Pre-K-12 Education

Business Roundtable leaders are dedicated to promoting high-quality education for everyone from the first day of kindergarten to the final day of senior year. Research shows that younger students who show signs of underperformance often continue to miss key benchmarks in later years. By supporting rigorous academic standards for improved academic performance—especially for basics like reading and math—we can help students enter college or the workforce with the skills necessary to succeed.

The goal of our education system is to impart the foundational skills and knowledge needed to succeed in work and life. But in an economy that looks vastly different than it did 20 years ago, a traditional approach to education is struggling to equip students with the skills in the most demand among the nation’s leading businesses.

To ensure that America’s workforce is prepared for the jobs of the future, businesses are investing in today’s students. Research demonstrates by the time students are in middle school, gaps in their educational attainment have largely been set, and will continue to widen as they age. Supporting high-quality early childhood education is critical to ensuring all children are afforded the opportunity to succeed—and America’s business leaders have a responsibility for securing that promise.

Modernizing K-12 Education

U.S. companies are the backbone of the country’s economy, and the U.S. education system is what makes Americans the best workforce in the world. But in an economy that looks vastly different than it did 20 years ago, a traditional approach to education is struggling to equip students with the skills in the most demand among the nation’s leading businesses.

Rigorous academic standards in K-12 English language arts and mathematics are critical to ensuring all students graduate from high school ready for college and the workforce. Business Roundtable supports the full adoption and implementation of high-quality education standards and aligned assessments to raise the performance of U.S. students. Business Roundtable also supports policies and programs that ensure all students read on grade level by the end of third grade.

Business Roundtable will continue to advocate for federal legislation that authorizes programs and policies that improve educational outcomes and help close the skills gap, including reauthorization of Higher Education Act.

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