive with our workforce. It is important that we encourage more students to continue their studies after high school and to encourage them to take more rigorous courses to get the training that businesses need and for which they are willing to pay extra.
We will have to work to make sure all of our schools, Pre-kindergarten through college and universities, are in sync and promoting and encourage students to keep striving for a complete education that will make them productive and successful when they join the workforce.
Want to know more about the efforts of the Southeast Texas P-16 council – please browse the pages here. Then, give us a call. Find out how you can make a difference in the future of Southeast Texas.
“Fostering a college-going culture in Southeast Texas.”
