E3: Employers for Education Excellence

E3: Employers for Education Excellence was founded by the Oregon Business Council in 1996 to engage the broader community in efforts to improve student learning and close the achievement gap in Oregon's public schools. We pursue this mission by providing tools, resources and support to help schools and communities work collaboratively toward practical goals, using innovative models and recognized best practices to improve student achievement outcomes.

E3's work is based on a set of core beliefs: 1. An excellent public education system is vital to the social, economic and cultural well-being of Oregon. 2. Children deserve an education that prepares them to succeed in school, work and life. 3. All Oregonians must share responsibility in preparing students for success. 4. Employers can play a key role in making change happen: they provide vision, leadership, unique expertise and resources. E3 programs have made a difference. We have brought schools, businesses and local leaders together, engaging and involving whole communities to close the achievement gap. Our Oregon Small Schools Initiative is working directly with 38 schools statewide, affecting the way nearly 12,000 high school students learn, and creating new high school demonstration models. Our Partnership for Student Success program is emerging as a best practice model for community engagement; our project team works directly with schools and employers to address key academic challenges; thirteen community partnerships have been created statewide.

E3 works in partnership with key statewide organizations including the Oregon School Boards Association, Oregon Education Association and the Oregon Business Council. Our strategic education initiatives are guided by the Oregon Business Plan, a comprehensive effort to strengthen Oregon's economy and help position the state for the 21st Century.

Our work takes a unique, hands-on approach to building partnerships between educators and business leaders -- who provide our programs with access to visionary leaders and valuable resources. This pragmatic, results-oriented approach has earned widespread support from businesses, chambers of commerce, education organizations and public agencies who make quality education a priority in Oregon.