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A Message from Governor Paul Patton
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For the past six years, Governor Paul Patton of Kentucky has initiated and implemented a far-reaching state program of
reform and strategic investment in higher education-the most ambitious in the nation. He is currently the chair of the National Governors Association. |
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I AM PLEASED TO JOIN Governor Jim Hunt and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education in the
release of Measuring Up 2002.
This report card challenges states and their leaders, as it challenges America, to respond to the demands of a
knowledge-driven, global economy. It challenges higher education leaders to articulate a vision of higher education that is more responsive, more efficient, and
more relevant to today's realities and tomorrow's needs. Our workers must now compete with workers the world over. To compete successfully, we must advance
our mental power. Only higher education can equip our people with the knowledge and skills that will make us productive in the new economy.
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In Kentucky, we have accepted these challenges. We recognize the pivotal role that education and training beyond high school must play in laying the foundation for economic opportunity, prosperity, and a high quality of life in the 21st century. The core of our agenda parallels that of Measuring Up: enhancing college preparation for more of our people; enrolling more of our residents in education and training beyond high school; encouraging those enrolled to complete their programs; keeping our colleges affordable; and gaining the economic and civic benefits that characterize a well-educated state. Our goal is to enhance the knowledge and skills of our population, not just increase the number of educational certificates and degrees. It was because of this goal that we volunteered enthusiastically to work with the National Center on student learning. The initial results are described in this report card. We have far to go and much still to learn, but Measuring Up 2002 affirms that Kentucky has set the right course for more inclusive and effective postsecondary education.
Each state is unique, of course, but the agenda of the Measuring Up series is so broadly relevant a template that all can work within it. Kentucky is doing so, and so can every state and the nation. Measuring Up 2000 stimulated and reinforced our drive for improvement in Kentucky, and it is being used for that purpose by many governors and legislators throughout America. I welcome the 2002 edition and particularly its emphasis on improvements by each state, as well as comparisons among states. I encourage my fellow governors, as well as legislators, business leaders, and colleges and universities to use Measuring Up 2002 as a powerful tool for improvement.
Paul Patton
Governor, State of Kentucky
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