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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Published by Bellwether, this report synthesizes research and expert interviews to identify the policies that enable high-quality career-connected learning models to grow and succeed. It examines evidence supporting approaches such as career academies, CTE programs of study, dual enrollment, early college high schools, P-TECH, and youth apprenticeships, and outlines the state policies that support their implementation and long-term sustainability.
The report is intended to help policymakers and education leaders expand access to proven career-connected learning opportunities that improve students’ college, career, and workforce outcomes.
The report is intended to help policymakers and education leaders expand access to proven career-connected learning opportunities that improve students’ college, career, and workforce outcomes.
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 U.S. Department of Education report presents a strategy to “reimagine” the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to better serve educators, policymakers, and researchers. Drawing on stakeholder input and a review of current practices, the report identifies challenges including fragmented research efforts, slow data delivery, and limited classroom relevance. It proposes a series of major shifts, such as prioritizing high-impact education challenges, streamlining and modernizing federal data systems, and increasing collaboration with states and districts.
The recommendations aim to ensure that education research is more timely, actionable, and aligned with real-world needs to improve student outcomes.Examines post-pandemic academic recovery across schools, showing uneven gains in math and reading and varied paths back to pre-COVID achievement
The recommendations aim to ensure that education research is more timely, actionable, and aligned with real-world needs to improve student outcomes.Examines post-pandemic academic recovery across schools, showing uneven gains in math and reading and varied paths back to pre-COVID achievement
This NWEA research brief analyzes post-pandemic academic recovery patterns across more than 9,000 U.S. schools, highlighting significant variation in both initial learning loss and subsequent gains. Drawing on MAP Growth assessment data from millions of students, the report identifies distinct recovery trajectories, including schools that avoided major declines and those that rebounded after substantial setbacks.
Findings show that while some schools have returned to pre-pandemic achievement levels, many continue to lag—particularly those serving higher-poverty and historically marginalized populations. The brief offers insights for education leaders on targeting supports, setting realistic recovery goals, and sustaining long-term academic improvement.
Findings show that while some schools have returned to pre-pandemic achievement levels, many continue to lag—particularly those serving higher-poverty and historically marginalized populations. The brief offers insights for education leaders on targeting supports, setting realistic recovery goals, and sustaining long-term academic improvement.
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.
This peer-reviewed article highlights the scale of pandemic-related setbacks among American K-12 schools and reaffirms tutoring as a proven strategy for accelerating learning, especially when delivered as high-impact tutoring that is frequent, targeted, and embedded in the school day.
Using research and real-world examples, the authors identify practical lessons for implementing and scaling tutoring programs and emphasize the value of tutoring as supplemental, small-group or one-to-one instruction aligned with classroom teaching. Framed as a public health approach, the findings connect improved academic outcomes to long-term student well-being.
Using research and real-world examples, the authors identify practical lessons for implementing and scaling tutoring programs and emphasize the value of tutoring as supplemental, small-group or one-to-one instruction aligned with classroom teaching. Framed as a public health approach, the findings connect improved academic outcomes to long-term student well-being.