Other Report

Bridge programs aim to close the gap between the basic, initial skills individuals possess and the skills needed to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and careers. This guide provides an overview of the bridge program design in Illinois and serves as a resource for those who want to develop or strengthen an existing bridge program. The guidebook also includes strategies, tips, examples, worksheets, and additional resources to assist with the implementation process.

This report profiles 17 career pathways programs throughout the U.S. by providing information on the programs' partners, target populations and eligibility, challenges, strategies, funding, business engagement, results, and lessons learned. This publication also provides an overview of career pathways, a career pathways checklist that can be used to provide a snapshot of implementation, and a glossary.

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.

The recent emergence of geen jobs supporting environmental sustainability across a broad range of industries is creating employment opportunities and new career pathways. This report discusses how green jobs may provide options for low-income youth to overcome poverty. In doing so, it offers guidance to youth programs on how to connect disadvantaged youth to the educational and professional development opportunities necessary for a green career. 

This report discusses the fundamental design elements of quality bridge programs, drawing from the example of Carreras en Salud in Chicago. Bridge programs provide low-skilled workers with enrichment opportunities to increase their readiness and competitiveness for employment. Among these opportunities are: career development, contextualized instruction, and support services. The report outlines step-by-step instructions for organizations to consider in creating successful bridge programs - including the development of partnerships, curricula, and logistics.

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. 

This report highlights quasi-experimental and experimental research on promising approaches for increasing dropouts’ rate of GED attainment, other high school equivalency credentials, and successful transition to college. The report divides these interventions into three categories: college and career ready standards and curricula, GED-to-college “bridge” programs, and dual enrollment.

Many schools, districts, and states are looking for alternatives to the traditional seat time- and credit hour-based system. While mastery- or competency-based education (CBE) principles have a history in vocational settings, CBE models are new to the K-12 setting. The Proficiency-Based Pathways Project, funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, awarded grants to seven projects operating in 11 schools that employ a range of competency-based education models.

This report discusses the efforts to increase personalized learning opportunities with the implantation of the Blended Learning for Alliance School Transformation, or BLAST model at the Alliance Tennenbaum Family Technology High School, a charter school on L.A.’s eastside.

This report examines communities that are working to create shared accountability systems, and highlights the work of the Strive Partnership of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky.