Yesterday, we quoted U.S. Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, who said that “…the power to innovate, the power to set the standard…I believe, is best determined at the local level.”

Here’s how we hope the state and local governments can use its power:

Last session, the Texas Legislature created the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability. The Chamber encourages the Commission, chaired by new Education Commissioner and tech entrepreneur Mike Morath, to broadly and deeply seek out the advice of technology innovators. Technological approaches can reduce the focus on paper testing while still ensuring students are learning the content needed for college/career readiness and accountability.

Locally, we are responsible for ourselves. We love our public and charter schools as 93% of Travis County families put our children there. We are building a college/career pipeline for the vast majority of our young people. In August, nine superintendents, Austin Community College, multiple Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Realtors have all signed the "DTC70 Pact" to achieve a 70% direct to college enrollment rate for the Class of 2016. As part of this compact:

• School districts will place all entering 9th grade students onto the highest graduation plan.
• School districts have each set stretch goals to improve direct to college enrollment rates.
• School districts and businesses have collaborated to create a portal which will allow them to manage in real time each high school senior's steps toward direct enrollment in higher education.
• In a unique collaboration, DTC70 school districts and business partners are working together to help schools manage in real time the college readiness status of graduating seniors and to address any academic deficiencies before students graduate from high school.
• Annually for 10 years running, we hold ourselves accountable for performance at our State of Education in our region.

Central Texas employers have posted 48,000 jobs in November, a large majority of which require a college credential. Our future depends on our community's ability to help our young people graduate prepared for the global economy. Improving education attainment is central to Austin's competitiveness. We have long attracted smart people from around Texas and the world, but we also increasingly count on home-grown talent to power the next generation of growth.

We don't need the federal or even the state government to set expectations for us. But it sure helps when we are all moving in the same direction.

This is part two of a two-part blog series on the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Comments on Behalf of Drew Scheberle, SVP at Austin Chamber of Commerce.