Resources
Smarter Systems, Stronger States: Opportunities to Improve State Data Systems Based on Insights and Learning from the Launch Initiative
As part of the early work of Launch, seven site teams completed a data capacity assessment that allowed them to dig deeply into how they currently gather, analyze, and share learner data. In aggregating results across these seven sites, the national partners noted that limitations in available data and/or ineffective data sharing created challenges that hindered the programmatic decision-making necessary to mitigate barriers to access and success learners might experience.
Authored by Education Strategy Group for the Launch Initiative, Smarter Systems, Stronger States highlights the “smart opportunities” states should invest in to improve their data systems and shares examples from Launch work in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. This brief includes actionable recommendations and a self-assessment tool to help state leaders
- Strengthen state infrastructure;
- Choose the right tools for data collection and sharing;
- Build state and local expertise and data literacy; and
- Push for quality data collection and reporting beyond compliance.
Launch “Accelerates” Pathways Work in Six States Across the Nation
Lindsey Phillips, Postsecondary Pathways for Youth with New America’s Education Policy Program, shares details on the new Launch Community of Practice and the six Accelerator sites.
Conditions For Sustainable Pathways Systems
Over the past two years of collaboration, Launch leaders and participants learned a great deal about the conditions that must be in place to advance high-quality and sustainable pathways systems related to a framework of five levers that are critical for driving lasting systems change: policy, funding, partnerships, data, and access.
Drawing on that experience, as well as evidence from a national literature review and the expertise of the local, state and national leaders involved in Launch, the first collaborative publication from the Launch partners Conditions For Sustainable and Equitable Pathways Systems synthesizes these conditions to provide a framework for college and career pathways system leaders to follow as they pursue accessible, sustainable high- quality pathways systems at scale.
Implementing Individual Career and Academic Plans at Scale
This brief highlights promising practices for ICAP implementation at the state and local levels in Colorado, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin and provides recommendations for further state and local work to scale ICAPs. It was developed through JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s New Skills ready network, a partnership of Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group.
Contribution to Society: Exploring Purpose-Driven Framing for Career Pathways
Contribution to Society: Exploring Purpose-Driven Framing for Career Pathways builds the case for purpose-driven framing for career advising, shares the results from preliminary research into this type of framing and lays out both implications for different populations and future work needed to validate and implement this framing.
Making the Connection: Aligned Advising
This framework addresses how to align advising, which is essential for opening the doors to postsecondary and career success. Students who receive high-quality advising gain a multitude of academic, navigational, and relational benefits.
Communications Toolkit: Postsecondary Pathways and the Shifting American Economy
This document contains key messages for communicators to use, as well as six important strategy considerations (each with relevant additional resources) to ensure robust, successful communications with families. These ready-to-use resources include key messages, graphics, printable materials, customizable pieces, and more from which communicators can build and execute their own contextualized communications plan.
Visualizing the Pipeline: The Importance of Cross-Sector Data
This brief explores lessons learned from states that have developed high-quality cross-sector data dashboards; questions for policymakers to consider when undertaking a data visualization project, and recommendations for how to effectively build out an early childhood to workforce data dashboard that can drive policy and inform the broader public about the state’s talent pipeline.
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