The High School Graduation Plan (HSBP) is a graduation requirement and a critical component of supporting students' career development throughout their secondary education experience. The Washington Legislature has revised and strengthened HSBP requirements to include the implementation of a universal online HSBP platform that can be readily…

Bridge-to-college programs aim to help people complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education, two milestones that increase access to economic opportunity. These programs help students obtain their high school credentials while encouraging postsecondary transition and success. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay,…

The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in career and technical education (CTE) as a way to engage students, help people build the skills necessary to succeed in a technologically advanced economy, and meet employer demand for workers. MDRC--which has a three-decade history of developing and evaluating CTE programs, including a landmark…

Community colleges face enrollment declines, student performance, and accountability metrics, the need to support nontraditional students' career paths, and constraints imposed by limited resources. Community college leadership would benefit from empirical data on students with nontraditional GED credentials and the effects of remedial education…

The objectives of this audit were to determine whether (1) Long Island Business Institute's (LIBI) career pathway programs met the program eligibility requirements set forth in section 484(d)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); (2) students enrolled in LIBI's career pathway programs met the student eligibility requirements…

Although persisters now represent the largest group of non-graduating high school students, they have received little attention in the research literature, leaving unanswered the question of how persisters differ from dropouts in terms of demographic characteristics, academic preparation, and key life outcomes. Using statewide…

This brief reports on the first year of a promising effort in Texas to deepen the postsecondary preparation that schools and programs offer. With support from the Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) and coaching and technical assistance from Jobs for the Future (JFF), five sites have begun using JFF's Back on Track: Postsecondary Success model and…

Many youth in America are not on track for labor market success. One factor that increases the risk of poor labor market outcomes among these youth is dropping out of school (Rumberger 2020). Youth who drop out of school are at greater risk for job instability and for lower longterm earnings (Hair et al. 2009). They are also more likely to…

Results from two studies provided strong evidence for the validity of the HiSET® tests, thereby demonstrating that HiSET is a well-developed battery of tests with passing and college and career readiness (CCR) standards that, when met, provide a pathway to postsecondary education, better employment opportunities and wages, and a better quality of…

The problem addressed in this study is that students with disabilities are improperly prepared for postsecondary college and career outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to gain insight into the experiences of current and past teachers and transition service providers of students with disabilities, specifically regarding…

The American health care system is one of the most expensive in the world but has poorer health outcomes than other developed nations. Improving health outcomes cannot occur without addressing social determinants of health. Job training programs aimed at youth positively impact social determinants and one's ability to access the health care…

We report on a grounded theory study of late-arriving immigrant youth (LIY) who arrived in the United States at 16-18 years of age and were referred to daytime General Education Diploma (D-GED) programs. These programs provide an alternate path to a high school diploma for youth with insufficient knowledge of English to complete graduation…

Although high school completion rates have slowly increased over the past several decades, nearly 30 million adults today still lack a high school credential and, as a result, face a significant barrier to both higher education and employment opportunities. Policymakers and practitioners in the adult education field are searching for ways to…

Texas has long been an innovator in policies, systems, and practices to ensure that young adults from low-income backgrounds are prepared for postsecondary education and careers. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis have cast a harsh light on the importance of reengaging young adults who are disconnected from school and work…

The overall design and framework of the GED Program is centered around providing measurements and tools documenting and promoting student achievement. More information about the test itself and the underlying documentation and validity framework may be found in the GED test Technical Manual on the GED Testing Service website. The philosophy…