I created the P-20 Council to move Arizona forward into the 21st century way of doing business and responding to our ever-changing global economy. The idea behind "P-20" is to align education from preschool all the way through university and into post-graduate studies. We want to make sure students have access to the kind of lifelong learning opportunities they will need to keep up with today's rapidly changing workplace, and to be prepared for an innovation-oriented workforce.
To accomplish that goal, I asked the P-20 Council to answer two key questions: Does our K-12 system still prepare students for college and work? And, are community colleges and four-year institutions graduating and preparing students effectively?
What the Council learned is that high school graduation requirements must be updated. It used to be that a high school graduate could expect to get a job after graduation. Those days are behind us. Students must now be prepared, in a realistic way for entry-level jobs, or for college.
As an example, Arizona now requires only two years of high school math and science, but the current thinking is that at least three years of high school math and science is needed for students to be grounded in the type of problem-solving and discovery skills today's workers need. Perhaps not every student will study high-level math and science; but if we give them constant challenge and practice, they will keep the important skills they've gained.
I look forward to working with the P-20 Council, in partnership with the State Board of Education, the Arizona Department of Education and our institutions of higher education, to make Arizona a stronger and more prosperous state.
As always, I appreciate your input, and encourage you to call my office at 602.542.1318 if you have questions or thoughts to share. Or, please visit our website at http://www.azgovernor.gov for information and news in state government.
Yours very truly,
Janet Napolitano
Governor
