Faced with the realization that a competent workforce is critical for the success of the nation's businesses in a globally competitive market, efforts are being made to ensure that workers are prepared to meet the demands of a high-performance workplace. One response to this challenge includes educational reforms that embrace and promote the voluntary adoption of skill standards. Through legislative support and the collaborative efforts of business, industry, education, and other stakeholders, Texas has assumed a lead role in the establishment of a model by which skills standards are validated and officially recognized for implementation within the state's educational institutions.