EdTrust, All4Ed call for new federal initiatives on Pathways Navigators

Contacts:
Carolyn Phenicie, EdTrust, cphenicie@edtrust.org
Enrique Chaurand, All4Ed, echaurand@all4ed.org

WASHINGTON –  A rapidly changing workforce, including automation and globalization, will require young Americans to have advanced skills. Yet too many students, particularly Black and Latino students and those from low-income backgrounds, don’t have access to the college readiness and career exploration programs they’ll need to succeed in this rapidly evolving economy.

Every student should have access to college and career opportunities, starting with guided support throughout their K-12 career to prepare them for a well-aligned collegiate experience or direct workforce pathway after they graduate high school. An essential support often missing in this experience is a dedicated Pathways Navigator to help students navigate all of their options, EdTrust and All4Ed argue in a new report, “A Vision for Equitable Pathways: Enhancing Support and Innovation in College and Career Counseling.”

The Pathways Navigator’s sole job would be to provide personalized college and career exploration support for students in a different role than the school counselor, who already must meet a variety of other demands in supporting students’ overall academic journey and mental well-being needs. Although many school counselors go above and beyond to connect students to high-quality postsecondary pathways, they are already stretched too thin.

“Too often, high-quality college and career opportunities are shrouded in a word-of-mouth system that excludes many students who lack the resources needed to be successful after high school,” said Kristen Hengtgen, senior policy lead at EdTrust and one of the report’s authors. “A dedicated Pathways Navigator can provide the individualized support that many well-resourced school districts already provide, to ensure traditionally underserved students have what they need to access postsecondary pathways that can lead to success.”

In addition to the support of a Pathways Navigator, an ideal Pathways system would provide students with a clear understanding of the varied opportunities available to them after high school. In such a system, students would receive early outreach that would be accessible to families; students would have regular touchpoints with a navigator; and students would receive dedicated support in high school.

Improving post-high school pathways, with the help of Pathways Navigators, is essential to both improve the nation’s workforce competitiveness and an educational equity imperative: Black and Latino students and those from low-income backgrounds do not have equitable access to high-quality opportunities, like advanced courses or internships, at the same rates their white and wealthier peers do. Other student groups, like multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and those who are justice-impacted, face additional barriers to accessing pathways opportunities.

There are many ways the federal government could support improved Pathways for all students, including legislating universally available Pathways counselors, or creating grant programs that fund training for Pathways counselors or foster partnerships among K-12 and higher education.

“Many states are making efforts to improve college and career readiness, however there are significant disparities in the quality and availability of support. This is why it’s crucial for the federal government to lead and ensure all students have access to dedicated Pathways Navigators. Federal support can help bridge the gaps and provide consistent, equitable opportunities for all students, no matter their background or zip code” said Rebeca Shackleford, All4Ed director of Federal Government Relations, and co-author of the report.

This report is part of a series of reflections on challenges and opportunities in federal pathways policy from leading organizations convened by Bellwether. You can read publications from other participating organizations here.

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About EdTrust 

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.

About All4Ed

All4Ed is a national nonprofit advocacy organization committed to expanding equitable educational opportunities for students of color, students from low-income families, and other marginalized groups. We advance transformation from the classroom to Congress by advocating for federal, state, and local policies and practices that ensure all students graduate high school prepared for college, work, and life.