Anyone paying attention to NCAN’s blog in recent months knows we think that the Elementary and Secondary
School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding included in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and other stimulus legislation is a critical opportunity to invest in students’ postsecondary pathways.
As important as we think districts and schools using stimulus dollars for college and career readiness activities is, we haven’t seen a ton of evidence that this use is top of mind for states, districts, or schools.
Along with collaborators from leading educational organizations across the country, NCAN is pleased to share Invest Forward,
a new effort to encourage district and state leaders to prioritize support for students' pathways to postsecondary and career success in their ARP spending plans.
High-quality postsecondary education and training is the ticket to long-term opportunity. Unfortunately, the pandemic has had an alarming impact on students’ transitions to postsecondary education and training.
The dramatic drops in direct higher education enrollment in fall 2020 — which were particularly severe among students of color and those from low-income families — are
likely to persist as students and their families continue to feel the impact of COVID-19. In a time when nearly all jobs created since the 2008 recession require some type of learning beyond high school, this trend is dangerous not only for millions
of students but for our economy and workforce as a whole.
By using ARP-ESSER funding to invest in students’ next steps, district and school leaders can help students to:
Build college and career momentum early in high school.
Acquire knowledge, experiences, and relationships necessary for career success.
Earn college credit and/or stackable credentials before graduation.
Directly enroll in postsecondary education or training programs that lead to credentials with labor market value.
As part of this effort, we’re working with leading experts from across the country to arm district and state leaders with high-impact strategies and shovel-ready investments to guide their investments in student pathways. A new website contains detailed how-to guides for 20 potential pathways investment strategies (and counting). These investment strategies include:
Build college and career momentum early in high school
Build an electronic portfolio transcript (Coming soon)
NCAN members will no doubt see a lot of familiar ideas and approaches in the list above. These are activities they are already doing, are planning to do, and may even have advised the districts and schools they work with on implementation. Each strategy
discusses the steps to take for implementation and offers insight on budget considerations, among other topics.
Are you a district or state leader or do you have the contact information of one of the aforementioned individuals? The website also provides opportunities for these professionals to connect with peers and experts to plan for their pathways investments.
Make sure to sign up to hear about additional resources coming soon, including:
Research and evidence on promising practices to support students’ postsecondary pathways access and success.
Spotlights on district and state spending plans that are prioritizing pathways investments.
There is an urgency to help students at every level of the education system. Given the leading indicators and postsecondary outcomes observed so far, that’s especially true about college and career readiness. The Invest Forward campaign will surely help
districts, schools, and their community partners meet this moment.
Email to a Friend
