California’s “multiple pathways” work, which supports high schools in offering students a rigorous blend of academics and real-world career preparation, has the potential to keep more students in school by making education more engaging, but faces challenges as it scales up, a new paper finds.
The study, by the nonprofit research group EdSource, based in Mountain View, Calif., examines California’s work to blend academics with technical and work-based learning. For instance, more than 6,500 courses offered in the state’s schools now meet the University of California’s entrance requirements. The state also has expanded the number of small academies that blend academic and career-technical study.
The study discusses the various forms of career-technical education in California, profiles some programs, and summarizes research done on how students in such programs perform.
