Faced with stiffer economic competition and worried about the skills of their future workforces, many states are trying to connect education from preschool through postsecondary so that more students are prepared for further study, work, and citizenship. In the past decade, 30 states have created what are often called "P-16" councils or initiatives designed to increase collaboration across those levels of education, according to the Denver-based Education Commission of the States. In most states, the governance, finance, data, and accountability systems for pre-K-12 and higher education have largely operated separately, with different legislative committees, governing boards, and state agencies. That divide, policy experts say, has contributed to a maze of disconnected policies and practices that is hard for young people and their families to navigate. It is also wasted taxpayer dollars, such as when the public pays for students to relearn material in college that should have been mastered in high school.