State Report

Iowa

Across the country, states are raising the bar for what high school can be—and Iowa is among those leading the way. In this state profile, we both celebrate the work done so far and offer a vision for continued progress.

State Report

Iowa

Overview

Iowa was an early adopter of policies aimed at shifting away from seat time toward a more competency-based approach to awarding credit. In 2012, state leaders introduced credit flexibility by expanding the state definition of a “unit” and creating an explicit opportunity for school systems to award credit for demonstrations of learning rather than seat time.

The state then followed up with guidelines to support competency-based education (CBE), including a reflection and action planning tool for districts interested in transitioning to CBE. It also developed policy guidance outlining various scenarios through which students can earn credit by demonstrating competency rather than fulfilling seat time requirements. That flexibility has made it possible for programs like Iowa BIG to provide high school students in Cedar Rapids with opportunities to engage in multidisciplinary projects in collaboration with community and industry partners.

Iowa is also a leader in providing high school students with access to advanced coursework. State leaders have enacted policies requiring school systems to provide students with access to dual enrollment and advanced placement courses. These policies provide a strong foundation for high school transformation efforts across the state.

To further support this work, state leaders could consider developing a state Portrait of a Graduate, and explore opportunities for a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-led 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 Iowa

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Highlights from Iowa

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Highlights from Iowa

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Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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

Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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

Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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
Iowa
Iowa’s economy will add an average of 195,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 137,000 (70 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
Iowa
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 Iowa’s 5.3 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $64 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
Iowa
In Iowa and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 65 percent of Iowa 11th graders met the math proficiency benchmark on the state assessment. 69 percent were proficient in English.³ 27 percent of Iowa’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. 31 percent were proficient in reading.⁴
³ Iowa Department of Education. (2024). Iowa statewide assessment of student progress results. https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10420/download?inline
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
Iowa
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Iowa workers by $2,003 annually, totaling $40,075 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $4,273 per year, adding up to $85,463 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
Iowa
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.

Iowa

Iowa

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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