At a time of historic economic uncertainty, this Nellie Mae Education Foundation report finds that in order for New Englanders to prosper in a rapidly changing economy and society, there will need to be a change in the way all of the region’s citizens are educated. According to the report, the region’s economy is becoming increasingly knowledge-based. For New Englanders, 21st Century success will depend on more people developing skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and the use of modern technologies.

This need for more people with new skills comes at a time, however, when the region’s population growth is slow and concentrated in populations that have not been well served historically by educational and economic institutions. The report emphasizes the importance of overcoming the gaps in educational opportunity that exist for many of these fast-growing segments of the population, and it concludes that in order to do so, we will need to see dramatic changes that challenge fundamental assumptions around education. This report was prepared by Jobs for the Future for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Contributing writers and researchers were Cecilia Le, Richard Kazis, and Terry Grobe of Jobs for the Future and Rob Muller and Alix Beatty of Practical Strategy, LLC.