Gov. Bill Owens asked a group of education and business leaders today to review Colorado high school academic standards to see if graduating students are prepared for college or the work force.
Owens said the Colorado Education Alignment Council’s yearlong review will seek ways to ease the transition after high school.
A 2003 study by the Denver-based Education Commission of the States said only 31.1 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in Colorado attend college. Nationwide, the rate was 34 percent.
The new council will include business people and members of the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. It is scheduled to submit its recommendations by Oct. 1, 2006.
The council will examine whether existing high school standards are adequate to prepare students for college or jobs. It also will look at college admission guidelines to determine if they match up with expectations for high school students.
