A New York State task force determined that the education system in the state must be changed to prepare youth for the high-performance workplaces of the future. According to the task force, the state must establish globally competitive standards for what youth must know and be able to do as they enter the workplace or postsecondary education. Schools should be restructured to foster the development of thinking and problem-solving skills. At the secondary level, students initially should work toward earning a Career Pathways Certificate (CPC) that would certify their mastery of rigorous academic fundamentals and entry-level workplace skills at a world-class level. Students would work toward their CPC in steps, as scouts do with merit badges. The CPC would be followed by attainment of a high school diploma and then a Professional and Technical Certificate (PTC) according to standards set by employers and labor. Throughout the process, business and organized labor should be involved in setting standards that should be followed. Funding for the school reforms should be provided by the state so that all students could benefit. (Appendixes include examples of work and school transition projects, numbers of program participants, and a list of work-related skills and competencies. (Contains 86 references.) (KC)