State Report

Idaho

Idaho is leading the way for high school transformation across 5 policy actions.

State Report

Idaho

Idaho is leading the way for high school transformation across 5 policy actions.

Overview

Idaho is a national leader for high school transformation through its adoption of seat time flexibility, development of a set of college and career readiness competencies, and assurance that students who earn a diploma are eligible to apply to the state’s institutions of higher education. The state has also taken steps to better prepare high school students for a changing workforce, while developing a microcredential platform—SkillStack—that allows Idaho’s educators to award industry-relevant badges to students based on demonstrations of proficiency.

As part of the state’s efforts to reimagine the high school experience, since 2022, state leaders and educators have been partnering with XQ Institute on a math badging initiative that explores the use of a competency-based math framework and aligned assessments to rethink students’ third year math coursework and build stronger career pathways for students. Students taking part in the pilot model real-world problems to demonstrate their mastery of rigorous math concepts and earn badges that might ultimately inform new student transcripts.

As Idaho continues this work, the state could explore opportunities for a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-based high school redesign.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Highlights from Idaho

Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Idaho’s economy will add an average of 103,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 68,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Idaho’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $42 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In Idaho and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 34 percent of Idaho seniors graduated ready for college in math and 64 percent did so in English (69 percent of students participated in this year’s SAT).³ 31 percent of Idaho’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 32 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁴ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Idaho workers by $878 annually, totalling $17,563 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,852 per year, adding up to $37,048 over two decades.⁵
⁵ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁶
⁶ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Progress

High school is where America’s future takes shape. Today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, problem solvers, and leaders—but our schools are still rooted in a century-old model built for the industrial age. As automation and AI transform the job market, too many students leave high school unprepared for what comes next.

Idaho

Idaho

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Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data