National Pathway Day

 

 

Pathways, also known as academies or smaller learning communities, are industry-themed Career and Technical Education (CTE) course sequences for high school students, combined with academic courses,  work-based learning opportunities, and student support built through industry and postsecondary partner engagement.  This collaboration brings relevance to learning, rigor, and a network of relationships for Pathway students in their chosen pathway of study.  Pathway participation is based on student interest, strengths, and values building meaningful college, career and life readiness for students.

 

Based on current data from NAF, a national education nonprofit supporting Pathways throughout the nation and internationally, students are excelling in multiple academic, technical and professional achievement rate areas.  Based on NAF statistics, 89% of high school pathway students who graduate are college-bound, as compared to the national average of 70%.  A student’s participation in a Pathway program of study prepares them for their future career and college options by giving them the opportunity to build industry standard skills from qualified career technical education teachers, with industry professional expertise and engagement through real-world learning projects and internships.  Due to their involvement in a pathway, students have reported that they are better prepared for career and postsecondary lifelong learning.

 

ConnectED: The National center for College and Career, NAF, and the Linked Learning Alliance has partnered with Porterville Unified School District in California for the last 15 years, assisting the district in designing and implementing pathways in five high schools. In this district of more than 14,000 students of whom 87% are economically disadvantaged and 83% are Hispanic, Pathways have produced extraordinarily positive student outcomes: 

 

The Pathway approach is nationally recognized with over half a million students who have benefitted through the NAF network alone.  This combined with several other support organizations including ConnectED: The National Center for College and Career, that number is closer to a million students.  ConnectED reports more than 350 high schools in their network have implemented more than 1,000 pathways enrolling more than 250,000 students annually and Connected are just two of the many quality assurance organizations associated with Pathway development and support at the school, district, and the community level.  

 

High school pathways are a major educational trend across the United States and are supported by the U.S. Department of Education to prepare students for college and career to ensure students have equitable access to high paying jobs in their future career pursuits.

 

April 16th has been the date identified as the National Observance of “National Pathway Day” to commemorate and celebrate the impact of high school cutting edge innovation and reimagined education through the pathway approach.

 

Click here to read more about National Pathway Day on the National Day Calendar website.