For Immediate Release
June 15, 2000
Contact: Gwenda Bond or Rusty Cheuvront (502)564-2611 

Governor Named Head of New Education Commission,
Will Lead Study of High School Senior Year

Washington, D.C. – Governor Paul Patton will head the newly-created Commission on the High School Senior Year, Secretary of Education Richard Riley announced at a news conference today as part of the Reinventing High School Conference.

The Governor said, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to work on such an important issue with my friend Secretary Riley and the Department of Education. Through this study, I hope we can explore new ways to think about the senior year as a vital step in the preparation of our youth as productive workers and citizens.”

The Commission is a public-private partnership that will bring together a group of leaders, educators, experts, students and others to examine the high school senior year and the transition to college, work, and adulthood. The Commission will then use this data to develop creative ideas and recommendations on how to make the last years of high school, especially the senior year, more productive and how to improve transitions to college and the adult world. Extensive outreach activities will create awareness and action around the Commission’s recommendations.

In announcing that Governor Patton will provide his leadership to the Commission, Secretary Riley said, “I am pleased that Governor Patton has agreed to lead the Commission on the High School Senior Year. The Commission will closely look at improving the transition from high school to college. Governor Patton has, throughout his career, been a real champion of education reform and I am delighted he has accepted this appointment.”

The Commission will be made up of approximately 26 members, led by Governor Patton and two vice-chairs. The members will be drawn from the education community, including teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, students, college faculty and presidents and members of a broader community of policymakers, business and labor representatives, community and youth leaders, researchers and others.

The Commission’s yearlong term will begin with two sessions this fall, one in September and one in October. In between these two meetings, a series of regional meetings with students and community members will be held to gather a wide range of views. A professional writer will capture the work of the Commission and prepare a preliminary report in November 2000. Secretary Riley will announce these findings in December. The final report – with substantive recommendations and action steps – will be released in 2001.