Massachusetts Chosen for National State Scholars Initiative

MALDEN - The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE), the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators Association, and the Massachusetts Department of Education are pleased to announce that Massachusetts has been chosen as one of eight new states to participate in the State Scholars Initiative (SSI.)

The SSI is a national business/education partnership effort working to increase the number of students who take a rigorous curriculum in high school. Massachusetts will receive $300,000 over a two-year period to implement SSI and plans to work with five pilot sites: Chicopee Comprehensive High School, Chicopee High School, North High School in Worcester, Burlington High School, and Assabet Valley Regional Vocational High School.

Commissioner of Education David Driscoll said, "I believe this grant will be a catalyst for change in the Commonwealth. The State Scholars Initiative will help prepare our students for college and careers."

MBAE Chair Maura Banta expressed the importance of this strong partnership, not only for high schools, but also for the business community at large.

"Massachusetts businesses have a strong interest in assuring that high school graduates have the skills to fill the jobs these companies create and to sustain our state's economic health," she said. "We are very excited about our partnership and look forward to bringing business leaders into the classroom to motivate students to take on a challenging course of study and to excel."

The SSI is overseen by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, and is funded by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the U.S. Department of Education. Massachusetts joins seven other new states: Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia, and fourteen participating states.

For more information about the State Scholars Initiative, look online at
http://www.wiche.edu/statescholars/
http://www.wiche.edu/statescholars/news/releases/nationalWinnerRelease.pdf