NO LONGER AT RISK:

A NATION IN PERIL
SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

STATE SCHOLARS INITIATIVE

 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

“All education springs from some image of the Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut,
future. If the image of the future held by a Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa,
society is grossly inaccurate, its education system Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
will betray its youth.” Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
–Alvin Toffler Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North
Author/Futurist Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,
Introduction Utah, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, and
We are a nation in peril. “The rising tide of Wyoming.
mediocrity” foreshadowed 25 years ago in A
Nation at Risk has given way to a host of ills. Plenary speakers included:
High school students who are actually reading ÊÊPhyllis Hudecki, executive director of the
less well than 25 years ago.1 A steep decline in Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition.
our production of college graduates, relative to ÊÊCharles Kolb, president of the Committee
that of other nations.2 An impending shortage of for Economic Development and SSI Advisory
12 million educated workers.3 These discouraging Board member.
realities have led to a deep dissatisfaction in ÊÊLeon Lederman, Nobel laureate in physics,
our business communities, which are eager for resident scholar at the Illinois Math and
capable, skilled workers and unable to find them. Science Academy, and SSI Advisory Board
Once an international leader in education, the member.
United States has forfeited this position to other ÊÊMark Milliron, CEO of Catalyze Learning
countries. No longer “a nation at risk,” we are a International.
nation in the midst of an educational crisis that ÊÊLorena Riffo Jenson, chairwoman of the
threatens to undermine our position in the world. Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
ÊÊRoy Romer, former governor of Colorado
These were the central issues and superintendent of the Los Angeles
addressed at the National Summit
on Academic Rigor and Relevance,
hosted by the State Scholars
Initiative (SSI) on April 29-30, 2008,
in Boston. The summit brought
together almost 300 participants:
business leaders, policymakers,
educators, administrators, and
others. Participants were asked to
examine the role and effectiveness
of the business community in
driving national education reform
conversations; and to discuss
policy reform efforts to increase
academic rigor and improve
academic relevance in high school.
Thirty-six states and territories were
represented, including: Alabama,
Roy Romer, Former Governor of Colorado and Chairman, Strong American Schools.

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SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

Unified School District from

2001-06, now head of the Strong
American Schools initiative.
ÊÊBelle Wheelan, president of the
Commission on Colleges of the
Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools.

Also addressing the summit were

David Longanecker, president of the
Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education, which manages
SSI; and Troy Justesen, assistant
secretary of the U.S. Department
of Education’s Office of Vocational
and Adult Education. Speakers and L-R: Leon Lederman, Nobel Laureate in Physics, Resident Scholar at the
participants addressed the critical Illinois Math and Science Academy, and SSI Advisory Board Member; David
need to improve rigor and relevance Longanecker, WICHE President; and Troy Justesen, Assistant Secretary of the
in high school in order for the United Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.
States to actively participate in an anticipated. As a nation we simply have not
increasingly competitive global economy and been able to mobilize for change. Why not?
society. Some argue that the slow, steady decline we’re
experiencing is inevitable: the natural drop-off of
Globalization an advanced civilization that has peaked. Others
This is an era of international competitiveness argue that our own pride and complacency are
and market globalization. In the last 25 years, we the culprits. Prosperity has brought malaise.
have seen a shift from placebound economies We’ve been a nation with so much for so long
with relatively fixed metrics to a rapidly growing, that we don’t see the need for change.
quickly changing global economy with emerging
markets in developing nations. According to a Whatever the reason, the facts remain. Other
Council on Competitiveness report, “billions of countries are rapidly and steadily increasing the
people have entered the global trading system, educational attainment of their youth, while
opening consumer markets and
labor pools of unprecedented “No longer ‘a nation at risk,’ we are a nation
size.”4 As a result U.S. firms
compete with more companies in the midst of an educational crisis that
from more countries than at threatens to undermine our position in the
any time in history.
world.”
Despite an increased focus
on American educational
performance and some improvement in the United States continues to fall behind many
educational achievement, the last 25 years countries in student achievement and educational
have not brought the progress we might have attainment.

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 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

Across the globe, from Ireland to India and South

National Security/21st Century reported that
Korea, other countries appreciate the need to
“fully 37 percent of doctorates in natural science,
improve educational attainment levels in multiple
50 percent of doctorates in mathematics and
subject areas. Indeed, they have successfully
computer science, and 53 percent of doctorates
improved their educational attainment rates
in engineering at U.S. universities are awarded to
– and have done it relatively quickly. Though
non-U.S. citizens.”6 For these doctoral recipients,
critics and cynics argue that such improvement
a growing emphasis on the STEM fields in their
is incremental and takes decades, data from
own countries is enticing them to return home.
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
We have become dependent on foreign-born
and Development (OECD) demonstrate that
scientists and mathematicians. So dependent, in
educational progress can be made in one
fact, that should they “further accelerate their
generation.5 return home, the American population alone may
not be able to sustain the needs of the
U.S. economy.”7 Ironically, getting
“We must look to the world’s performance as H-1B work visas for foreign-born scientists,
the new benchmark for American educational mathematicians, and engineers is
increasingly difficult: Microsoft’s campaign
achievement and attainment.” to lift the cap and increase the number of
these visas illustrates the point.

Stated plainly, the United States does not have There is a deeper need to educate all of our
another 25 years to make the attainment gains students with the fundamentals of biology,
necessary to support our population and our chemistry, physics, and mathematics through
economy. We need to shift our perspective now. algebra II (at the very least). Today, for
We must look to the world’s performance as
the new benchmark for American educational
achievement and attainment.

STEM Declines
Critical to the prosperity of the country is our
performance in science, technology, engineering,
and math – the so-called STEM fields. Once a
leader in math and science, the United States
is slowly relinquishing this position. Despite the
trend toward global outsourcing, the United
States has more than enough jobs in the
STEM fields. What we lack are the scientists,
engineers, and mathematicians to fill those jobs
and advance these fields and their associated
technologies: we simply don’t have enough
STEM professionals to meet the nation’s needs.
As a result U.S. companies are forced to go to
other countries to find the skilled professionals Charles Kolb, President, Committee for
they seek. In 2001 the U.S. Commission on Economic Development, and SSI Advisory
Board Member.

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SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

nations are experiencing declining

population rates, the United States’
population is projected to increase
.8 percent annually, resulting in
420 million people by 2050.9 In
addition, we are becoming a
“minority-majority” nation. Take a
look at demographic data for high
school graduates: according to
WICHE’s 7th edition of Knocking at
the College Door, U.S. public high
schools will graduate about 207,000
more Hispanics in 2014-15 than
in 2004-05, a 54 percent increase;
we’ll also see almost 46,000 more
Asians/Pacific Islanders (a 32 percent
L-R: Lorena Riffo Jenson, President, DPR Communications, and Chair, Utah
Hispanic Chamber; Phyllis Hudecki, Executive Director, Oklahoma Business
increase), some 12,000 more Black
and Education Coalition; Mark Milliron, President and CEO, Catalyze Learning non-Hispanics (3 percent increase),
International; and Belle Wheelan, President, Commission on Colleges of the about 2,000 more American Indian/
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Alaskan natives – and 197,000
professionals and laypeople alike, an active civic fewer White non-Hispanics, a
life requires that we have a solid grasp of these drop of 11 percent.10 This growth, however, is
subjects: to understand global warming, for unevenly distributed throughout the country,
instance, we need to know something about with some states, like Arizona, Florida, Georgia,
physics, environmental science, biology, and Nevada, Texas, and Utah, experiencing explosive
biological transitions. Mundane daily activities increases – 20 percent or greater.
like cleaning the kitchen, driving to work, and
talking on the phone require laypeople to This is all good news – or it could be. We have
understand technology. Today, refrigerators the population growth necessary to meet the
have motherboards, cars are “smart,” and nation’s needs, and our diversity will better
cellphones transmit not only voices but news and reflect the world as a whole. The challenge,
information from around the globe. According to and it’s a big one, is to make our diversity work
Joe Schoendorf of Accel Partners, “Roughly five for us and to serve our minority populations
to ten years from now 5 billion of the 6 billion- well – something we haven’t done in the past.
plus people on earth will have a cell phone.”8 According to Kati Haycock of The Education Trust,
An understanding of science and technology is “While we are making some progress as a nation
essential to understanding how the world works. in improving achievement and narrowing long-
standing gaps between groups at the elementary
grades, achievement is mostly stagnant in our
Changing Demographics high schools. And the gaps between groups
As the United States embraces the opportunities
at the end of high school are very large.”11 In
and challenges of globalization, it is also
fact, the image of the future we’re providing
undergoing another change: experiencing a
for minority youth as they near adulthood is
demographic shift that will continue into the
incongruent with the needs of the nation. Too
foreseeable future. While many industrialized
often these students are left in academically rigor-
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 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

less and irrelevant learning environments that lets students and their parents really know
do not prepare them to participate in a global how well they are doing, compared to the rest
economy that demands creativity and innovation of the world. Second, we need to define and
from businesses and workers at virtually every implement one rigorous course of study for all
level. students. Third, teacher training and teacher
professional development must be provided to
Curriculum, Competencies, support the demands of a global standard and
a rigorous curriculum. Finally, and significantly,
and Evidence
relevant assessment must be conducted and
Twenty-five years ago, A Nation at Risk called us
used to improve teacher instruction and student
to action, demanding that we increase rigor in
achievement.
our high schools (among other things). Twenty-
five years later, little progress has been made. To
It is important to underscore our need for
complicate matters further, there is an emerging
evidence-based educational practice. In large
tension between those who advocate for the
measure we continue to pursue education reform
courses students need to take and those who
on a hunch. We simply don’t know much about
advocate for the competencies that students
what students are learning, in part because we
need to demonstrate. Support for one group over
don’t have a basic data infrastructure that would
another detracts from this fundamental truth:
allow us to know what courses high school
students need both. Very few of us learn subject
students are taking. Our data systems have been
matter that we have never been exposed to – so
designed to answer administrative questions, not
courses do matter. But
courses, while necessary,
are not sufficient. Equally “With modest changes – setting a single standard for
important are the quality
and content of those academic rigor and relevance, benchmarked to the
courses. Courses must be best-performing countries worldwide, supporting it
both academically rigorous
and relevant. Students must with appropriate teacher preparation and professional
be given the opportunity development, and an appropriate curriculum and
to learn subject matter,
as well as being given the meaningful assessment – we can dramatically improve
opportunity to show they educational attainment for all of our students.”
can apply their knowledge
to real-life circumstances.
instructional questions. In some states we literally
They need to be able to demonstrate both subject
know more about the gender of bus drivers than
matter knowledge and competency.
we know about how many students are enrolled
in a given course, like physics or geometry.
For this, four components are important.
First, a single, rigorous standard must be
The goal here is not to create harder courses
developed. In our multilayered, multileveled
for their own sake. Rather, the goal is to create
system of education, we suggest benchmarking
rigorous courses that meet the needs of the
performance to the top 10 performing countries
nation, where “rigor” is supported by meaningful
in the world. This allows a standard of rigor
evidence. We need to work both harder and
that is usable at every level of education and
smarter. According to the authors of A Stagnant
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SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

Nation, a publication of Strong American Summary of

Schools, “Two out of every five high school
seniors lack math skills commonly taught in 7th
Plenary Speaker Comments
Plenary speakers provided summit participants
and 8th grade necessary to learn trades that do
with a range of perspectives on academic rigor
not require a college degree.”12 Data like this
and relevance. Their comments are summarized
underscore the fact that we have plenty of work
here.
to do.
The 4 Myths: David Longanecker
Conclusion SSI’s purpose is to encourage high school
With modest changes – setting a single standard students to take a rigorous course of study in
for academic rigor and relevance, benchmarked high school: it’s essential for their success in
to the best-performing countries worldwide, college and work. As WICHE President David
supporting it with appropriate teacher Longanecker pointed out in his welcoming
preparation and professional development, address, what makes SSI unique is a joint
and an appropriate curriculum and meaningful focus on the message of academic rigor and
assessment – we can dramatically improve the medium used to convey it: the business
educational attainment for all of our students. community.
We have been, collectively, impervious to even
these few changes: witness the nation’s lack of Businesspeople bring a keen awareness about the
response to A Nation At Risk. Indeed, many of critical nature of academic rigor and relevance
the post-Nation at Risk adjustments we’ve made in education: whether they work for small firms
responded to the call for increased rigor with or multinationals, they can see how a rigorous
its opposite: “dumbed down” courses, four- education pays off, for individual employees and
day school weeks, reduced seat time, remedial for society as a whole, in terms of productivity,
courses, and too many curricular options. competitiveness, and the bottom line. Despite
this, many people remain unaware of the value of
The changes we need to make are modest, a rigorous education – or worse, believe there’s
but we need to focus on the right ones. We no value to it. There are “four myths” that our
need changes that will drive rigor and provide culture is currently laboring under.
opportunity to all of our students. And we do
need all our students to perform well if we are to Myth 1: It’s not courses that matter, it’s
compete with the fastest-advancing nations. learning. Actually, while learning is indeed what
matters, courses matter, too. The dilemma is
The unintended consequence of our lack of that students don’t and can’t learn what they
response to A Nation at Risk is that today we are haven’t been exposed to. Cliff Adelman’s work in
a nation perilously close to losing our position the “The Toolbox Revisited” showed there was a
as an educational and economic leader in the strong positive correlation between taking upper-
world. Rigor, relevance, and competencies have level math courses and going to college.13 ACT’s
to be the way of the future. It is hard to change “Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same
direction, and yet if we don’t, we will betray our or Different” demonstrated that the rigorous
children by failing to give them the education courses required for college success are the
they need to successfully participate in the world same courses required for workplace success.14
they will inherit. Essentially, students need the same skills today
to make a living wage or to go to college – and

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 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

a rigorous curriculum in high school gives them many say that if they’d known they needed a
those skills. more rigorous curriculum, they would have taken
it.18
Myth 2: Not everyone needs a rigorous
high school curriculum. It’s true that today Myth 4: Students won’t take rigorous
only about 40 percent of manufacturing jobs courses. Take physics, for instance. The line of
require a postsecondary degree or certificate. But argument says that if physics were offered, no
evidence from ACT suggests that many of the one would take it – and if they did, they’d fail.
other 60 percent require the same high-level skills But SSI data demonstrate that most students do
you’d develop if you had some postsecondary come up to expectations.19 When SSI students
education – or if you’d taken rigorous courses were encouraged to take physics in Connecticut,
in high school. What’s more, the State Higher Oklahoma, and Virginia, more students took the
Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) reports that course.
90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the new
economy will require a postsecondary degree.15 One of the reasons many of us still hold
to these myths is that in the U.S. we still
This myth simply rings false for our nation. Today, don’t know enough about what courses our
data from the Organisation for Economic Co- students are taking and what they’re learning:
operation and Development (OECD) show that school databases were constructed to answer
the United States’ ranking has fallen from 1st to administrative questions, not geared toward
10th in the share of its young adults with a college informing educational practice. But what we do
degree.16 The U.S. has been stable over the last know is that if students are told that a rigorous
four decades in the share of its young population course of study is important to their future, many
with a college degree – but other countries have will rise to the challenge. Given the chance,
been rapidly increasing their shares. And several most students will rise to expectations and the
of these countries – including South Korea and demands of a rigorous curriculum. And academic
Ireland – have been very intentional in their rigor and relevance are necessary for student
efforts from a policy perspective. Meanwhile, success in college and work, as well as for the
the United States’ lack of intention has resulted nation’s global success. As evidence continues
in the need to graduate 20 million more college to emerge about the United States’ slipping
students by 2025 just to keep pace with other educational attainment, why would we support a
countries. To catch up with the best-performing curriculum built on anything less?
countries, the U.S. will have to dramatically
increase its high school graduation and college- Risk & Investment: Charles Kolb
going rates.17 “50 Years After A Nation at Risk” – the title
of the talk given by Kolb, president of the
Myth 3: Not everyone can achieve at high Committee for Economic Development (CED) –
levels. And the corollary to this is: pushing took the groundbreaking report of the National
everyone to do so will crush some students’ self- Commission on Excellence in Education, released
confidence. It’s simply not true – most students in 1983, as its starting point. A Nation at
think they are college material: 80 percent Risk’s bottom line was that American schools
believe they are going on to college, as do 70 were failing our students – and that they and
percent of their parents. However, many students our country would fall behind because of
simply don’t know what it takes to get into and it, unless specific changes were made. Kolb
graduate from college. And after they graduate, looked back over the last 25 years of economic

8
SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

and educational change – and also cast his that permitted us to miss achieving those goals?
imagination forward another 25 years. It is important to understand this as we develop
an education plan for the next 25 years.
Two years after the publication of A Nation at
Risk, Education Secretary William Bennett began The reason we missed the goals the first time
presenting his annual “wall chart,” showing around has to do with the concept of investment.
student performance data from all 50 states. It Education is the most important national
was the first time state-by-state comparisons of investment of time, money, and persistence – or
student performance had ever been reported, it should be. That’s why the business community
and it helped push forward the accountability
movement. In 1989 a national education
summit – convened by the first President Bush “Education is the most important
in Charlottesville, VA – laid down six national national investment of time, money, and
education goals:
persistence – or it should be. That’s
1. All children will start school ready to learn. why the business community is vital to
2. The high school graduation rate will increase
to at least 90 percent. the future success of education.”
3. All students will become competent in
challenging subject matter.
4. Teachers will have the knowledge and skills is vital to the future success of education. The
that they need. business community can help school districts
5. U.S. students will be first in the world in drive change faster because it understands
mathematics and science achievement. the need for a quick response to a changing
6. Every adult American will be literate.20 environment. It also understands that our success
in education will affect our business success.
There was considerable national debate about
these goals because every interest group wanted Education is an investment in young people, in
input – and in fact the goals were later expanded human capital, and in the country’s future. If we
to include foreign language and arts (safety and were to talk about education in those terms every
parental involvement were also added as goals day, eventually the number of allies for education
by Congress). The National Education Goals Panel would grow.
(NEGP) was formed to track progress toward
these goals.21 And our investment in education needs to start
early. One of the things educators can do is to
The six goals laid down after the 1989 look at the front end of the process, spending
Charlottesville summit were supposed to have more resources and time in pre-K education. Early
been attained by the year 2000, but they weren’t. education enables students to be ready to learn –
In fact, we didn’t reach even one of those goals. it enables rigor down the line.
Why not? If we had reached the first goal – the
goal that all children would arrive at school ready In the next 25 years, we’ll see increasing
to learn (which is not just an education goal interconnectedness, more global competition,
but also relates to health, nutrition, and proper and a speedier rate of change. We cannot
immunization) – we would be doing better on approach education reform, rigor, and relevance
virtually all the rest. What is it about our society at the same blasé pace that we’ve had for the
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 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

last 25 years: we’ll lose our competitive edge. those students were getting in school was far
Time is no longer our friend: we have to make from adequate. Saturday Morning Physics was
long-term investments in education now, not the seed that eventually grew into the Illinois
five years from now. And we need to encourage Math and Science Academy, which provides a
young people to make an investment in their own challenging science curriculum for academically
education: an investment of time, because there’s talented students.
no quick fix when it comes to learning calculus or
Mandarin – or anything. We need to help young Providing opportunities for all students to really
people understand why rigor is important – it’s do science is critical – and teachers are the key.
an investment in their future. A rigorous scientific curriculum requires that
teachers communicate with each other and
Saturday Morning Physics: have plenty of planning time: as much as 20
Leon Lederman percent of a teacher’s time should be devoted to
Troy Justesen, assistant secretary of the Office planning, professional development, and collegial
of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. interaction – all of which are crucial if our country
Department of Education, introduced Nobel wants a strong education system. Teachers should
Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman. One of also have time to work with scientists, as well as
the reasons the U.S. has such a high number of cognitive psychologists and others, to help them
Nobel laureates is that it promotes educational understand how to teach science at a level that’s
opportunity for all. This is also SSI’s mandate: both rigorous and understandable to the general
to encourage all young people to focus on a population.
strong academic core and to think about a host
of opportunities they might not otherwise have In addition to excellent teaching, a well-designed
considered. Lederman, the first in his family to curriculum is a necessary element of a rigorous
go to college, is an excellent example of how education. Today, we live in the 21st century –
educational opportunity can vastly broaden with a 19th century curriculum. Curriculum reform
opportunities in life. is essential. Our students are coming of age in a
world of rapid change. That’s why it’s important
The teaching of physics to high schoolers is of to teach scientific process – how science works –
critical importance – especially today, in an era not just content. We need to help students learn
when all of us must understand the science how to respond to questions like, “Does science
behind everything from global warming to ever go wrong? When it does, how do we fix it?”
nuclear power, if we’re to make intelligent and Students need to learn that there’s a process by
informed decisions and change our own behavior which science advances. In addition, teaching
accordingly. Unfortunately, too often, the way we science courses in the correct order – starting
teach science is ineffective, and our curriculum with physics in 9th grade – is important if students
is outdated. These two problems make “rigor” a are to gain an understanding of scientific process.
difficult proposition. (And yes, 9th graders do have “enough math” to
do conceptual physics, which is taught with very
In the 1980s I organized a program called little algebra.)
Saturday Morning Physics with some colleagues
at the Fermilab in Illinois. Each Saturday, high For rigor to become a reality for all students, we
school students took physics from Fermilab must acknowledge the big changes taking place
physicists, and we discovered that the science in our student body. The variety of students in

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SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

our schools (and the languages they speak) is The Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition
enormous – as is the range of their success in worked to get the State Scholars Initiative into
science classes. If we don’t do something about as many schools as possible, but there was
improving the education of poor and minority resistance: concern, for example, that students
kids, we’re going to be in deep trouble in the could not do algebra I, much less algebra II and
coming years. For that reason, and for many geometry. However, the superintendents from the
others, it’s important that we develop a national state’s two largest school districts were the first
strategy for education. Not just develop it – we ones to step up and say that the students can do
need to implement it. Far too often, the right this and it’s an economic and moral imperative to
solution is proposed – but never put into practice. implement the initiative.

Smart & Smarter: The Scholars message isn’t just about taking
A Rigor & Relevance Panel rigorous courses – it’s about learning. It’s not
The panel discussion “Multiple Pathways to about GPA as much as it is about the level
Rigor and Relevance” was moderated by Lorena of difficulty students are exposed to and the
Riffo Jenson, chairwoman of the Utah Hispanic competencies they develop as a result. Students
Chamber of Commerce and owner-president need to be provided with a rigorous course of
of DPR Communications in Salt Lake City. study in high school so they are prepared for
Panelists included Belle Wheelan, president of college, work, and life. It’s important not to let
the Commission on Colleges of the Southern kids opt out of rigor.
Association of Colleges and Schools; Mark
Milliron, CEO of Catalyze Learning International; Mark Milliron: Technology can help. We need
and Phyllis Hudecki, executive director of the to challenge ourselves on how we bring rigor and
Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition. Riffo relevance to students. Do we do it digitally, with
Jenson asked the panelists to give their views on new technologies and new ways of teaching?
why rigor and relevance are important; on what Some progressive educators are asking how we
is working in their communities; and on what can get smarter about using technology – how
messages resonate with parents and students. can we think about the infrastructure in new
ways to engage a new generation of learners?
Below are some of the highlights from each
We need to leverage powerful resources – from
participant’s perspective.
blended learning and online learning to the
virtual high school movement. Social networking,
Phyllis Hudecki: Teachers step up. Most
game-based technologies like Wii and massive
teachers would say their lesson plans are rigorous multiplayer online games will also be useful: our
and relevant – but that’s not always the case. challenge will be figuring out how to engage
Too often, educators know how to make things students with these different types of tools.
relevant – but have less understanding of rigor. Researchers like Chris Dede of Harvard and the
And students have too much choice: our high people behind the Serious Games Initiative are at
schools have become like shopping malls. We the forefront of this work, looking closely at how
often lose track of the fact that what’s important we can use virtual environments and gaming to
about high school isn’t what students do to enhance learning.
graduate. Rather, it’s what students do to
prepare for the rest of their lives after they leave We need to help students learn with technology
high school. – but we also need to help them get beyond
technology to develop critical thinking skills. In

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 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

addition, students need to learn to be creative, not perform if they don’t have somebody helping
because we are educating them for careers them. Teachers have many challenges because
that don’t exist right now. We want to teach the student population coming into K-12 today
them how to learn. Rigor and relevance are includes ethnic minorities as the majority of
about getting the students to a point of being students. And there are some factors that come
courageous learners who can do something with with this that directly impact rigor and relevance.
what they learn and serve their communities Minority students come to school with a smaller
as leaders. Rigor and relevance are about vocabulary, as measured by different tests. They
helping a new generation of learners become
don’t have the same kinds of support systems at
entrepreneurial with their own lives.
home.
We need to be especially concerned about first-
That means the role of business is not just to
generation college students. Thirty years ago the
provide money for the billboards, scoreboards,
U.S. had education and economic models that
were intertwined: we only needed some people and other equipment schools need but to send
to go to college to make the economic model their employees into the schools to provide the
work. Now the economic model requires that tools and support that students don’t have – to
most people have some kind of postsecondary be math buddies or lunch buddies or help them
certificate or degree. This model will result in a do their homework. When they do that, it makes
massive influx of first-generation students. We a difference: students’ test scores and attendance
need to use what we have learned working with in class rise because the kids look forward to
these students over the last generation and a half people from the business community coming to
to successfully move more of them into higher their schools.
education.
Another thing we need: Better coordination
We’re starting to move in that direction. The between K-12 and college. We have K-12 systems
National Assessment of Educational Progress’s that are developing criteria that will take students
12th grade exam is moving from a test of to this performance level – but when those
accomplishment (what did you learn) to a test of students get to college, there’s an expectation
preparation (are you ready for higher education). that they’ll be ready for that performance
The Lumina Foundation’s Know How to Go level. Higher education is not telling K-12 what
Campaign talks about a four-step process: find students need to be successful in college. The
somebody who wants you to go to college; find rigor in a K-12 classroom should be developed in
the right college/school for you; take rigorous collaboration with higher education. The point
courses, get ready; and put your hands on some here is not whether students go to college or not.
cash. First-generation students need a big assist, Instead, what is essential is that they be prepared
especially with that last step: most have no idea as if they were going because they need those
how they’ll finance higher education. skills to be successful in the workforce.

Belle Wheelan: Consider the student. There When it comes to incentives, we need to
are many components to the K-12 discussion, understand that this generation of students
and rigor and relevance are two of them. But wants to make money. We need to help them
we also need to think about our students. understand that if they want to make money,
You can have the most rigorous and relevant these are the things they need to do. And we
curriculum in the universe, and the students will need to tell them early: we wait too late to start

12
SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

to motivate children. We have to start showing boys, pulling them into both trade and GED
students the relevance of education when they (General Education Development) programs.
first walk in the door. And we need to find One of their first programs was in the
ways to keep them engaged throughout their construction trades. The college foundation
academic career. If you wait until high school, it’s bought five dilapidated houses, worked with
too late. students in the construction trade program,
renovated the houses, sold them for a
Best-case scenarios. Lorena Riffo Jenson asked profit, and took the money and put it into a
the panel members to share some success stories scholarship fund to help those students to
with the audience. Here are four. continue with their education.

ÊÊThe Commission on Colleges of the Southern Improving Our Skill Set: Roy Romer
Association of Colleges and Schools’ project Roy Romer, former governor of Colorado and
in Virginia gets businesses to adopt a school Los Angeles superintendent of schools from
and gives employees time off from work to 2001 to 2006, is chairman of the Strong
volunteer. One company cleaned up their American Schools organization. Through the
adopted school: carted away trash, did an ED in ‘08 initiative, his goal is to convince
environmental scan, gave a flower bulb to political candidates that education should be
every child and helped them plant it on the a centerpiece of their campaign. Romer is an
campus – in the spring, 500 bulbs bloomed. advocate for ambitious standards and literacy
The employees followed up by explaining in math; was active in the development of the
the science of planting, why the bulbs were American Goals Project in the early 1990s;
going to grow and how the different colors and was one of the first people to talk about
of the flowers evolved, based on Mendel’s standards and the need for an assessment of all
genetic theory. students in elementary and secondary education.
ÊÊAnother Virginia business purchased a book He gave the summit’s capstone speech.
for every child at their adopted school. They
gave the books to the teachers to give to the It seems we’re asleep as a nation. We don’t
students as rewards, rather than pizza parties understand what’s happening to us. If we had an
or trips to a local restaurant. Education Olympics for 15-year-olds today, we’d
ÊÊIn El Paso the Mission Early College High come in 25th in math, based upon the OECD’s
School connects students with the local 2006 PISA (Programme for International Student
community college and the University of Texas Assessment) tests.22 We’d be 21st in science.23 The
at El Paso – which have provided a particular nations at the top would include Finland, South
assist to students interested in STEM (science, Korea, Singapore, Poland, Canada... and the list
technology, engineering, and math) fields and goes on. Today, we’re falling behind. Although
career and technical education. Students said the U.S. has not lost ground in the past 30 years,
traditional high schools had been a “social it hasn’t gained any. We’ve been stagnant – while
nightmare” for them and being in the early the rest of the world has made dramatic gains.
college high school allowed them to focus on
learning. In this presidential election, the top issues
ÊÊSinclair College in Dayton, OH, works with are national security, economic health, global
local public schools to target high school warming, and healthcare. But it’s not possible
dropouts, especially 15- to 18-year-old to move forward on any of these issues unless

13
 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

we also move to increase the knowledge and union relations, inadequate infrastructure, and
skills of this nation. In the last few years, India politics – it also made big strides in educating
and China have had their GNPs increase by some its children. Over a six-year period, Los Angeles
10 percent, while the U.S. has seen a 1.5 to 2 raised its average academic performance index
percent increase. Unless we act, there’s going to in elementary schools score by 208 points,
be a radical shift among the world’s economic compared to California’s 136 points, bringing it
powers. The newly elected president in the U.S. up to 150 percent of the state rate.24
will have the challenge of determining how we
respond to this. What kind of leadership will Nationally, we need to develop a more uniform
work with 50 states and 15,000 school districts in and rigorous understanding of what our
a country where we don’t federalize education? educational standards and curriculum should be.
How do we shift the nation’s attention and Under No Child Left Behind, each of the 50 states
priorities? That’s the challenge. sets its own criteria. There has to be a better way.
Most of the countries of the world with which
Can we really expect all children to take tough the U.S. competes have national standards or a
subjects and to learn? The answer is yes. It national curriculum. The U.S. doesn’t have that
works in other countries. Singapore has rigorous tradition, but we need to attend to it. We need
standards and curriculum and excellent teaching to compare ourselves to the best-performing
– and every child is expected to learn. Singapore nations – our scores in 8th grade math, for
is successful because the country is concerned instance, against theirs – and extrapolate the
about developing the human capital necessary economic consequences.
to support the economy and democracy. Ireland,
Finland, Poland, and South Korea provide other We also need a new kind of partnership between
examples of what can be done to improve the federal government and the states. The next
education. president might be well-advised to hold his
own education summit: bring the 50 governors
Rigor also works here. In Los Angeles a and state school officials together to work to
commitment to one rigorous standard and a determine “how good is good enough” to
correspondingly rigorous curriculum, along with compete with the rest of the world. One way to
an investment in better teacher training and determine that would be to have a core group of
diagnostic testing (using test results to increase states develop a set of agreed-upon standards,
learning, as well as help manage the system), benchmarked to the top 10 best-performing
led to dramatic improvements in performance. nations in the world. In return the president and
Los Angeles students’ average performance was the federal government would commit to helping
behind that of students statewide. One of the states reach those standards. It would be a new
reasons was demographic: 81 percent of Los paradigm, where the states and the federal
Angeles students receive federal meal assistance, government collaborate to improve rigor and
compared to 54 percent for the state; and about relevance. To achieve it, beyond new policy, we’ll
50 percent were English language learners, need great teachers. And we’ll need an authentic
compared to 31 percent for the state. In addition testing process to evaluate our progress toward
the district was 150,000 seats short. But it these goals.
committed itself to a demanding program that
helped all children learn at a high level. And while We have to find a way to get this nation to wake
the district continued to deal with real problems up to the importance of education. A good
– dropouts, discipline issues, bureaucracy, education helps a person understand what is
14
SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

true, what is beautiful, and what is just. We need is responsible for providing technical assistance,
to figure out how to communicate this message, monitoring, oversight, and cost reimbursement
to help shape the national political will so that to the SSI projects in these states. Five additional
we can change our culture. We need to make it states were previously funded, and they
of value to provide all our children with a strong created and completed SSI projects: Nebraska,
education. New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and
Washington.
State Scholars Initiative: Background
On October 1, 2005, the U.S. Department of Also available from WICHE is “Education Beyond
Education designated WICHE as the program the Rhetoric: Making ‘Rigor’ Something Real,”
administrator for the State Scholars Initiative written by Terese Rainwater, program director
(SSI). WICHE supports 19 state-level business- for the State Scholars Initiative; Dolores Mize,
education partnerships in their implementation of WICHE vice president for public policy and
the State Scholars Initiative model. The initiative research; and Nancy Smith Brooks, program
is funded under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational officer for the State Scholars Initiative at the U.S
and Technical Education Act of 1998. WICHE Department of Education’s Office of Vocational
will continue to serve as national program and Adult Education. This publication served as
administrator through March 2009. the foundation for substantive discussions at the
summit.
The State Scholars Initiative seeks to achieve
two straightforward objectives. First, it engages
business organizations and leaders to promote
the importance of a rigorous course of study
in high school. Second, it seeks to encourage
middle and high school students to take a more
rigorous course of study to prepare them better
for college or the world of work. Patterned
after the National Commission on Excellence in
Education recommendations, SSI requires that
students take: four years of English; three years
of math (algebra I, geometry, algebra II); three
years of basic lab science (biology, chemistry,
physics); 3.5 years of social studies (chosen from
U.S. and world history, geography, economics,
and government); and two years of the same
language other than English.

The states that are receiving federal funds and

operating SSI projects, or that have completed
their SSI projects and remain in the SSI network,
are: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire,
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah,
Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. WICHE
15
 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

Endnotes
1
Strong American Schools, A Stagnant Nation: Why 12
Strong American Schools, A Stagnant Nation: Why
American Students Are Still at Risk (Washington, D.C.: American Students Are Still at Risk (Washington, D.C.:
Strong American Schools, 2008), 7. Strong American Schools, 2008), 5.
2
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 13
Clifford Adelman, “The Toolbox Revisited” (Washington,
(OECD), PISA 2006 Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s D.C.: U. S. Department of Education, 2006).
World: Executive Summary (Paris: OECD, 2007), accessed 30 14
ACT, “Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or
July 2008 from <http://www.pisa.oecd.org>, link to ”Pisa Different” (Iowa City, IA: ACT, 2006).
2006 Results.” 15
“White Paper for Presidential Candidates” (Boulder, CO:
3
Anthony P. Carnevale and Donna M. Desrochers, The State Higher Education Executive Officers), April 2008.
Missing Middle: Aligning Education and the Knowledge 16
OECD, PISA 2006 Science Competencies.
Economy (Washington, D.C.: Educational Testing Service, 17
National Center for Higher Education Management
2002). Systems and Jobs for the Future (JFF), “Adding it Up: State
4
Council on Competitiveness, Competitiveness Index: Challenges for Increasing College Access and Success”
Where America Stands (Washington, D.C.: Council on (Boston, MA: JFF, 2007).
Competitiveness, 2006). 18
Peter D. Hart Research Associates, “Rising to the
5
OECD, PISA 2006 Science Competencies. Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College
6
U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century, Phase and Work? Study of Recent High School Graduates, College
III Report: Road Map for National Security: Imperative for Instructors, and Employers” (Washington, D.C.: Peter D. Hart
Change (Washington, D.C.:U.S. Commission on National Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, 2005).
Security/21st Century, 2001), accessed 30 July 2008 from 19
National Center for Higher Education Management
<http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/nssg/PhaseIIIFR.pdf>. Systems (NCHEMS), “Year Two Evaluation Report: The State
7
Ibid. Scholars Initiative” (Boulder, CO: NCHEMS, 2008).
8
Joe Schoendorf, “Shift Happens,” Mission Matters, Spring/ 20
The National Education Goals Panel (NEGP), “National
Summer (2008), 42. Education Goals: Complete Information for All Goals,”
9
Michael Strauss, “World Portrait, by the Numbers,” Mission accessed 29 April 2008 from <http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/
Matters, Spring/Summer (2008), 10. negp/page3-1.htm>.
10
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education 21
Ibid.
(WICHE), Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High 22
OECD, PISA 2006 Science Competencies.
School Graduates by State and Race/Ethnicity, 1992-2022 23
Ibid.
(Boulder, CO: WICHE, 2008). 24
Roy Romer, “State of the Schools Address,” Los Angeles,
11
Kati Haycock, “Class Dismissed,” Mission Matters, Spring/ 20 July 2006.
Summer (2008), 20.

Written by Terese Rainwater and Annie Finnigan, WICHE.

All photos by Deborah Jang and Candy Allen, WICHE.

© Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 2008 For further information, please contact:
3035 Center Green Drive, Suite 200 Terese Rainwater, Program Director
Boulder, CO 80301-2204 303.541.0225 or trainwater@wiche.edu

The State Scholars Initiative is currently funded at $6.6 million. The work reported herein was supported under State Scholars Initiative,
PR/Award Number (V051U050006), as administered by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.
However, the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education or the
U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

www.wiche.edu/statescholars
16