Preparation

This study compared post-secondary education faculty to student beliefs regarding competencies for post-education employment. Faculty members and international and U.S. students were given quantitative surveys where they were asked to rank-order a list of 17 business skills in order of importance. The authors found students enrolled in business curricula had differing beliefs regarding competencies needed for post-education employment than those held by business faculty. Additionally, business faculty beliefs regarding exit competencies differ from those of surveyed employers.

This REL technical brief examines the use of Lexile-based assessment to determine the readiness of subgroups of 11th grade Texas students to read books used in first year college English courses. Differences in reading abilities were notable based on ethnicity, gender, SES, at-risk status, Limited English Proficiency status, education track (career and technical education vs. general education), and students receiving special education services.

This paper examines readiness assessments and transition curricula in all 50-states and Washington, D.C.

This report provides a model for competency-based programming aligned to rigorous standards--specifically targeted at off-track youth. The brief outlines the process of developing competencies for struggling students while adhering to the Common Core State Standards and producing college-ready graduates. To contextualize these steps, the report refers to the example of the Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA). Tools and resources are integrated throughout the brief to provide a glossary of terms and thorough explanations of key concepts to assist practitioners with the material.

This tool is intended for states attempting to connect high-barrier-to-employment populations to career pathway opportunities. The Career Advancement Model provides guiding considerations to help states determine best practice and policy research with respect to welfare reform. The Model recommends a series of skill- and opportunity-enhancing provisions for individuals to be able to transition from welfare dependency to higher levels of education and family-wage careers.