Gov. Butch Otter said the work of a group of business leaders, parents and educators likely will find a way into his state of the state address in January and go to the Legislature for a "long-term look."

Otter spoke at a press conference Wednesday after the release of a list of recommendations by the Education Alliance of Idaho, which laid out recommendations to strengthen Idaho's school system.

The two-year long study calls for the state to increase the number of college credits students can get in high school as a way to save money. It also calls for better broadband access in schools and to make teacher pay in part dependent on student performance.

"You know you are on the right track when the teachers and the administrators, the school boards and the parents, the public sector and private industry all come together to focus their collective wisdom, experience and passion on an issue," Otter said in a prepared statement.

The Alliance's plan for education reform is only one of several in the works in Idaho.

Here are some others:

RACE TO THE TOP: Idaho could be eligible for $20 million to $75 million in federal stimulus money for education reform. Among the ideas under consideration in Idaho are:

• Improving assessment to measure such skills as critical thinking.

• Performance pay for teachers.

• Removing or lifting the cap on charter schools.

Status: No decision has been made yet. The state must file its grant application by Jan. 19.

GEAR UP: This program helps students plot a course to attend college and provides some cash to help them pay for it.

The program is helping 5,904 Idaho students in eighth, ninth and 10th grades in 36 schools across the state.

TREASURE VALLEY EDUCATION PROMISE: The plan is in its infancy and is designed to help provide a vision of going to college for many Treasure Valley students, said Stan Olson, Boise School District superintendent. He is helping formulate the program. If it launches, the program would help guide students along a college-bound path including mentoring and provide money to help defray college costs. The program is an outgrowth of the Idaho Statesman's Vision for the Valley project.

Bill Roberts: 377-6408