Career and Technical Education (CTE) - CTE is a vital component for preparing students for post-secondary studies, job placement and the formation of lifelong leaning habits. Not all kids go to college, but all kids go to work. One size does not fit all, schools must offer rigorous, industry-focused programs for college and career bound students in order to fulfill workforce needs.

Colorado Succeeds believes expanded CTE programs offer alternatives to non-traditional students and prepares them to enter the workforce and simultaneously broadens the skill set of college bound students. Quality CTE programs respond to a number of pressing issues including, closing the achievement gap, improving graduation rates and promoting post-secondary education.

CTE responds directly to the business community’s goal to graduate high school students with the skills to succeed in post-secondary education without remediation or the necessary training to enter directly into the workforce. Colorado Succeeds recently made a number of recommendations to improve and expand the delivery of rigorous and relevant CTE programs (please see our report summary).

School Choice - The term school choice describes a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another. Choice creates competition between schools for students. This competition for students (and the education dollars that come with them), create a catalyst for schools to create innovative programs, become more responsive to parental demands, and to increase student achievement.

There is growing demand in Colorado for more school choice options:

• The current pace of change is not sufficient to achieve real gains - in the past nine years, the percentage of fourth graders who read at or above the proficient level has increased from 55 percent to 68 percent. At that rate, it will take more than 25 years to achieve 100% proficiency.
• The few high performing new schools that have been created in the past five years have 2 to 3 applicants for every open slot. More than 25,000 students statewide are on waitlists for choice schools
• The Colorado Commission for High School Improvement and the Denver Commission on Secondary School Reform both called for a dramatic increase in school choice options
• Successful models like DSST, KIPP and West Denver Prep have proven it is possible to significantly impact student achievement

There is particular momentum within the charter school movement. These are publicly funded elementary or secondary schools that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter.