Partner's Packet (303kb .zip)

Presenter's Packet (204kb .zip)

Arizona Academic Scholars Overview PP Presentation (2MB MS PowerPoint)

Bureau of Labor Statistics projections show that 80% of the top 50 fastest-growing jobs will require education beyond high school and that 40% of all new jobs will require at least an associate’s degree.¹ Employers offering jobs that do not require postsecondary education nonetheless seek employees who are proficient in reading, math, and science, and who can solve problems, work in teams, and communicate effectively. They look for employees who can learn new skills throughout their lives. Yet a large percentage of high-school students graduate without the solid academic foundation needed to succeed in higher education and the rapidly evolving workplace.

Business leaders concerned about the ability of the U.S. workforce to meet the increasingly technological demands of the workplace have been impressed by research that showed that completion of a rigorous course of study increases students’ likelihood of postsecondary persistence and completion. In fact, students who complete a rigorous course of study earn degrees at twice the rate of those who do not.²

There are about 500 districts participating in the Scholars Initiative (see participating partnerships below). Implementation yields results at the school, community and state level:

• Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of Arkansas graduates completing Algebra 2 rose from 48% to 71% and those completing chemistry rose from 33% to 63%.³
• Little Rock high schools experienced a 5.8% increase in Algebra 1 enrollment and a 8.0% increase in geometry enrollments in the district’s first year of participation in Arkansas Scholars^TM.⁴
• In the first year of Oklahoma Scholars, the number of Ardmore, Okla. students enrolling in physics rose from seven to 30, enabling the district to offer the class.⁵
• The percentage of Texas high-school students graduating under a Scholars course of study rose from 15% in 1999 to 63% in 2003.⁶
• Following establishment of the TEXAS Grant for Scholars with financial need, 80% of recipients maintained a GPA that allow them to retain their grants going into their sophomore year of college.⁷

The following organizations have established coalitions in partnership with each state’s governor and chief state school officer to participate in the State Scholars Initiative:

• Arizona Business & Education Coalition
• Arkansas Business & Education Alliance
• Connecticut Business & Industry Association
• Indiana’s Education Roundtable
• Partnership for Kentucky Schools
• Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
• Michigan Business Leaders for Education Excellence
• Public Education Forum of Mississippi/Mississippi Economic Council
• Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
• New Mexico Business Roundtable for Educational Excellence
• Oklahoma Business & Education Coalition
• The Education Partnership (Rhode Island)
• Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Texas Business and Education Coalition
• Partnership for Learning (Washington)

The role of businesses:

• Volunteer to make a presentation
• Provide ongoing incentives for high school Scholar students
• Recognize high school seniors who graduate with the Arizona Academic Scholars endorsement

Find out how to become a business partner for Arizona Academic Scholars.