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 invested a historic $3.7 billion in education at all levels, including a $1.8 billion funding increase in the most recent state budget. The governor signed the fair funding formula into law in 2015 to help address chronic inequitable and inadequate funding for school districts in the commonwealth. He also implemented the Level Up initiative to provide targeted funding to the 100 most underfunded school districts in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf has invested $116 million in science, computer science, and technical education, including the innovative PAsmart program, and $36 million in apprenticeships and workforce training. To prevent students from falling behind and to better prepare them for a career, Governor Wolf reduced the compulsory attendance age for schools to six and raised the high school dropout age to 18. Taking action to ensure the safety and well-being of students, the Wolf Administration established a School Safety Task Force and invested $130 million in School Safety Grants to make schools and school communities safer.

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.