Career “pathways” have become an important idea in secondary school reform. The goal is to give all students a structured sequence of courses in a career field, as well as early exposure to the world of work and opportunities to learn practical job-related skills.
Many aspects of these programs are similar to traditional vocational school programs. But this new incarnation simultaneously aims to make the vocational high school more university-oriented and the comprehensive high school more career-oriented.
Are the millions of dollars invested in these programs really helping students get a head start on college and careers?
It is not yet possible to fully answer this question. But a new research report of Delaware – a national leader in the driveway movement – offers some early clues.
The state launched career pathways in 2014. Today, about 70 percent of high school students, or 30,000 teens, are enrolled, according to the nonprofit Rodel, which works with Delaware policymakers to reform education and improve the state’s workforce.
Ideally, students complete a sequence of three or more courses in fields like healthcare, construction, or education. Many also earn college credits or make significant progress toward industry certifications, and some participate in internships or apprenticeships.
Researchers at RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, tracked more than 6,000 graduates who had taken at least two courses in a career field and surveyed them to see what they did in the years immediately after high school.
Three-quarters of students surveyed were enrolled in college or another postsecondary program after graduation, which is higher than the national average of 63 percent. But fewer than half were still studying or working in the field they chose in high school.
For example, among students who took architecture and construction courses, less than 20 percent pursued construction-related majors. Many instead turned to fields like science and engineering (40%), business (8%), or health (6%).
Most Popular High School Pathways in Delaware
This mismatch is not necessarily a failure. For some students, clarification was the wrong path.
“When students told us about it, they really found it helpful to learn something they didn’t like,” said Sandra Staklis, lead author of the RTI report. “One student told us, ‘Oh, my mom and my aunt are nurses. So I tried. And it turned out it wasn’t for me, but it was good to know.'”
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Students also talked about learning a broader set of skills useful in any field. “Students said they learned professional skills such as time management and working with other people on a project,” Staklis said. “A lot of academic work is traditionally more individual, like reading a book or taking an exam. »
Still, the results raise a fundamental question: Are the pathways intended to direct students toward specific career fields or to help them understand what they don’t want to do?
Students also described how much they appreciated the mentorship they received from their instructors, many of whom had spent their professional lives not in schools but in industry. One student featured in the report, Kwame, said his health care professors showed him how to break down dense medical equipment so he could study for his paramedic certificate. He is now majoring in public health at a four-year university and hopes to become a surgeon.
Two lessons emerge from the Delaware study.
• Workplace experience This is what matters most, but it is the most difficult for schools to achieve. Students who participated in internships or apprenticeships were more likely to continue in their field, the report found. Another student named James, also featured in the report, went through an academic pathway in high school, and during his senior year he shadowed a teacher, which taught him a lot about managing behavior in the classroom. He is currently pursuing an associate degree in elementary education.
But these opportunities are difficult for schools to provide, requiring coordination with employers as well as scheduling and transportation solutions.
Workplace learning was more common at vocational high schools, where students often finish their core courses earlier and can spend more time outside the building during their senior year. In contrast, one-off experiences – such as guest speakers or field trips – had less impact but were easier for schools to organize.
• Students need better guidance especially when they want to change direction. Once students begin a course, it can be difficult to change it. “If you’re a junior and you want to change paths, you’re going to have to go back to take classes that are primarily geared toward freshmen and sophomores, and that just becomes logistically difficult,” Staklis said.
Luke Rhine, vice president for postsecondary success at Rodel, who commissioned the analysis, said the results were encouraging but underscore the need for stronger guidance, which he calls “navigation support.”
The report also highlights other questions for future research.
It is unclear to what extent the higher rate of college attendance can be attributed to the pathways themselves. The study is not causal, Staklis said, and students who complete these sequences may already be more likely to continue their education. Other incentives to pursue higher education could also play a role, including Delaware’s generous scholarship programs, which cover tuition at Delaware Technical Community College and Delaware State University for many students.
Although the majority of students worked, most had part-time jobs in retail, delivery, or fast food that aligned with their studies. Long-term outcomes – including careers and income – remain unknown.
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Some researchers question the structure of the pathway model in a rapidly changing economy. Kerry McKittrick, co-director of the Project on Workforce at Harvard University, released a report last week: “Pivots without a path: Career navigation in a fragmented labor market“, based on an analysis of community college students and young adults. McKittrick argues that it might not make sense to require young students to complete a sequence of technical training courses for jobs that may not exist in five years.
“Pathways are a powerful option, but this linear path to a career is really the exception,” McKittrick said. “In a world where jobs continue to change, we also need to equip students and workers with the skills they need. … I’m talking about adaptability and decision-making, information literacy and networking.”
These skills, McKittrick says, are learned not in the classroom, but through trial and error. The most important thing, according to McKittrick, is that young people have the opportunity to explore careers beyond those of the adults in their family and to develop networks.
In particular, she agrees with one of the key findings of the Delaware report: that workplace experience can be the most valuable element of a pathway program.
Contact staff writer Jill Barshay at 212-678-3595, jillbarshay.35 on Signal or barshay@hechingerreport.org.
This story about secondary school careers was produced by The Hechinger reportan independent, nonprofit news organization that covers education. Register for Proof points and others Hechinger Newsletters.
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