http://www.southerngovernors.orgRSS feeds for SGA - Southern Governors' Association60http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1565/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1565http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1565&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1565/Default.aspxBetter job options on the Southside, that's the goal of an economic summit this weekend in Danville.Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:40:27 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1565http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1016/Passport-to-Opportunity-Action-Toolkit-PDF.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1016http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1016&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1016/Passport-to-Opportunity-Action-Toolkit-PDF.aspxIn support of the work of its member governors, SGA developed Education in the South—A Passport to Opportunity (Passport) as an innovative communications initiative to promote high school completion and motivate students to aggressively prepare for college, post-secondary programs and/or employment.  Passport was specifically designed to provide technical assistance in the development of customized “turn-key” communications campaigns for nine Southern states, including plans, strategies, tactics and tools targeted to students at risk of dropping out of high school, as well as their influencers. hostSat, 31 Mar 2007 16:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1016http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1128/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1128http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1128&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1128/Default.aspxGovernors throughout the South continue to focus significant resources on reducing the high school drop out rate and increasing the value of a high school diploma through increased academic rigor. But improving high school graduation rates and achievement levels has resonated in a special way with SGA’s 2005-06 Chairman Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who began her career as a high school teacher.Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1128http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1060/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1060http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1060&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1060/Default.aspx Louisiana is an ideal state to undertake the Passport to Opportunity initiative because it has theinfrastructure and tools available to help at-risk youth, as well as a commitment from the Office of Governor Kathleen Blanco and state and local leaders to tackle this problem. According to National Center for Education Statistics, averaged freshmen graduation rate data cited in the 2006 Challenge To Lead state report, the high school graduation rate in Louisiana in 2004 was 76.9 percent, compared with the U.S. graduation rate of 75 percent. Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:30:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1060http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1061/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1061http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1061&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1061/Default.aspxMaryland has a history of commitment to improving student achievement and implementing education reform, having taken important steps to raise standards, close the achievement gap, and promote rigorous course-taking. The most prominent efforts include the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act of 2002, which aims to foster excellence through adequate and equitable funding, and the more recent adoption of the High School Assessments, which require students set to graduate in 2009 to earn a satisfactory score on end-of-course tests.Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:15:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1061http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1062/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1062http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1062&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1062/Default.aspx South Carolina is an ideal state to undertake the Passport to Opportunity initiative because ithas the infrastructure and tools available to help at-risk students, as well as support from stateand local leaders to tackle this problem. According to the National Center for EducationStatistics aggregated freshmen graduation rate data cited in the 2006 Challenge To Lead statereport, the high school graduation rate in South Carolina in 2004 was 61 percent, compared withthe U.S. graduation rate of 75 percent. Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:07:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1062http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1063/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1063http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1063&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1063/Default.aspx Georgia has made a clear commitment to student achievement and education reform,taking important steps to raise standards and promote rigorous course taking. The statehas embarked on a comprehensive high school redesign process. The GeorgiaDepartment of Education School Improvement Division’s Secondary Redesign Unit hasidentified five districts in which to implement a range of research-based secondaryredesign concepts. Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:06:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1063http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1064/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1064http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1064&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1064/Default.aspx Tennessee is an ideal state to undertake the Passport to Opportunity initiative because it hasthe infrastructure and tools available to help at-risk students. Moreover, Governor Phil Bredesenhas proposed new measures and resources in the “Next Steps: Education” plan to help studentsgraduate from high school ready for college and work. Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:05:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1064http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1065/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1065http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1065&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1065/Default.aspxWest Virginia is an ideal state to undertake the Passport to Opportunity initiative, because thestate has the infrastructure and tools available to help at-risk students. Moreover, Governor JoeManchin’s signed an executive order in September 2006 to establish the 21st Century JobsCabinet, which focuses on promoting a seamless education system that connects every level ofeducation from early childhood to graduate study and encompasses job training and lifelonglearning.Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:04:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1065http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1066/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1066http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1066&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1066/Default.aspxKentucky has made a clear commitment to improving student achievement andimplementing education reform, taking important steps to raise standards and promoterigorous course taking. The Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA) initiatedfar-reaching, systematic reform in K-12 in the areas of finance, governance, andcurriculum.Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:03:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1066http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1067/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1067http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1067&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1067/Default.aspxNorth Carolina has made a clear commitment to improving student achievement andimplementing education reform, taking important steps to raise standards and promoterigorous course-taking. It has been a leader in education reform since the 1990s when itwas one of the first states to institute standards, testing, and accountability with rewardsfor high performance under its “ABCs of Public Education” plan.Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:01:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1067http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1068/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1068http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1068&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1068/Default.aspx Oklahoma has made a clear commitment to improving student achievement andimplementing education reform, having taken important steps to raise standards andpromote rigorous course-taking. In 1990, House Bill 1017, also known as the OklahomaEducational Reform Act, put an emphasis on core courses and graduation standards,while also reducing class sizes, addressing equality in school funding and encouragingparental participation. Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1068http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1171/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=227&ModuleID=741&ArticleID=1171http://www.southerngovernors.org/DesktopModules/iBN%20News%20Articles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1171&PortalID=0&TabID=227http://www.southerngovernors.org/MySGA/EditContent/Articles/tabid/227/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1171/Default.aspxThe following issue areas have been identified as SGA’s top federal priorities for the 110th Congress: S-CHIP, LIHEAP, availability of federal reinsurance and emergency communications interoperability spectrum.  SGA's general policy areas include health and human services, energy and environment, education and economic development.hostSat, 06 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1171