Provide rigorous and relevant instruction connecting academics to postsecondary options¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The guide's sixth schoolwide recommendation increases engagement by providing students the skills needed to complete high school and introducing them to postsecondary options. It advises integrating academic content with career and skill-based themes through career academies or multiple pathways models, hosting career days, partnering with local businesses for internships and simulated job interviews, and giving students extra assistance and information about the demands of college.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Ongoing teacher professional development to expand knowledge and improve skills
• Partnerships with local businesses and postsecondary institutions

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• All middle and high school students, particularly those at risk of disengagement

Target Learning Goals¶

• Engagement in learning, skills needed to graduate, and awareness of postsecondary opportunities

Related Strategies¶

• Personalize the learning environment and instructional process to foster belonging
• Provide academic support and enrichment to improve academic performance of at-risk students
• Assign trained adult advocates with low caseloads to students at risk of dropping out
• Implement programs to improve students' classroom behavior and social skills
• Use longitudinal student-level data systems to diagnose dropout scope and identify at-risk students before key transitions
• Pair increased academic demand with increased teacher support when raising instructional rigor
• Raise student awareness of requirement flexibility and support options for meeting CCR graduation requirements
• Use linked cross-system data to target programs such as dropout prevention and postsecondary preparation for students in foster care

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Dynarski, M., Clarke, L., Cobb, B., Finn, J., Rumberger, R., and Smink, J. (2008). Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide (NCEE 2008-4025). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/PracticeGuide/9.