Associated Press - November 18, 2009 3:24 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A group of Idaho business leaders, parents and educators working since 2007 to develop a long-term plan for public education in Idaho has released a list of recommendations for improvement.

The 12-member Education Alliance is was created two years ago after Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter directed Idaho business leaders to look for ways to improve education.

Otter introduced the alliance at press conference on Wednesday, calling the group's work an important first step in enhancing the quality of public education.

The alliance says high school students should have the opportunity to graduate with up to 30 college credits and Idaho should have teacher compensation that is tied, in part, to performance-based assessments such as student achievement gains.

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