Sustaining the College- and Career-Ready Agenda

While many political pundits and analysts will likely be focusing on which party controls Congress in the upcoming mid-term elections, for those interested in the future of education reform, the many state-level elections are just as critical to watch. With 37 gubernatorial seats and many important down ballot races up for grabs, the results will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the future of reform.

Over the past 18 months there have been many encouraging developments on the college- and career-ready front. With 40 states having adopted the Common Core State Standards, nearly every state committed to at least one of the two common assessment consortia, and the Race to the Top (RTTT) competition inspiring reform across many states – including those who did and didn't win awards – strong and committed state leadership has been and will continue to be crucial to the successful adoption, implementation and sustainability of college- and career-ready reforms in the years to come.

The 2010 elections are expected to result in political turnover on an unprecedented scale. According to The Cook Political Report, for example, up to seventeen of the 37 gubernatorial elections, as of this writing, are still considered "toss-ups," with no clear leading candidate or party emerging at this time. Only five elections with incumbents are considered "safe," while the remaining 32 elections range from "likely safe" to "unsafe" to "open." In addition, there are seven state K-12 superintendent elections this year, and broad speculation on how much turnover will occur within and across state legislatures (early predictions – a lot).

There is little question that political turnover can make it difficult for a state to sustain its education reforms, as history has proved time and time again. When leading reform advocates – governors, state education leaders, legislators or other high-level officials – leave office, their policy legacies may face scrutiny and be subject to changing priorities or even reversal. At a minimum, a transition can mean critical reforms slow as new leadership is sworn in and appointed. Gubernatorial transitions, particularly, can have a direct impact on other leadership roles within the education arena. In most states, a combination of Chief State School Officers (CSSO's), State Board of Education members and State Higher Education Executives (SHEEO's) are appointed and may have term limits set in place by the governor. This creates deeply connected lines of political leadership, which may have consequences post-election.

So what does this all mean for the future of the college- and career-ready agenda, including common standards, common assessments, next-generation accountability and other policies and programs designed to ensure all students graduate high school ready for their next step?

While it may be too early to tell for sure (and thankfully, in the majority of races, it does not appear that candidates are running on platforms opposed to college-and career-ready policies) what we do know from Achieve's Taking Root research on sustaining education reform is that leaders and champions outside the government are vital to any long-standing, successful reform effort. External leaders – such as advocacy organizations and/or business and community leaders – help keep the state's attention focused on the policy agenda and help newly elected leaders understand its key goals, importance and how new leaders can make it their own. External champions are always important to keeping the agenda on track – but in election years they are critical.

If you believe every student should graduate from high school ready for postsecondary success then now is the time to get involved. There is much work to be done after votes are cast and newly elected officials prepare to take office; this is the critical transition time when agendas get set and key personnel are chosen. Now is the time to make sure that the impressive efforts over the past few years are continued and built upon. Not sure where to begin? Connect with your state's education advocacy community – organizations such as the ones represented within the PIE Network are a good place to start – to see how you can get involved. And remember, Achieve is always here to help you make the case for the college- and career-ready agenda with research and advocacy materials for all audiences.