College and Career Pathways

Network members come together around their commitment to four specific policy ideas: high expectations, great educators, innovative options, and responsive systems. The details below reflect members work on responsive systems. Read on for examples of how members are  promoting dynamic policies, pathways, leaders, and funding systems that are intentionally designed to best address and adapt to the unique needs of every student. Click here to explore the full 2020 Network Member Priorities overview.

Additional work in this policy pillar is represented under Early Learning, Education Funding, Governance, and Other Policies.

How many Network members are prioritizing college and career pathways?

Twenty-seven members in 19 states are prioritizing college and career pathways issues in 2020. At the top of many members’ advocacy agendas are career pathways, higher education, and advanced coursework initiatives. 

What college and career pathways initiatives are members prioritizing?

Below, you’ll see lists of member organizations who plan to work on similar college and career readiness and pathways policies. Click on one of the orange bullets below to jump directly to that topic. If you’re interested in connecting with any of the organizations listed below, reach out for an introduction.

• Advanced Coursework
• Career Pathways
• Industry Credentials
• Dual Credit
• High School Graduation Requirements
• Higher Education
• Other College and Career Pathways Policies

Advanced Coursework

• Arizona | Stand for Children Arizona: Support legislative grant program to promote Academic Acceleration and Freshman Success
• California | GO Public Schools: Expand early college credit offerings in Fresno
• New Mexico | NewMexicoKidsCAN: Pilot automatic enrollment in advanced coursework
• Texas | Texas Aspires: Increased equity in access/completion of advanced courses
• Washington | Black Education Strategy Roundtable: Monitor for any proposed changes to Academic Acceleration legislation passed last session
• Washington | Democrats for Education Reform Washington: Expanded access to highly capable programs to least served

Career Pathways

• Arizona | Expect More Arizona: Accelerate student awareness of, preparedness for, and involvement in career and college pathways.
• Colorado | Colorado Succeeds: Expanding Career Development Success Fund– financial incentives to districts for work-based learning
• Connecticut | ReadyCT: Increased flexibility (and incentives) for career-themed pathways
• Delaware | Rodel Foundation of Delaware: Support the funding needed to support career pathways
• Illinois | Empower Illinois: Support legislation to expand career pathway opportunities for students in the private market
• Illinois | Stand for Children Illinois: Advocate for a strong Perkins plan as an important strategy for advancing educational equity.
• Massachusetts | Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education: Replicate and expand the state’s Early College and Innovation Pathways programs, promising high school reform strategies that create greater alignment of student learning with future career opportunities
• Texas | Educate Texas: Recommend policy supports that enable work-based and career-connected learning that ends with valuable credits and credentials
• Washington | Democrats for Education Reform Washington: Quality career/vocational/technical programs

Industry Credentials

• Colorado | Colorado Succeeds: College Credit for Work Experience–requires a statewide framework for awarding postsecondary credit for learning demonstrated through work experience
• Hawaii | HawaiiKidsCAN: Incentivize schools to focus industry certification programs on high-demand, high-earning careers.
• Massachusetts | Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education: Pass legislation incentivizing high schools to offer students opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials tied to labor market demand
• Washington | Partnership for Learning: Ensure recent workforce education investments increase state’s postsecondary credential attainment rate

Dual Credit

• Connecticut | ReadyCT: Bringing more attention to dual enrollment opportunities/transparency/truth in advertising
• Kansas/Missouri | Aligned: Support legislation to increase equitable access to dual credit courses
• Kansas/Missouri | Aligned: Support legislation and/or policy changes that would simplify and subsidize the current process for certifying teachers to teach dual credit courses and improve access by removing geographic restrictions
• Oregon | Stand for Children Oregon: Champion and pass an accelerated learning credit transfer bill
• Washington | Partnership for Learning: Expand student access to dual enrollment/credit opportunities in high school
• Washington | Stand for Children Washington: Reducing financial barriers to dual credit classes

High School Graduation Requirements

• Massachusetts | Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education: Impact the state’s upcoming process to set a new high school graduation standard, advocating for a higher bar to ensure a high school diploma is a more accurate indicator of a student’s readiness for the ever increasing demands of the knowledge economy
• Washington | Partnership for Learning: Ensure state remains committed to rigorous high school graduation requirements

Higher Education

• California | The Education Trust-West: Sponsor legislation to require high school seniors to complete the FAFSA
• California | The Education Trust-West: Improve access to courses required for admission to UC and CSU.
• Delaware | DelawareCAN: Reform state scholarships to expand college access and increase transparency  
• Hawaii | HawaiiKidsCAN: Ensure free FAFSA completion assistance for all Hawaii graduating seniors.
• Idaho | Idaho Business for Education: Money for postsecondary scholarships
• Louisiana | Democrats for Education Reform Louisiana: Support legislation that increases postsecondary options/resources
• Minnesota | EdAllies: Increase the number of young people in Minnesota who enter college prepared to succeed, and who complete quality college credentials that lead to careers with family-sustaining wages.
• Texas | Educate Texas: Monitor and aid with SB 25 implementation and other credit portability issues

Other College and Career Pathway Policies

• California | GO Public Schools: Support policies to close college-readiness gap in West Contra Costa
• Colorado | Colorado Succeeds: My Colorado Journey (platform to assist with college and career navigation) – protecting the Governor’s 750k General Fund request
• Colorado | Colorado Succeeds: Innovative High School Model Expansion – increasing number of opportunities to graduate with a diploma, postsecondary credential and career-connected learning (PTECH, Concurrent Enrollment)
• Colorado | Stand for Children Colorado: Increase investment in 9th grade on track grant program
• Florida | Foundation for Florida’s Future: Incentivize school districts to help students make positive postsecondary transitions after high school
• Florida | Foundation for Florida’s Future: Support military families with education and workforce attainment goals
• Oregon | Stand for Children Oregon: Continue to protect and defend the Student Success Act and Measure 98
• Washington, D.C. | Parents Amplifying Voices in Education: Increased access to specialized school programs

Click here to return to the 2020 Network Member Priorities overview.