Pathways help students move from P-12 to college & career more seamlessly. EdTrust & All4Ed report explains the ideal system.
July 23, 2024 by Ed Trust 
What are Pathways?
Pathways help students move from P-12 to higher education and their careers more seamlessly. They allow students to pursue degrees and certificates that align with their interests and career aspirations and see the steps needed to reach those aspirations. Yet, because of the quickly changing pathways landscape, existing barriers to accessing high-quality opportunities, and the many demands on school counselors, pathways programs are complex systems to navigate for students and their families.
Well-resourced school districts can offer support for students, including high-quality advising and college and career exploration opportunities. However, many student populations, such as students attending underfunded school districts, students from low-income backgrounds, and students of color, do not have access to the same level of support. A cornerstone of great pathways systems is offering navigational support and transition tools. In our vision, every high school nationwide would have a pathways counselor to provide standardized tools and personalized support for students navigating complex pathways systems.
5 Key Elements of an Ideal Pathways System:
This report identifies several barriers to equitable pathways opportunities, including systemic barriers to information, overworked and too few school counselors, the need for data showing clear return on investment (ROI), inequitable access to high-quality opportunities, and career and technical education’s (CTE) looming legacy of racialized tracking. It also highlights additional challenges specific student groups face, such as rural students, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners.
Addressing the Challenge of Creating More Pathways Programs
This report proposes several federal actions:
Our vision emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive, coordinated federal response to create an equitable pathways system. It argues that without such action, access to essential supports will continue to be determined by zip code rather than student need, perpetuating and potentially widening inequality. The report calls for transforming pathways counseling from a privilege for some to a right for all, ensuring every student can pursue their dreams and contribute their talents to society.
By embracing this comprehensive, multi-pronged approach, we can create a future in which young people are empowered with the resources, opportunities, and guidance to forge their postsecondary path successfully. This is not just an educational or economic imperative but a moral one. As a nation, we must ensure that every child has the chance to pursue their dreams and contribute their talents to society. Federal leadership is essential to fulfilling this promise.
September 20, 2022 by Ed Trust On September 20, 2022, Summer House Institute fellow Brandon Jenkins testified at a joint hearing of the Texas House…
The need to provide a strong and diverse teacher workforce for all students is particularly relevant now as school…
September 25, 2019 by Davis Dixon, Ashley Griffin A majority of the nation’s public school students are students of color, but less than 20% of teachers are…
July 21, 2021 by