Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the statewide educational policies that experts believe are likely to increase the number of California's graduating high school students having the essential employability skills necessary to compete in the new economy. The study utilized the Delphi technique, a form of descriptive research that is used to forecast future occurrences. Within the context of policy analysis, the study focused on projecting the policy alternatives that a panel of knowledgeable experts believed should be enacted by 2005 to 2010. All communications and data gathering from the expert panel were completed over the Internet using a three-round survey process. At the completion of the Delphi process, twelve policy alternatives were identified. Four policies were ranked highest for combined importance and likelihood of implementation, and full consensus was indicated among the expert panel. Eight additional policies were rated as high by the panel with substantial consensus reached among the members. These twelve policy alternatives comprise an important array of future policy options for consideration by California policy makers over the next decade. Increasing student academic skills was clearly identified as the highest priority for California schools. Within the knowledge-based economy, academic skills provide the foundational skills upon which success is built, whether preparing students for postsecondary education or career entry. Other priorities expressed among the top policy alternatives reinforced the increasingly important link between education and the economy. Panelists viewed many other alternatives contributed during the study as important pieces of California's educational policy structure for improving the skills of students, yet were pessimistic that many of these important policies could be enacted.