The work of leaders has just begun to improve Arizona’s educational system. Momentum is in our favor, despite the temporary financial crisis. To assure the future of our children, we must continue to develop and implement progressive, 21st century-ready education policy. 
According to Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, Inc, a national center offering expertise in assessments and accountability, “Arizona is now well positioned to tackle the difficult, but essential, task of ensuring that its (student) assessment and accountability systems are anchored in college and career readiness and that state education policies cohesively support this critical goal.”
The Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) supports education policy that: strengthens opportunities for children, birth through age 5; improves student literacy across P-12; increases school, college and career readiness; expands school and career pathways; and increases baccalaureate degrees awarded.
The building blocks are in place, and we need to finish the task.
We must complete the student data system by making sure it includes a teacher identifier that matches teachers to students, student-level transcript information including courses completed and grades earned and student-level college readiness test scores. With these elements in place, we will have all 10 elements of a quality data system, as defined by the national Data Quality Campaign.
We must create a comprehensive, coherent assessment system. That means completing the work of the Achieve Policy Institute, which includes setting target goals for 2019-2020. Core goals for P-12 and post-secondary education have already been suggested. We must still establish a baseline, beginning with 2007-08 and draft strategies that identify indicators of achievement. Of course, a reliable student-data system will be foundational to success.
We must commit to continuing the pilot of Algebra II end-of-course assessments. How do we really know our students have learned the content of a course? How do we know if Algebra II in one district is the same as Algebra II in another district? Experts say that end-of-course testing will give us those answers. We initiated an Algebra II end-of-course test pilot and must continue the assessment this spring.
We must create a statewide literacy plan. Effective literacy instruction should not be limited to K-3. Children beginning in Pre-K, continuing throughout the grades and across content areas must be good readers and understand the words they read.
 Increasing the supply of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers:  The STEM Education Center has been established, and our three state universities have convened regional groups of educators and business partners to develop strategies to increase numbers of teachers highly qualified in science, technology, engineering and math. This work is just underway.
We must ensure that Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework is rigorous and aligned with the needs of industry and university. The Arizona State Skills Standards Commission is in the process of doing this assessment with the help of industry professionals. A student who has completed a sequence of CTE courses in an industry pathway should be eligible for certification in that pathway at graduation and eligible for acceptance at our state universities.
Policy boards including First Things First, the State Board of Education, the Arizona Board of Regents along with advocates like Greater Phoenix Leadership and ABEC began this work with our elected officials together. We must finish the job. 
— Susan Carlson is the executive director of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition, a statewide, nonprofit K-12 education policy advocacy organization currently studying and making recommendations on Arizona’s school funding formula.