This report provides formative data about the implementation of projects associated with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education's Attract, Prepare, and Retain (APR) efforts during the 2023-24 school year. We surveyed or interviewed students and educators participating in six such projects: Developing Future Special Educators Grants, APR…

The problem addressed in this study was the trend of students completing health sciences stackable credentials not pursuing the related health sciences associate degree after completing the stackable credential, despite the availability of the streamlined pathway. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study utilizing semi-structured…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of the mid-level female community college administrators in Pennsylvania, as well as explore the career pathways, aspirations, challenges, and opportunities for mid-level female community college administrators in Pennsylvania. For years, the focus of many…

Pennsylvania has a fragmented, underfunded high school career-related education system. This undercuts success in college and careers for hundreds of thousands of students annually, while exacerbating skill shortages for businesses and throttling Pennsylvania's economy. Pennsylvania also has a legislature that supports career-related education on…

This report provides data about the special education teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania and projects associated with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education's Attract, Prepare, and Retain (APR) efforts. We first used administrative data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to provide a historical portrait of the special education…

Careful implementation of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs is necessary in order for programs to achieve the policy goal of college and career readiness, which involves expanding student opportunities for career-relevant learning without limiting their academic preparation for postsecondary degrees. As programs become more widespread,…

Exploring Summer Youth Employment Programs: Increasing Access Through Career Pathways builds the case and provides actionable recommendations for state-led support in the intentional alignment of summer youth employment programs (SYEP) with career pathways and the work-based learning continuum, including through Career Technical Education (CTE).…

The organizing ideal of educational equity in U.S. public schools, premised on ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to attain the highest levels of achievement, has most recently manifested as efforts by policymakers and practitioners to promote "college and career readiness". These efforts reflect the goal of maintaining…

In order to create a greater abundance of effective and affordable pathways for low-income learners, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) created Minds That Move Us (MTMU). MTMU challenges the bright minds of communities around the country to design innovative education and training models that create social equity and economic mobility…

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) released its Reentry Education Model, an evidence-based effort "to bridge the gap between prison and community-based education and training programs." The model focuses on establishing a strong program infrastructure, strengthening and…