California's alternative education options for youth vulnerable to dropping out of school have been established at different historical points and for different student age and target populations. For purposes of this brief, "alternative school" is defined as belonging to one of six legislatively authorized types of public (non-charter)…

The abrupt shift to distance learning at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated inequalities in California's K-12 system and added urgency to an ongoing discussion about the role of high school graduation policy in promoting equitable student outcomes. More rigorous graduation requirements, particularly in math and science, can improve…

The Regional Educational Laboratory of the Pacific (REL Pacific) program at McREL International partners with schools, state departments of education, and other education stakeholders to use data and research to drive data-informed decisions. Dedicated, experienced staff work closely with local experts, who provide support for ongoing regional…

Led by Newark Opportunity Youth Network (Newark OYN) in New Jersey, key public and private organizations in Newark came together to focus efforts on supporting disconnected youth and transforming how they are educated and prepared for life, postsecondary learning, and careers. This report describes how Newark OYN emerged and is charting its path…

The Adult High School (AHS) program enables an adult no longer enrolled in public high school to complete the required courses and state assessments to earn a standard high school diploma. Course requirements are in accordance with standards established by the state. A program of instruction for both traditional and co-enrolled AHS students shall…

This report summarizes respondent-identified facilitators and barriers to career pathways development and implementation as well as promising practices. In addition, respondent recommendations for what federal, state, tribal, and local agencies can do to support the successful development of career pathways systems are highlighted. The report…

In 2010, the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) partnered with the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Special Programs to provide intensive technical assistance to 12 school districts to help them design and implement evidence-based programs to increase the graduation rates of students with…

According to the authors, their field has been in a constant state of change and evolution, from manual arts to vocational education to career and technical education (CTE). In a recent effort to increase academic and occupational achievement and success for all CTE students through targeted improvement plans, the state of Pennsylvania implemented…

As educators move into a new era of educational reform, it becomes imperative that teachers use evidence-based instructional practices shown to be effective for students with disabilities. One area that plays a role in this process is secondary transition. The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center has identified 63…

This article examines the use of interdisciplinary project co-design, as a mechanism for increasing the capacity of a school and promoting the growth of teachers' professional practice in an urban high school setting. Changing teaching practices and the professional culture within a school can be extremely difficult. Simply providing resources…

The College and Career Readiness Expansion project was a five-year, federally funded effort to implement early college strategies in comprehensive high schools. This report presents the results from a quasi-experimental impact study of the project and a mixed methods examination of its implementation. Results showed that the program increased the…

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal experiences of e-learning coaches working in secondary schools in order to provide information about the role of an e-learning coach. Seven secondary schools in the outer-eastern region of Melbourne, Australia, were involved in a 3-year e-learning project. Semi-structured interviews were…

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) administers programs that assist in educating children and youth with disabilities and provides funding for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for youth and adults with disabilities. OSERS established the Transition Steering Committee to focus specifically on the services,…

In this study, we identified 10 sexuality education programmes from different locations in the USA that aim to give young people knowledge and skills to develop healthy relationships, as well as avoid pregnancy and disease. We conducted in-depth interviews with programme administrators to develop a series of case studies and provide concrete…

"Title III" of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" ("ESEA") provides formula grants to states to help support the educational needs of students identified as English learners (ELs). In school year (SY) 2011-12, ELs served by "Title III"-funded activities comprised approximately 9 percent of the…