Colorado Governor Polis releases plan to improve student readiness in K-12

The Center Square) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis released an “Education Roadmap for Governors” this week, highlighting a measurement mismatch found within education, questioning student readiness post-graduation.

The roadmap outlines recommendations for governors. Among them is defining a vision for student readiness and assessing how their states are measuring it. According to the report, it was discovered that there is a measurement mismatch, a gap between what's taught and the skills, knowledge and traits high school graduates need when they walk across the commencement stage.

The National Governors Association, in a cumulative effort, created a report: “Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success” initiative to improve public education’s success rates, due to the ever-increasing American education crisis, as many call it.

“To be truly ready for life after high school, students need more than academic skills or career pathways; they need the emotional and psychological grounding and character to thrive as whole people,” the report stated. “Governors can align systems and supports that help young people build this strong foundation for lifelong well-being.”

Polis, the chair of NGA, promoted the initiative that was launched by a bipartisan group of governors in 2024.

“For too long, our definition of ‘readiness’ has been narrowly focused on basic academic indicators that only scratch the surface of what a student needs to be successful throughout their lives,” Polis said. “The Let’s Get Ready! Initiative is a call for governors to demand better.”

“Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, you want the best education for your kids,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Oklahoma who is the NGA vice chair. “So how do we get there? We have a saying in Oklahoma: classrooms to careers.”

More than 4 million young people ages 16 to 24 are not in school or working a job, with half of them failing to receive a high school diploma, the report added.

Employers are even struggling to fill positions and keep qualified employees.

“It’s 2025, and we don’t yet have a clear way to view how our states’ education systems ... are really preparing students for their long-term futures while building resilience and competitiveness for the social and economic changes that are already underway,” the report added.

In many states, data doesn’t exist to show which students are actually prepared and fully understand what they are learning. Not only within education, the report highlights, but also life-long habits that will lead to a stable physical and mental well-being.

“The discrete metrics we currently use to assess education in our states don’t add up to a clear picture that can inform Governors, policymakers, and educators of how well their education systems are driving toward a clear vision for student readiness and success,” the report states. “Put simply, our measurement systems do not consider the more complete definitions of readiness that we heard from experts throughout the Let’s Get Ready! convenings.”