Comptroller Issues "Texas Works" Report

Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs has issued an important report that relates directly to the future of community and technical colleges in Texas. At the heart of the report, called "Texas Works 2008: Training and Education for All Texans," is the belief that the state is not paying enough attention to students who will not be pursuing a four-year college degree.

From the Executive Summary:

Decades of unprecedented technological advances have remade the U.S. and world economies. Mainstay industries such as heavy manufacturing have declined while entirely new fields have created millions of jobs, permanently altering the economic landscape. And more change is on the way.

In this environment, ensuring that Texas students have the range of technical skills they need to pursue a successful career is a critical goal, both for the individual and the state as a whole. Many Texas businesses simply cannot prosper without a growing labor pool of skilled technical employees.

At present, however, most of the state’s attention is devoted to encouraging and preparing students to earn four-year degrees. But there are other paths to success, and we neglect these at our peril. Regardless of how much we promote university education, a large number of Texas students simply will not choose to attend a four-year school.

But our economy is large and diverse enough to provide them with rewarding careers and strong incomes—as long as they acquire the postsecondary training they need to succeed.

The report has a great deal to say about Texas community and technical colleges, with case studies and profiles of many institutions. Here's the whole deal. You can select the sections that are of the most interest. 

The news media has also waded into the issue of whether all students should attempt to become college graduates. One of the most outspoken commentators has been columnist Steve Blow of the Dallas Morning News. Here's his most recent column on the subject (registration). 

Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes has taken issue with Mr. Blow in the past, urging an acceleration of the "College Readiness Standards" for every student. The Closing the Gaps initiative is directed toward more college graduates, among other objectives.