In the ever-evolving landscape of K-12 education, it’s impossible to ignore the mission of schools to prepare students for life beyond the classroom. Innovative leaders everywhere are envisioning a future where students not only learn inside the four walls of the school building, but also thrive through project-based and work-based experiences, organized into pathways that emphasize community- and career-connected experiences. And there are clear benefits to modernizing the student experience through pathways. According to the New England Secondary Schools Consortium:

As educators across New England have reformed traditional practices, the regional high school dropout rate has decreased from 10.3% in 2010 to 6.2% in 2019, while the regional high school graduation rate has increased by eight percentage points, from 79.6% for the class of 2009 to 87.7% for the class of 2019. At the same time, only 78.7% of economically disadvantaged students, 67.1% of English learners, and 71.6% of students with disabilities graduated.

What makes for an ideal “pathway” in your context? Are you thinking of CTE pathways or courses? Did you personally experience an individualized pathways when you went through middle and high school? Innovative leaders know that pathways are part of education’s future. In short, thoughtfully designed pathways can ensure that students who receive a high school diploma attain competencies that prepare them for college, careers, and civic life. The impact of community- and career-connected pathways can be profound— students graduate equipped not just with knowledge, but also with the skills needed to navigate the complexities of the real world. Schools and districts across the country are launching ambitious programs of their own, alongside state education departments rapidly rolling out new initiatives to which leaders must adapt.

Pathways continue to be recognized, defined, and launched by federal guidelines, state agencies, local education agencies (LEAs), districts, schools, and community-based organizations. Take a look at these examples of pathways across our country today:

Seal of Civic Readiness (New York State)
MyCAP — My Career and Academic Plan (Massachusetts)
Dual Enrollment Programs or other Collaborations with local colleges or universities
Entrepreneurship/Social Entrepreneurship programs
Creative pathways and language immersion programs
Environmental/Sustainability and experiential learning/outdoor education opportunities
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Pathways
Leadership development/service learning and community engagement opportunities
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways including career-connected learning opportunity with internship/work-based learning components or a related career certification
Any other complex Project-Based Learning course with alternative assessment such as advanced research projects or “capstones”

The value of learning pathways is clear; however, as with any transformative endeavor, challenges emerge on the horizon. School and district leaders find themselves at a crossroads, navigating the complexities of implementing ambitious pathways. The New England Secondary Schools Consortium notes, “While some schools and districts have begun to adapt to the reality their students will face after graduation, most look largely as they have for decades: requiring credits for seat time in a core curriculum based on disconnected silos of knowledge that are often revised but rarely reimagined” (November, 2020). Leaders face extremely challenging questions as they seek to reimagine existing pathways or build new ones. How do we provide structure and rigor, while still allowing for genuine student choice? How do we fit community- and career-connected learning opportunities when core subjects already fight for seat time? And how do we even begin to manage and track all of this new data— independent projects, written reflections, site hours, and more? It's a journey fraught with obstacles, but one that promises unparalleled rewards for both students and institutions.

Are you launching pathways today? We know the leaders and educators, like you, are designing pathways to support students, and we are grateful to be collaborating with so many leaders in this work. The features of the Local Civics Tech Platform not only streamline learning opportunities but also provide school and district leaders with a reliable data repository that can adapt to diverse data sources and, critically, a clear view of student progress.

Consider the case of one partner, Niagara-Wheatfield High School in Western New York State. School leaders sought to develop a pathway that empowers students to think critically about their community and become informed constituents. When they first met with Local Civics, school leaders had already submitted their Seal of Civic Readiness application to NYSED, formed an internal committee, held open planning meetings to engage stakeholders, and introduced the Seal of Civic Readiness opportunity to Seniors. However, questions remained regarding how students in different subgroups would achieve points in the requisite areas of NYSED’s rubric. Local Civics provided the expertise to ensure that Niagara-Wheatfield was capturing all of the student achievement that could count towards the Seal. We created custom badges allowing leaders to visualize student progress from existing school activities and projects. Then we worked alongside school leaders to select high-leverage activities to complete the criteria for achieving all 6 points required by NYSED’s Seal of Civic Readiness rubric. See one example below, guiding students through the Letter of Informed Action, worth 1.5 points towards the NYS Seal of Civic Readiness:

With the support of Local Civics, leaders in Niagara Wheatfield Central School District, crucially, gain moment-by-moment visibility into student progress in the Seal of Civic Readiness Pathway. This customizable approach helps all stakeholders stay on the same page, gives teachers real-time data to support student learning, and allows leaders to use a data-driven approach to maximize student achievement, effectively avoiding many of the pitfalls of launching a new pathway. Let us help you navigate your own challenges with finesse. We can help put your ambitious plans in motion, or assist in streamlining and tracking your existing pathways for maximum impact and data-informed decision making.

Interested to learn more? Email our team at partnerships@localcivics.io, or sign up for a 20-minute call.

Preparing the Leaders of Tomorrow: Launching Community- and Career-Connected Pathways