The American Samoa governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, has told a gathering of US governors and education officials in Chicago that the territory's education system is not adequately preparing students for college and university.
Governor Lolo says the system is fragmented with a lack of articulation from early childhood education right through to high school and community college level.
He pointed to Department of Education statistics that show only four percent of local students perform at a basic level, with the rest being below basic.
The governor's spokesman, Joseph Pereira, says one of the things that was made clear at the gathering is that Governors have the most powerful roles in building the political will to accelerate and sustain implementation of education reforms.
