Too often, our efforts to improve student achievement have been sidetracked by mistaken beliefs that some students can learn to high standards and are bound for college, while others warrant easier coursework so they can enter the workplace directly after high school. This assumption no longer applies.

Being a citizen, employee and contributing family and community member in the 21st century requires strong academic skills. High school courses, such as algebra 2 and chemistry, have been traditionally associated with "college prep" for those seeking bachelor's degrees. However, recent studies reveal that a rigorous high-school background is equally important for graduates entering the workforce in jobs that lead to careers that pay a living wage.

In today's global economy, the skills and knowledge required for success in college and the workforce are fundamentally the same. A recent study by 3Point Consulting confirmed that advancing toward living wage jobs (at least $40,000/year) in Hawai'i demands similar academic skills for high school graduates in entry-level jobs as for university-bound students. The findings of this study are derived from data collected from 12 key industries in Hawai'i that make up one-quarter of the state's jobs.

3Point found that basic skills are sufficient for entry-level employment, but more advanced reading, writing, mathematics and communication skills are "essential to advance to a living wage position without a college degree." (See p20hawaii.org for 3Point study.)

Entering the workforce after high school requires a solid academic foundation. Employees are expected to follow technical manuals and OSHA guidelines, requiring advanced technical reading skills. They will prepare important reports that their supervisors will use to make decisions that affect the company's bottom line and people's lives.

As customers, we depend on these employees to be skilled because their work will affect decisions about such things as our loan applications, hotel and retail services, the accuracy and quality of construction, our insurance claims, and all in all, our quality of life.

Being a productive citizen of the 21st century also requires a solid academic foundation. A study found that the skills for understanding and completing tax forms and health insurance options, or installing a child safety seat in a car are the same level as reading college textbooks.

Coming to an informed opinion and participating in discussions about current headline issues, such as building rail on O'ahu, withholding teachers' raises if drug testing is not implemented, or funding stem cell research, requires solid reading, mathematics and communication skills. Citizens today need to understand information, then make judgments about its quality and reasonableness since so much information is available online and 24/7.

This spring, the Hawai'i Board of Education took an important step toward ensuring all of our high-school graduates have the skills and knowledge essential for academic and career success. The BOE revised its Recognition Diploma for graduates, beginning with the graduating Class of 2013. (See graduation.k12.hi.us for details).

The revised diploma specifies the challenging courses — mathematics up to algebra 2, laboratory sciences, expository writing — identified as necessary to succeed in careers and college. Earning the diploma is voluntary for students, but employers, colleges and college scholarship donors are acknowledging the value of the more rigorous curricular requirements and are working to identify and provide incentives for graduates to obtain the diploma.

The challenging curriculum resulting in the BOE's revised Recognition Diploma prepares our youth to meet the expectations of an increasingly global and competitive environment. These academic skills needed to advance in the workplace are best developed through formal schooling.

While job-related training, such as mathematics for aspiring apprentices, are available, employers and college faculty increasingly expect and prefer high school graduates to enter the workforce and college prepared with necessary academic knowledge and skills without the need for remediation. With such knowledge and skills, job candidates and college students can advance toward living wage jobs and earn degrees and certificates more quickly.

Improving opportunities for Hawai'i's youth to learn and succeed in the 21st century is the foundation of the Hawai'i P-20 Partnerships for Education. Maintaining the competitiveness of Hawai'i as a state and of its residents as individuals in the increasingly competitive global economy requires more rigorous education.

Last fall, the Hawai'i P-20 Council set a goal of 55 percent of Hawai'i's working age adults having a two- or four-year college degree by 2025. Council members set the goal to keep pace with other developed countries.

Raising the proportion of our residents with a college degree from 40 to 55 percent is ambitious, and achieving the goal requires many strategies and all our commitment. Increasing high school graduates' preparation for academic and career success is a critical step to achieving this goal. Sustaining and improving the quality of life in Hawai'i depends on our success.

This commentary is part of a series of articles prepared by Voices of Educators, a nonprofit coalition designed to foster debate and public policy change within Hawai'i's public education system, in partnership with The Advertiser. It appears in Focus on the first Sunday of the month. Voices of Educators is composed of some of Hawai'i's top education experts, including: Liz Chun, executive director of Good Beginnings Alliance; Patricia Hamamoto, superintendent of the Department of Education; Christine Sorensen, dean of the University of Hawai'i's College of Education; Donald B. Young, Hawai'i Educational Policy Center; Roger Takabayashi from the Hawai'i State Teachers Association; Sharon Mahoe of the Hawai'i Teacher Standards Board; Alvin Nagasako of the Hawai'i Government Employees Association; and Robert Witt of the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools. Visit their Web site at www.hawaii.edu/voice.