He will propose a comprehensive plan to put higher education within reach of Vermont students and families. This is a plan that will benefit more than a generation of school students.

The governor will outline a comprehensive plan to offer Vermont residents an opportunity to receive a higher education here in Vermont so that they can then work here and raise a family. It's a proposal that will affect an entire generation of school students in the state of Vermont.

The governor is concerned with a crisis of affordability. He will target economic development efforts that are focused on building generations of opportunity.

Addressing the issues of affordability is important to achieving the economic development goals that will be outlined (Thursday), establishing Vermont as a leader in key 21st century industries.

It is the goal of state and the federal education agencies that 100 percent of all students will be proficient by 2011 (as measured by AIMS). Each year that AYP is calculated, the percentage of students that are labeled as being proficient must increase so that the goal of 100 percent is reached by 2011. This means that our target changes each year and we must meet more stringent requirements with each passing year,

I think some of the students will be ones who want to pursue professional technical education and get a two-year associate degree. Some may be students who applied to Boise State and couldn't get in. We turned away 800 last fall.