Image of students on different future paths.
College & Workforce Readiness Series

The High School Handoff

Preparing students for what's next
Education Week's High School Handoff: Preparing Students for What's Next, illustration by Katie Thomas for Education Week

The skyrocketing expense of college, renewed interest in work and apprenticeships, and academic damage wrought by the pandemic has underscored a painful truism about high school: What happens in these years isn’t well aligned with what the United States needs from its high school graduates, nor the opportunities that will be available to them.

In this new series, Education Week takes a step back from the post “college-for-all” era to examine some of the most pressing questions facing high school secondary teachers and students: What needs to happen in these years to set students up for a fulfilling adulthood? How can educators support students who struggle in make-or-break courses? What’s the role of schools in helping students take steps towards fulfilling careers? And what role does higher education play in bolstering these efforts?

Our project aims to examine academics, work-based learning and apprenticeships, and the skill gaps employers say they want filled—all with the goal of finding new insights about how to increase opportunities for students.

Stories will be added to this page monthly. Check back frequently for new content.

A George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School student participates in a butchery class at Essex Kitchen in New York, Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
A student at George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School tries her hand in a butchery class at Essex Kitchen in New York on May 21, 2024. Most high school students think they need more education after graduation, but they're less likely than previous generations to think it needs to be at a four-year college.
James Pollard/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Infographic Students Want to Learn More About Careers. Will High Schools Step Up?
Students say they want more career education, and EdWeek Research Center survey data show schools are emphasizing it more.
Matthew Stone, October 1, 2024
5 min read
Nolden Grohe, 16, feeds exotic fish during Marine Biology class at Central Campus in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 2024.
Nolden Grohe, 16, feeds exotic fish during Marine Biology class at Central Campus in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 2024. The Iowa school system has had a hands-on program for three decades that has introduced students to career possibilities in aquarium science, marine biology, and related fields.
Rachel Mummey for Education Week
Science A Marine Science Program in a Surprising Place Shows Students New Career Options
It's hard to find teachers for STEM subjects, but a school system in a landlocked state has found a way to make it work with marine science.
Caitlynn Peetz, September 30, 2024
5 min read
Image of a teacher drawing outside of the lines of a whiteboard.
<b>Katie Thomas for Education Week</b>
College & Workforce Readiness How Should High School Change? These Districts May Have the Answer
By supporting learning that takes place outside the classroom, districts—and states—are starting to rethink an age-old institution.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 30, 2024
12 min read
Student hanging on a tearing graduate cap tassel
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Interactive How Do Today’s High Schoolers Fare As They Enter Adulthood? View the Data
As graduation rates begin to stabilize, data show some hopeful signs for young people. But experts warn of a disconnect between high school, college, and careers.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 30, 2024
9 min read
Agnieszka Crownoever explains the surgical robot to intern Lutrell Kirk, an 18-year-old high school senior, at Northwest Health in Valparaiso, Ind., Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Agnieszka Crownoever explains how a surgical robot works to intern Lutrell Kirk, an 18-year-old high school senior, at Northwest Health in Valparaiso, Ind., on June 4, 2024. Lutrell and other seniors are part of a program to give them hands-on experiences before graduation.
Eric Davis for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Students at This High School Do Internships. It's a Game Changer
A superintendent challenged his high school to get half of seniors engaged in learning outside the building. Students responded.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 30, 2024
9 min read