The report card Utah students recently received disappointed some in our state. Test results showed that less than half of Utah students are proficient in science, language arts and math.
Business leaders said the results show students here are trending lower than students in the rest of the nation; a trend that they say does not bode well for a state that has been working hard to position itself as a welcoming home for new businesses.
Part of Utah’s sales pitch to entrepreneurs pondering which locales would be best for their start-ups is that we offer an educated populace that can fill demanding jobs today and in the future.
One business leader said the top concern “new companies coming (to) or growing in Utah is the fact that we have an employment base, and those are the kids that have gone through school.”
When student test results were released, business leaders did what comes naturally: they quickly formulated a plan and set about achieving its goals. The plan is to improve math skills, reading levels and high school graduation rates, as well as to drive up the numbers of young people who get certificates and degrees after graduating from high school.
Utah Gov. Herbert says his administration is going to spend the next 12 months developing a 10-year plan to boost Utah into a spot among the nation’s elite education systems.
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Source: KUER.org, “Unsatisfied with Student Performance, Utah Business Leaders Release Education Plan,” Andrea Smardon, Oct. 28, 2014