Business and the Public Schools.

Abstract

What are the costs of education failure in the public schools? What does business need from the schools to achieve increased productivity and economic growth? Once identified, how can the education objectives to meet those needs be achieved, and how can their achievement be substantiated? These questions framed the research and analysis commissioned for the Committee for Economic Development project which resulted in the publication of the policy statement Investing In Our Children (1985). The first two questions are at the crux of the business/education relationship; the third goes to the heart of education change. These important questions have guided us in fashioning a practical, systematic approach which capitalizes on business' interest and expertise. They also contribute to our understanding of two broader, more fundamental questions. First, what is the relationship between education and economic growth? Second, what is the potential of business involvement for improving the quality of American public schools?