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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">Friends and Colleagues:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">Below are some highlights from the most recent WA Roundtable report—a follow-up to their 2016 report regarding the upcoming 740,000 job openings in WA State. 
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt">
<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">A key quote:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif"> “</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">Closing
 race-, income-, and gender-based achievement gaps is essential. Credential attainment for white and Asian students is projected to be two to three times higher than that of Native American, Hispanic, or black students, depending on the subgroup. Also, just
 31% of boys are projected to complete a credential by age 26, compared to 47% of girls.”</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">Please read
<a href="http://www.waroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WKWJ-Path-to-70-Credential-Attain_FINAL-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#416ED2">the full report</span></a> and share it and the highlights with friends, colleagues and policymakers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif">Jen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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 Whetham </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Medium",sans-serif;color:#003764">(pronouns: she/her/hers)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Medium",sans-serif;color:#003764"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#003764">• o: 360-704-4354 • c: 206-310-1291<br>
<b>Register Now</b> for the </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2kGygBt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#4472C4">2018 New Faculty Institute</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<h1 style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-line-height-alt:14.55pt">
<span style="font-size:28.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Washington Roundtable releases new report, “The Path to 70% Credential Attainment.” Making progress, but not fast enough.<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Posted by
<a href="http://opportunitywa.org/author/richardd/"><span style="color:#416ED2">Opportunity Washington</span></a> on Tuesday, June 12, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font"><img border="0" width="960" height="220" style="width:10.0in;height:2.2916in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://opportunitywa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/header-home-top1.jpg" alt="Image"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">A
<a href="http://www.waroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WKWJ-Path-to-70-Credential-Attain_FINAL-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#416ED2">new repor</span></a>t from the Washington Roundtable and Partnership for Learning shows the progress the state is making toward a goal of 70 percent credential attainment. While the attainment rate is increasing, the pace of progress
 remains slow. The video above makes the point.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width: 100%"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">We’ve written often about
<a href="http://opportunitywa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/OPWA_FoundationReport_2017.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#416ED2">the importance of postsecondary training and education</span></a>. Confirming<a href="http://opportunitywa.org/georgetown-university-education-researchers-high-school-no-longer-enough-postsecondary-credentials-essential/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#416ED2">
 national research</span></a>, analysis by the Washington Roundtable and the Boston Consulting Group established that most of the 740,000 projected job opening in our state in the near future would be
<a href="http://opportunitywa.org/unprecedented-job-opportunities-washington-next-five-years-will-go-workers-postsecondary-credentials/" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#416ED2">filled by workers with postsecondary credentials</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width: 100%"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The new research from the Roundtable and Partnership for learning reaffirms early findings:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Demand for workers with postsecondary credentials is higher than it has ever been. A credential—such as a degree, apprenticeship, or certificate—is essential for anyone
 who wants a job that o ers a good salary and advancement opportunities. This is true for all workers, regardless of zip code, race, income, or gender.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width: 100%"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Unfortunately,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;max-width: 100%">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Among Washington high school students, the credential attainment rate by age 26 will go from 31% for the high school class of 2006 to an estimated 40% for the high
 school class of 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;max-width: 100%">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">To reach the 70% credential attainment goal by the high school class of 2030, Washington must more than double the average annual growth rate in credential attainment
 – going from 0.9% per year to 2%.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width: 100%"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The path to 70 percent is clearly charted in this
<a href="http://www.waroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WKWJ_CredentialEssential_Infographic.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#416ED2">infographic</span></a>. An improved high school graduation rate may be a precondition, but it has not generated the necessary boost in credential attainment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5;max-width: 100%">
<span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The high school graduation rate has been improving, moving from 75% for the high school class of 2006 to 82% for the class of 2015. Despite this improvement, the percentage of high school graduates
 enrolling in postsecondary education has remained stagnant.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width: 100%"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">And there’s also vital work to be done in closing demographic achievement gaps.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo8;max-width: 100%">
<span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Closing race-, income-, and gender-based achievement gaps is essential. Credential attainment for white and Asian students is projected to be two to three times higher than that of Native American,
 Hispanic, or black students, depending on the subgroup. Also, just 31% of boys are projected to complete a credential by age 26, compared to 47% of girls.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width: 100%"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Please read
<a href="http://www.waroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WKWJ-Path-to-70-Credential-Attain_FINAL-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#416ED2">the full report</span></a> and share it and the highlights with friends, colleagues and policymakers. It provides specific action steps on the path to 70 percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">We must focus efforts to close achievement gaps and hit nation-leading benchmarks in high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment of high school graduates in programs
 at two- and four-year institutions, and graduation from those programs. Finally, we must successfully reengage students who fall out of the education pipeline prior to credential attainment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Reaching our 70% goal will be challenging. Achieving it will require coordinated efforts from all of us—elected officials, educators, employers, community organizations,
 families, and the students themselves. We look forward to that collaboration, to setting annual goals, pursuing improvement, and measuring progress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">It’s an achievable goal, and one vital to expanding opportunity for Washingtonians and maintaining our state’s economic vitality.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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