Whether through transfer and articulation, through grants that bring disconnected learners back to higher education or through short-term credentialing and applied bachelor's degrees, four-year institutions remain integral to career pathways systems beyond the traditional degree pathway. They also have a clear role in supporting all learners,…

Despite federal laws mandating services to support their postsecondary transitions, students with disabilities overall pursue less continued education and vocational training and get fewer jobs than their peers without disabilities. To enhance outcomes for students with disabilities after they exit high school, this article describes how state…

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) funded Manhattan Strategy Group and Abt Associates to conduct the Advancing Innovation in Adult Education project. The goal is to inspire and promote the development and use of innovate approaches in adult education that can result in high quality services…

While employment rates and wages for college graduates are extraordinarily higher than for those without a college degree (NCES, 2023), underemployment remains a significant challenge for graduates unable to find positions that align with their skills and education levels. However, innovative career services strategies are helping institutions…

In response to growing evidence that young people aging out of foster care face significant challenges during their transition to adulthood and fare more poorly than their peers across a wide range of life domains, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 gave states the option to extend eligibility for federally…

The rapid worldwide expansion of enrolment in higher education (HE) has led to greater diversity among students, with more first-generation learners, HE returnees, and disadvantaged groups. Yet, inequalities in participation persist and have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of flexible learning pathways (FLPs) can help HE…

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…

"What do all youth need to make a successful transition to adulthood?" This is the central question that the Guideposts for Success is designed to answer. Two characteristics set the Guideposts for Success apart from other frameworks and resources pertaining to youth transition. First, it recognizes that youth in the…

This Fast Fact #20 describes ways that Transition Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID programs) engage with state vocational rehabilitation agencies to provide pre-employment transition services to students with intellectual disability enrolled in colleges and universities.

Vertical transfer from community college to a university offers a promising, although unrealized, pathway to diversify STEM disciplines. Studying how successful transfer-­receiving universities support STEM transfer students can offer insights into the institutional practices that promote transfer student retention and success. Using institutional…

This Policy Brief captures some of the challenges for students' math education trajectories, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and it highlights three ways states can strengthen math pathways to improve student access and success. Specific policy options that states can consider include: (1) aligning high school math courses with postsecondary…

College and career readiness (CCR) consultation represents an opportunity for consultants to improve transition outcomes for students with disabilities and underserved youth and young adults. This special issue of the "Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation" includes articles that present novel applications of consultation…

The juvenile justice system, in its origins, was designed to meet the unique needs of youth who committed law violations. The underlying premise is that the rehabilitation of youth would ultimately lead to reintegration into school, community, and the workforce, as well as avoidance of future involvement with the juvenile or adult justice systems.…

One of the key purposes of public education is to prepare young people to reach their full potential as independent adults and engaged citizens. This transition to adulthood may be especially challenging for youth with disabilities. Students enrolled in special education often need additional supports and coordinated planning to prepare for…

Community colleges have long provided students a gateway to greater economic opportunities, primarily through two pathways: completing two years of college courses while preparing to transfer to earn a four-year degree or career training that can lead to stable, well-paying positions. Eva L. Rivera Lebrón, a professor of mathematics at…