Career-Connected Learning White Paper

Preparing Our Students for the Real World: A Position Paper on Career-Connected Learning

This paper, written by Hans Meeder and Brett Pawlowski, explains how the current education system came to be; how a Career Connected Learning approach can improve outcomes for students, schools, and communities; and concludes by offering specific action steps that education leaders and influencers can take to adopt a Career Connected Learning mindset.

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The Power and Promise of Pathways Discussion Guide

The Power and Promise of Pathways Discussion Guide

This 30-page discussion guide was designed to deepen your understanding and application of the concepts explored in The Power and Promise of Pathways by Hans Meeder. It covers the book chapter-by-chapter with questions to spur thought and discussion about each of the topics explored.

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CCLR snip

Career & Life Readiness Integrated Definition

The National Center for College and Career Transitions suggests that education and workforce partners utilize an integrated definition of Career and Life Readiness that is applied to all learners. An integrated definition allows all partners in the pathways system to work together to heighten awareness of these college, career, and life readiness skills and to create mechanisms to teach and measure those skills. This document outlines the seven components of this definition and explores the importance of each one.

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College and Career Pathways System Design Specifications

NC3T offers expert resources designed to assist schools and communities with the development and implementation of an effective College and Career Pathways System. NC3T’s Design Specifications details each of its five Pathways System components, offering several key elements within each area:

  • Cross-Sector Partnerships
  • Career Exploration and Planning
  • Pathway Programs of Study
  • Dynamic Teaching and Learning
  • Employer and Community Engagement

Readers will gain a clearer understanding of a Pathways System’s critical elements; working teams will find the Design Specifications an excellent springboard for engaging discussion and productive planning.

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Pathways Overview snip

The Power and Promise of Building a Pathways System

NC3T has put together a detailed overview of the Pathways System while incorporating key definitions, the necessity of this system in our current educational atmosphere, how pathways provide solutions, and how to design a pathways system in your community. Working with communities across the country, NC3T developed a systematic and proven process, the Pathways Partnership Framework, to achieve this dynamic work. This document provides that framework in an easy to follow format. (Latest version – October 2018)

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NC3T WP

The Future of College and Career Pathways

In June 2013, NC3T conducted a survey of CTE and career academy practitioners across the country. This survey sought to identify trends in the field of career pathways: Where things were three years ago, where they stood today, and where professionals in the field expected them to be in the near future. The resulting report, “The Future of College and Career Pathways,” outlines the results.

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Case for Pathways Summary

The Case For College & Career Pathways: A Research Summary

K-12 education leaders have undertaken a number of reforms over the past few decades, some of which have been legislated (curricula standards) and some which have been cultural or instructional in nature (integration of technology, new strategies such as differentiated instruction). Yet student outcomes have changed little during this period.

The college/career pathways model, in contrast, continues to build a base of research indicating significant improvements in student outcomes. This report summarizes the challenges that the pathways model addresses and the impacts it has had in the schools and districts in which it has been implemented.

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