This is the first brief in a series on learnings from career education (CE) opportunities in the California Community Colleges (CCC). The series begins on learnings from CE opportunities in the CCC system by highlighting what students described as most helpful in contributing to their success. These CE programs were aimed at helping students find…

This second brief on learnings from career education (CE) opportunities in the California Community Colleges (CCC) focuses on what college personnel described as barriers to designing and implementing programs with features that students find helpful, as described in the first brief of this series (ED610768) (e.g., cohorts, consistent course…

Career academies -- small learning communities within high schools that introduce students to specific industry sectors -- have become a popular way to expand career education. Yet certain institutional, economic, and social factors can inhibit their viability and scalability. Michael Lanford and Tattiya Maruco conducted a yearlong qualitative…

This final brief in the series focuses on policy options that can foster more innovation and address challenges in career education (CE) program development. It is based on earlier research for a series of reports called "Career Opportunities," aimed at identifying ways that state and system policy can best support the CE mission of the…

About 30 percent of California's future jobs will require some training beyond high school but less than a four-year college degree. And in today's economy, jobs that offer family-supporting incomes often require some postsecondary education. Career education prepares students for these "middle-skill" jobs by providing occupation- and…

Career education programs in California's community colleges are a critical component of public higher education in the state. Also known as career technical or vocational programs, career education trains individuals for middle-skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. These jobs make up a third of…

La Sierra Charter School was established in 2000 in an effort to provide a tuition-free school of choice for students who were not experiencing success within the local public schools, yet remained committed to "honor, leadership, postsecondary ambition, and service" (Tulare County Office of Education, 2020). La Sierra's programs are…

Career education programs in California's community colleges are a critical component of public higher education in the state. Also known as career technical or vocational programs, career education trains individuals for middle-skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. These jobs make up a third of…

Recently, the State of California committed nearly one billion dollars to the development of career and technical education (CTE) pathways that lead to locally relevant, high-growth, high-demand careers. This investment represents a pivot from relatively disjointed approaches to CTE in high schools and community colleges, and reflects an…

A skilled workforce is key to a thriving California economy. Strong and growing demand for highly educated workers has been a hallmark of the state's economy for decades, and forecasts show this demand continuing into the future. If current trends continue, about 40 percent of jobs in California will require at least a bachelor's degree by 2030.…

As postsecondary credentials have become increasingly important to accessing higher-quality employment, a growing number of education and workforce programs are implementing "career pathways" approaches to help both youth and adults prepare for further education and better jobs. In recent years, the Manpower Demonstration Research…

Linked Learning is an educational approach that combines college-focused academics, rigorous technical education, work-based learning, and personalized student supports in small, career-themed high school academies contained in multiple schools (i.e., small schools within larger comprehensive schools) in the same district. A leading architect of…

Linked Learning transforms student learning experiences by bringing meaning and motivation to the school day. It integrates college and career preparation by combining rigorous academic coursework, sequenced career and technical education, work-based learning experiences, and comprehensive support services. Today, Linked Learning is working in…

In September 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 1458, which calls for California's school accountability system to shift from a near-exclusive reliance on state test scores to a broader range of measures demonstrating student achievement. At the high school level, starting in the 2015-16 school year, the Academic Performance…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 includes several provisions that support the implementation of Linked Learning in California. Linked Learning is an approach to high school redesign that combines: (1) rigorous academics; (2) career-based learning in the classroom; (3) work-based learning; and (4) integrated student supports. These…