Ensure graduates of Pennsylvania's high schools are career ready

Pennsylvania's economic future depends on our education system to equip high school graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to succeed in the workforce. All students in the commonwealth – regardless of zip code – should have access to a K-12 education that prepares them for post-secondary success, whether their plans include higher education, workforce training, paid employment, or another career pathway.  

Education is Governor Wolf's top priority. Since taking office, he has secured more than $1.48 billion in public education funding for pre-k through college, reversing the cuts made in the previous administration. The governor signed the fair funding formula into law in 2015, which is helping to distribute funding to the school districts that need it most. Governor Wolf established PAsmart, a first-of-its-kind initiative that invests $70 million in building the nation's strongest workforce, including $40 million in computer science and STEM programs for K-12 students and $30 million in high school vocational programs. The governor reduced the time students and teachers spend on standardized testing, freeing up more time for learning. He also signed legislation providing high school students with more options for demonstrating graduation readiness than by passing high-stakes tests. With a three-part plan to fix Pennsylvania’s outdated and flawed charter school law, the governor is taking executive action, overhauling regulations, and will propose legislation to comprehensively reform the Charter School Law. To prevent students from falling behind and better prepare them for a career, Governor Wolf lowered the compulsory age to start school from 8 to 6 and increased the dropout age from 17 to 18. Taking action to ensure the safety and well-being of students, the Wolf Administration made Pennsylvania the first state to launch an “It’s On Us” campaign and award grants to address the crisis of sexual assault in schools and on college campuses.

The table below presents data from the 2017-18 school year on the College and Career Measures from the Future Ready PA Index, a public-facing, one-stop location for comprehensive information and data on student and school success. The College and Career Measures are indicators of how well students are being prepared for post-secondary success. For more information, please visit the Future Ready PA Index website.