Gov. Patrick and Massachusetts Education Leaders: We Need to Know if 12th Graders Are Prepared for the Future

Are the nation's 12th graders prepared to enter rigorous job-training programs and compete in the global economy?

Will they be able hold their own in college-level courses?

The United States has no measure for determining whether our nation's 12th grade students are academically prepared for college or job training.

Gov. Deval Patrick and a distinguished panel of education leaders will spearhead a symposium in Boston on Oct. 24, 2011 to discuss this crucial issue. The symposium is sponsored by the NAEP 12th Grade Preparedness Commission and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education.

A well-educated, highly trained citizenry is essential to sustain our democratic way of life and compete in the world marketplace. Postsecondary education and training are increasingly necessary for individual and national wellbeing.

Without a reliable indicator, we have no way of knowing whether our 12th graders are academically prepared for college and job training.

At the symposium, panelists will address the importance of 12th grade academic preparedness and its implications for Massachusetts's economy and jobs. Joining them and contributing to the discussion will be regional leaders in business, education, higher learning, civil rights and public policy.

Of particular importance will be a discussion on using the National Assessment of Educational Progress—also known as The Nation's Report Card, or NAEP—as an indicator of academic preparedness for college and job training.

When: Monday, Oct. 24, 2011
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Where:Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel
425 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210

Who:

Gov. Deval Patrick
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (presiding)
Chair, NAEP 12th Grade Preparedness Commission, former Governor of Mississippi

David Driscoll
Former Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
Chair, National Assessment Governing Board

Maura Banta
Chair, Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Mitchell Chester
Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

Richard Freeland
Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education

Representative Alice Peisch
House Chair, Joint Committee on Education, Massachusetts Legislature

Paul Reville
Massachusetts Secretary of Education

Darvin Winick
Advisor, NAEP 12th Grade Preparedness Commission
Executive Director, Institute for Public School Initiatives, University of Texas at Austin

David Alukonis
Member, National Assessment Governing Board
Former Chairman, Hudson School Board (New Hampshire)

Susan Pimentel
Member, National Assessment Governing Board
Curriculum and Standards Specialist

For additional information on the NAEP 12th Grade Preparedness Commission visit http://www.nagb.org/commission. For more information on the Nation's Report Card and its potential use as an indicator of preparedness, visit: http://www.nagb.org/commission/researchandresources/.