Research Library
Curated studies and findings to guide student success in career-connected learning
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This report from the National Cross-Partisan Education Policy Network’s Career-Connected Learning Working Group examines how career-connected learning can help address declining academic achievement, student disengagement, and uncertainty about the purpose of education. It challenges the perceived trade-off between academic rigor and career preparation, arguing that students benefit from mastering core academic skills alongside the skills needed for modern work.
The report calls on education leaders, employers, policymakers, and communities to expand access to high-quality career-connected learning and build stronger connections among classroom learning, career opportunities, and economic development.
The report calls on education leaders, employers, policymakers, and communities to expand access to high-quality career-connected learning and build stronger connections among classroom learning, career opportunities, and economic development.
Published by Bain & Company, this report examines how career-connected learning can better prepare students for high-demand careers while helping employers build stronger talent pipelines. Drawing on research, employer interviews, and examples from successful initiatives across the country, it outlines strategies for expanding high-quality career-connected learning through stronger partnerships among schools, employers, higher education, and policymakers.
The report highlights the importance of work-based learning, aligned credentials, and coordinated public policy to ensure more students have equitable access to career pathways that lead to long-term economic opportunity.
The report highlights the importance of work-based learning, aligned credentials, and coordinated public policy to ensure more students have equitable access to career pathways that lead to long-term economic opportunity.
Conducted by Dr. Jay Plasman of The Ohio State University and published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, this study examines the postsecondary and workforce outcomes of Ohio high school students who earn industry-recognized credentials. Using longitudinal education and labor market data, the report analyzes how credential attainment and CTE concentration relate to graduation, college enrollment, employment, and earnings over time.
Findings show that students who earn credentials often experience early workforce earnings gains and higher graduation rates, though they are less likely to pursue four-year degrees. The study also explores differences across credential types, career clusters, and high-demand workforce pathways, offering insights for policymakers seeking to strengthen alignment between education and labor market needs.
Findings show that students who earn credentials often experience early workforce earnings gains and higher graduation rates, though they are less likely to pursue four-year degrees. The study also explores differences across credential types, career clusters, and high-demand workforce pathways, offering insights for policymakers seeking to strengthen alignment between education and labor market needs.
This analysis examines the growing disconnect between rising high school graduation rates and persistently low math proficiency across states. Drawing on national and state-level data, it highlights “graduation gaps” where large percentages of students earn diplomas without demonstrating mastery of foundational math skills.
In many states, the difference between graduation rates and math proficiency reaches 30–50 percentage points, raising concerns about whether diplomas accurately signal readiness for college, workforce training, or military service. The article calls for greater alignment between achievement and attainment measures, earlier intervention in math learning, and more transparent definitions of readiness to ensure students are truly prepared for postsecondary pathways.
In many states, the difference between graduation rates and math proficiency reaches 30–50 percentage points, raising concerns about whether diplomas accurately signal readiness for college, workforce training, or military service. The article calls for greater alignment between achievement and attainment measures, earlier intervention in math learning, and more transparent definitions of readiness to ensure students are truly prepared for postsecondary pathways.
This Pathway2Careers report examines how career-connected math instruction impacts student engagement, achievement, and relevance in the classroom. Drawing on educator feedback and implementation data, it highlights how integrating real-world career contexts into math lessons helps students better understand the purpose of what they are learning.
The report outlines key use cases for P2C Math, including increasing student motivation, supporting differentiated instruction, and strengthening alignment between academic content and future career pathways. Findings suggest that when math is connected to real-world applications, students show greater interest, improved performance, and stronger connections between school and future goals.
The report outlines key use cases for P2C Math, including increasing student motivation, supporting differentiated instruction, and strengthening alignment between academic content and future career pathways. Findings suggest that when math is connected to real-world applications, students show greater interest, improved performance, and stronger connections between school and future goals.
This Pathway2Careers report explores the importance of structured career exploration beginning in middle school. Drawing on national research and practical implementation examples, it outlines how early exposure to careers helps students develop self-awareness, connect academic learning to future pathways, and build essential planning skills.
The report offers evidence-informed strategies for embedding career exploration into middle school curricula, school counseling, and advisement systems to support equitable access to postsecondary and workforce opportunities.
The report offers evidence-informed strategies for embedding career exploration into middle school curricula, school counseling, and advisement systems to support equitable access to postsecondary and workforce opportunities.
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This September 2026 publication from the Christensen Institute examines how states can better align K–12 education, higher education, and workforce development to create stronger pathways from education to employment. It explores policy barriers that can prevent institutions and employers from coordinating career-connected learning, including work-based learning opportunities, graduation and college credit requirements, funding structures, and licensure rules.
Drawing on case studies, the publication outlines five priorities for state leaders: establishing a shared vision and data across systems, recognizing learning across different settings, aligning funding with career-connected outcomes, building statewide infrastructure to support local programs, and strengthening demand for career-connected pathways. It offers recommendations to help policymakers, education leaders, and workforce partners build more coordinated systems that respond to students’ needs and regional workforce priorities.
Drawing on case studies, the publication outlines five priorities for state leaders: establishing a shared vision and data across systems, recognizing learning across different settings, aligning funding with career-connected outcomes, building statewide infrastructure to support local programs, and strengthening demand for career-connected pathways. It offers recommendations to help policymakers, education leaders, and workforce partners build more coordinated systems that respond to students’ needs and regional workforce priorities.
This August 2026 report from RAND examines career-connected learning in U.S. public schools, drawing on nationally representative surveys of school district leaders, principals, and students during the 2025–2026 school year. It explores how schools support college and career planning, career exploration, and work-related learning, and whether students are able to participate in the experiences they intend to pursue.
The findings highlight gaps between students’ plans and their participation in workplace visits, internships, and apprenticeships, along with an emphasis on four-year college pathways that can leave other options underrepresented. The report also examines how schools track career and postsecondary planning and identifies opportunities for education leaders and policymakers to strengthen career-connected learning and better support students with different goals after high school.
The findings highlight gaps between students’ plans and their participation in workplace visits, internships, and apprenticeships, along with an emphasis on four-year college pathways that can leave other options underrepresented. The report also examines how schools track career and postsecondary planning and identifies opportunities for education leaders and policymakers to strengthen career-connected learning and better support students with different goals after high school.
This July 2026 evidence brief from Project Evident synthesizes research across career development, youth development, education, and workforce development to examine what is known about effective career exploration for middle and high school students. It considers the outcomes young people should gain from career exploration and evaluates what existing studies reveal about different practices and program models.
The brief identifies areas where evidence is strongest, highlights gaps in understanding which approaches work best for different students and under what conditions, and outlines priorities for strengthening research, measurement, and continuous improvement. It provides an evidence-focused resource for education leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and funders working to improve career exploration opportunities for young people.
The brief identifies areas where evidence is strongest, highlights gaps in understanding which approaches work best for different students and under what conditions, and outlines priorities for strengthening research, measurement, and continuous improvement. It provides an evidence-focused resource for education leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and funders working to improve career exploration opportunities for young people.
This July 2026 white paper from Project Evident presents findings from an assessment of career exploration in middle and high schools. Drawing on research across youth development, career development, education, and workforce development, along with input from practitioners, researchers, and education leaders, it examines what is known about career exploration and where evidence gaps remain.
The paper identifies key components of high-quality career exploration, including hands-on experiences, relationships with employers and trusted adults, integration with academic learning, and opportunities that build over time. It also outlines priorities for educators, policymakers, employers, and funders to improve the quality, accessibility, and impact of career exploration for young people.
The paper identifies key components of high-quality career exploration, including hands-on experiences, relationships with employers and trusted adults, integration with academic learning, and opportunities that build over time. It also outlines priorities for educators, policymakers, employers, and funders to improve the quality, accessibility, and impact of career exploration for young people.
In this July 2026 practice brief, Project Evident examines the conditions schools and communities need to provide meaningful career exploration opportunities for middle and high school students.
Drawing on research and input from educators, practitioners, researchers, and education leaders, the brief identifies four key areas for improvement: integrating career exploration with academics, strengthening educator and practitioner capacity, building sustained employer and community partnerships, and aligning funding and accountability with student outcomes. It highlights the need for dedicated staff, professional development, coordination across programs, and better data systems to help schools deliver consistent, high-quality experiences that support students’ career awareness and readiness.
Drawing on research and input from educators, practitioners, researchers, and education leaders, the brief identifies four key areas for improvement: integrating career exploration with academics, strengthening educator and practitioner capacity, building sustained employer and community partnerships, and aligning funding and accountability with student outcomes. It highlights the need for dedicated staff, professional development, coordination across programs, and better data systems to help schools deliver consistent, high-quality experiences that support students’ career awareness and readiness.
This report from the National Cross-Partisan Education Policy Network’s Career-Connected Learning Working Group examines how career-connected learning can help address declining academic achievement, student disengagement, and uncertainty about the purpose of education. It challenges the perceived trade-off between academic rigor and career preparation, arguing that students benefit from mastering core academic skills alongside the skills needed for modern work.
The report calls on education leaders, employers, policymakers, and communities to expand access to high-quality career-connected learning and build stronger connections among classroom learning, career opportunities, and economic development.
The report calls on education leaders, employers, policymakers, and communities to expand access to high-quality career-connected learning and build stronger connections among classroom learning, career opportunities, and economic development.
Published by Bain & Company, this report examines how career-connected learning can better prepare students for high-demand careers while helping employers build stronger talent pipelines. Drawing on research, employer interviews, and examples from successful initiatives across the country, it outlines strategies for expanding high-quality career-connected learning through stronger partnerships among schools, employers, higher education, and policymakers.
The report highlights the importance of work-based learning, aligned credentials, and coordinated public policy to ensure more students have equitable access to career pathways that lead to long-term economic opportunity.
The report highlights the importance of work-based learning, aligned credentials, and coordinated public policy to ensure more students have equitable access to career pathways that lead to long-term economic opportunity.
Published by Bellwether, this report examines how Colorado, Delaware, Tennessee, and Texas have developed statewide ecosystems that support multiple career-connected learning models. Drawing on policy analysis, document review, and interviews, it identifies the governance structures, cross-sector partnerships, funding strategies, and state policies that enable career academies, CTE, early college, dual enrollment, and youth apprenticeships to grow together rather than in isolation.
The report offers practical lessons and policy recommendations for state leaders seeking to build coordinated, sustainable systems that expand access to high-quality career-connected learning opportunities for all students.
The report offers practical lessons and policy recommendations for state leaders seeking to build coordinated, sustainable systems that expand access to high-quality career-connected learning opportunities for all students.