This brief addresses the importance of a unifying vision for education and workforce that draws upon and regularly uses postsecondary CTE data to measure progress and guide state policy and practice. It is the first in Advance CTE's Advancing Postsecondary CTE Data Quality Initiative (PDI) series highlighting five states participating in a…

There is nationwide concern about the number of high-school students who graduate unprepared to take college-level courses and students' lack of awareness of their college readiness. According to the Center for Community College Student Engagement (2016), 86 percent of community college students thought they were prepared academically for college,…

The opportunity to take college courses in high school (dual enrollment) is becoming increasingly prevalent, but access is not equitably distributed. Certain populations, such as economically disadvantaged students and students who are members of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in college, are less likely to take dual…

This study identifies seven major trends in how states and districts are implementing college- and career-ready standards for general education students and for two special populations often the target of education policy--English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWDs). We draw on state-representative teacher, principal,…

This study identifies seven major trends in how states and districts are implementing college- and career-ready standards for general education students and for two special populations often the target of education policy--English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWDs). We draw on state-representative teacher, principal,…

This article explores challenges in starting, developing, and incorporating partnerships between the secondary and postsecondary education sectors. We use qualitative data from site visits at high schools, district offices, and state colleges across six Florida counties to identify the types of challenges educators faced in various phases of…

Is the Common Core really "dead"? Though no longer called the Common Core in our three study states, the "new" college-and-career readiness standards still guide much of education policy in Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky. In our new feature article in "Educational Researcher," lead author Dr. Laura Desimone, along with…

With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states gain considerably more authority and autonomy over the design of school accountability systems. This shift in responsibility creates the opportunity for states to reimagine new accountability models that align to goals of college and career readiness for all students and to move…

This brief is based on the report "Next Generation Accountability: A Vision for School Improvement Under ESSA," which offers alternatives to single accountability indicators that are inadequate for supporting the dual goals of deeper learning and college- and career-ready graduates. With the impending implementation of the Every Student…

With college and career readiness driving K-12 education goals in the United States today, states are focusing more acutely on policies to ensure their students are well prepared for postsecondary and professional success. While states may adapt their education policies in pursuit of these goals, a question about implementation at the local level…

As states grapple with competing priorities and constrained resources, there is an increasing focus on efficiency and alignment of programs and resources across state agencies. The College and Career Readiness and Success (CCRS) Center recently analyzed and compared four federal laws that govern the education-to-workforce pipeline. They are: (1)…

The rapidly changing economy is raising the stakes on states to address the skilled workforce needs of employers and to expand economic opportunity to more people and places. To guide the policy actions of states, Jobs for the Future (JFF) designed a comprehensive policy agenda for increasing attainment of postsecondary credentials valued in the…

How might policymakers and educators utilize the work already being done as states redesign their accountability systems? The 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), brought much needed attention to the performance of traditionally underserved subgroups of students. Supported by greater flexibility under ESEA…

The California Community Colleges serves approximately 2.1 million students each year and is the largest system of higher education in the nation. The state's 112 community colleges are charged with providing workforce training, basic skills education and preparing students to transfer to four-year universities. Currently, 78 of our 112 community…

The purpose of this study was to examine how competency-based learning (CBL) is defined across states in the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands region and gain insight into barriers and facilitators to implementation of this reform. Many states in the region have started to consider and implement competency-based learning as a…