In Delaware, Career and Technical Education (CTE) prepares students for life beyond high school by providing practical labor skills, workforce credentials, and early post secondary credits. Some CTE students graduate with the distinction as a concentrator, meaning they complete required coursework in a specific career pathway, such as engineering…

Background/Context: Access to rigorous courses in high school is essential for college success (ACT, 2005), but low-income students and students of color take fewer demanding courses than their white and Asian counterparts (Cowan Pitre, 2014; Theokas & Saaris, 2013). The issue of inequitable access to more advanced courses requires a deeper…

This Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) examines Delaware Technical Community College's new dual enrollment pilot program: the Dual Enrollment Corequisite High School Program (DUL/Coreq HS Program). As Delaware Tech offered too few specific college readiness supports for middle achieving students (MAS) in high school, a new initiative, the…

While more students than ever are completing high school with a diploma, the American education system has a long way to go until each and every student is prepared for what comes after graduation. Unless significant advancements are made in closing existing gaps in educational attainment, America's current employment gaps will worsen as the…

"Career Pathways in Action", a companion to "Learning for Careers" by Nancy Hoffman and Robert B. Schwartz, offers a detailed, on-the-ground exploration of the Pathways to Prosperity Network's efforts at state, regional, and local levels. This new book describes a strikingly wide range of systems and efforts that the Pathways…

Delaware was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE, and…

From 2016 through 2019, 10 states strengthened their career readiness systems through the New Skills for Youth initiative (NSFY), a $75 million national investment by JPMorgan Chase & Co. to enhance state efforts to increase the number of learners across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. As part of this…

This Policy Brief defines dual enrollment and common barriers to entry for historically underserved student populations. It identifies three opportunities for policies to expand access and make it more equitable: (1) Protect low-income students' access to dual enrollment; (2) Re-examine student eligibility policies; and (3) Encourage greater…

Gender inequality is a persistent issue in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs in the United States. According to section 113(b)(2)(A)(III)(vi) of the Carl D. Perkins act, schools receiving federal funds in support of career and technical education are required to report "student participation in, and…

This report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes, understand their unique challenges, and set meaningful goals to increase opportunity for all students. It is important to note that while AP® Exams are valid measures of students' content mastery of college-level studies in specific academic…