By 2025, 68 percent of jobs in the United States will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. Since states want to prepare graduate students for those jobs, states promised to work toward the goal of college and career readiness for all students in their state plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This analysis outlines five questions state board of education members can ask to advance college and career readiness policies in their state.

The analysis also highlights CTE initiatives in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Washington that help expand opportunities for all students to be successful as they transition to college or a career. These programs feature dual enrollment opportunities, rigorous coursework, new graduation pathways, course alignment with high-opportunity careers, skill building for the jobs of the future, and tracking of student attainment after graduation.

More than a decade of research and practice demonstrates the significant impact that school leaders have on student learning, teaching, and school quality. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes the importance of school leadership by setting aside funds under Title I and Title II, Part A for states to make broad, sustained investments in cultivating high-quality school leaders.

This “Power of the Question” analysis lays out seven questions state boards of education and other policymakers should ask when considering school leadership policies.