Receiving a quality K
-
12 education has also become increasingly important for college
preparation. In recent years, college educ
ation beyond high school has become essential as higher level
knowledge and skills are required by 21st century jobs in an international economy. The relative
economic value of a high school diploma by itself
–
without higher education
–
has actually decr
eased
over time as more people have access to and complete college [32,39]