Led by Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group, six sites—Boston, Massachusetts; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Nashville, Tennessee—were selected to participate. Each NSrn site received a $6 million grant and technical assistance, which included site-specific coaching, project convenings, and small group and peer-to-peer support on topics related to sites’ needs.
In accordance with the initiative guidelines, each site was led by a site team facilitated by an intermediary organization (see below) and comprised of a K-12 school district, 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions, organizations representing employers, and community organizations. Some site teams also included representatives from state agencies, local philanthropic organizations, local government, and economic development organizations. Sites also identified steering or core teams that met regularly to review NSrn work and track progress, with smaller working groups meeting to address topics such as data system alignment, dual credit, and work-based learning.
NSrn Intermediary Organizations
To guide the work, sites developed their definition of high-quality career pathways using NSrn guidance. This guidance centers on the initiative’s four priority areas:
Strengthening the alignment and rigor of career pathways: NSrn sites use policy and funding levers to improve the quality and rigor of career pathways and make those career pathways widely available to and accessed by all learners, especially in under-served populations.
Designing, implementing and scaling real-world work experiences: Sites embed meaningful WBL opportunities within career pathways while also removing barriers to participation and success for learners. Sustained collaboration among educators, learners and employers helps fuel economic growth and set learners on the right path to long-term success in employment.
Building seamless transitions to support postsecondary success: Sites establish partnerships and agreements among high schools, postsecondary institutions, employers and intermediary organizations to increase learner attainment of degrees and credentials aligned with high-wage, high-skill, in-demand careers. They work toward this goal through aligned advising, recruitment efforts and additional supports.
Closing equity gaps: Sites understand where gaps in access, enrollment, persistence and completion occur in available career pathways by population group. Using that foundational knowledge, sites work to remove barriers to meaningful career opportunities for historically disadvantaged populations by aligning equitable policy and practice to scale proven career pathways programs that ensure equity and access.