New Initiative Helps Advocates Ensure All Students are 'Future Ready'

NEWS STATEMENT

CONTACT:

Dana Tofig, (202) 419-1570, dtofig@achieve.org

A new national effort has been launched to help build even greater nationwide support for college and career readiness for all students. The Future Ready Project, launched by Achieve on September 7, 2011, will help states create an environment that supports the college- and career-ready agenda and sets high expectations for all students. There are two major elements to the Future Ready Project: a web-based advocacy resource center, and a state partnership initiative.

"The college- and career-ready agenda has been building momentum over the past several years and the Future Ready Project will help keep that momentum going," said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve. "If our country is going to remain competitive in the global economy of the 21st century, college and career readiness must be the bedrock of all education reform initiatives."

THE FUTURE READY PROJECT RESOURCE CENTER

The Future Ready Project resource center is a web-based, one-stop shop for the information and strategies needed to effectively advocate for the college- and career-ready agenda. The website includes fact sheets, research, tools, and strategies for engagement. The resource center also hosts information on individual states and will be a place for states to share advocacy resources with one another. 

"This is a free resource that everyone can use to strategically build support for the college- and career-ready agenda," Mr. Cohen said. "Whether you are a state education leader, the head of an education reform coalition or a concerned parent, the Future Ready Project website is a clearinghouse of information and tools for all advocates."

THE FUTURE READY STATE PARTNERSHIP

Achieve is also pleased to announce it will work with four states, at least initially, as Future Ready Partners. These four states will create and execute a comprehensive communications and outreach effort around the college- and career-ready agenda. The four Future Ready Partner States are Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts and Ohio.

A cross-section of leaders in these states will identify specific steps they will take to further the college- and career-ready agenda in their states and specific outcomes they hope to achieve. These leaders include K-12 chief state school officers, commissioners of higher education, state legislative and elected leaders, and third-party advocates.

The Future Ready Project is the latest effort by Achieve, which has been working with states for more than 15 years to raise expectations so that all high school graduates are prepared for college, careers and life.

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Created in 1996 by the nation's governors and corporate leaders, Achieve is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit education reform organization based in Washington D.C. that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. Achieve is leading the effort to make college and career readiness a national priority so that the transition from high school graduation to postsecondary education and careers is seamless. In 2005 Achieve launched the American Diploma Project Network. Starting with 13 original states, the Network has now grown to include 35 states educating nearly 85 percent of all U.S. public school students. Through the ADP Network, governors, state education officials, postsecondary leaders and business executives work together to improve postsecondary preparation by aligning high school standards, assessments, graduation requirements and accountability systems with the demands of college and careers. For more information about the work of Achieve, visit www.achieve.org.