It’s being done, it can be done
what
about pathways to adult success
Pathways to Adult Success (PAS) is a collaborative effort of over 100 K-12 educational systems, non-profits, and institutions of higher education who are both conducting cutting-edge work and seek to learn from each other on a central questions of our times—how do we provide all our students a pathway to adult success that
- Provide formative educational and social experiences in middle and high school
- Build their agency, academic know-how, and well-being
- Enable them to make an informed choice about which combinations of postsecondary schooling, training, and work experiences will launch them towards a family-supporting wage, career
PAS learning community members firmly believe that supports and guidance along the way, rooted by the development of student agency, belonging, and connectedness are essential.
PAS learning community members continue working to find effective solutions to these challenges. Through the years, they have shared their learning with each other and beyond through PAS annual conferences, solutions forums, design challenges, and community collaboration efforts.
Why We Need to Build Better Pathways to Adult Success:
What the Data Says
Narrated by Robert Balfanz
What's New at PAS?
Pathways to Adult Success kicked of the 2024-25 school year by bringing the PAS community together for a webinar on September 24, 2024. Attendees engaged with our presenting panel on their latest initiatives and the work they are doing to put students on a pathway to adult success builing upon the foundations of Agency, Belonging, and Connectedness.
PAS framework
BUILDING PATHWAYS TO ADULT SUCCESS FRAMEWORK
The PAS Framework outlines foundational shifts in beliefs, practices, and structures to improve postsecondary outcomes and perspectives for all young people to be able to embark on a meaningful career and achieve a family-sustaining wage.
Co-Designing with Students: Learnings from the On Track to Career Success Project
This paper published by the Everyone Graduates Center’s On Track to Career Success Project highlights:
- The three elements of the OTCS framework that have guided collaborations with school partners: 1. Milestones: evidence-based academic, social-emotional, college and career milestones for students in grades 9-12. 2. Student Success Systems: to monitor and respond to keep all students on the path to career success. 3. Pathways to Career Success: providing all students with a series of college and career explorations, experiences, applications, and engagements.
- Case studies that illustrate collaborations with school partners and describe lessons and challenges faced by their school communities.
- The processes and methodologies that guided each school’s individual co-created implementation efforts.
- The resources that are at the heart of the project’s efforts to co-design with students and the educators, families, and communities who support them.
This paper will be of value to educators, funders interested in systemic educational reform, workforce providers, researchers, higher education leaders, and other community-based partners.
STUDENT SUCCESS SYSTEMS
These are the next generation, post-pandemic iteration of earlier work on early warning and on-track systems, where many PAS partners played foundational roles. Student Success Systems combine a focus on supportive relationships between all members of an educational community, with progress monitoring all students on key predictive indicators of success, including both of the ABCs—attendance, behavior, course performance and agency, belonging, and connectedness.
POSTSECONDARY NAVIGATION
The pace of change in the nature of work, has accelerated rapidly in the 21st century. As a result, students and families may not be fully aware of which careers are most likely to flourish in the coming years. Thus, more than ever middle, high school, and college students need a thoughtful series of career exposures, applications, experiences, preparations and the access to guidance informed by local and national job market information to make informed choices about the type of postsecondary schooling and/or training they will partake.
CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION
Today, high schools are no longer an endpoint of formal education. It is essential the local K-12 systems, the institutions of higher education to which the majority of their students flow, and leading local employers collaborate closely to create strong and supported pathways from K-12 schooling into and through postsecondary schooling into a career with family supporting wages.
DATA & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
In order to create pathways to adult success, communities need to know where and why students are falling off-track to high school graduation prepared for adult success. They need to know how many high school graduates have access to strong pathways into and through postsecondary schooling and training.
how
How it’s Being Done
A wide range of PAS initiatives like:
- expanded early warning systems,
- revised guidance approaches, and
- community collaborations, and many other
have provided key insights and a strong foundation for others developing similar programs. Learn more about how to get started.
How to Begin
Creating something viable means starting something that is achievable in the short term and produces improvements to secure buy-in; establishes strong foundations for further development; and offers opportunities for evaluation and learning.
How to Provide Postsecondary Opportunities for All
Providing strong postsecondary guidance involves:
- helping students identify their interests and aptitudes,
- learn about career and academic opportunities that match interests, and
- select the necessary courses.
How to Develop Collaborations/Partnerships
Collaborating with stakeholders is crucial to ensure that the education students receive is relevant to the postsecondary opportunities available and provides the necessary skills and mindset for lifelong success.
How to Use Early Warning & Student Success Systems
Transition from a graduation-focused EWS to a focus on postsecondary success means taking a longer view of the mission of PreK-12 schooling, so that the goal is not simply for students to acquire a high school diploma, but rather to complete high school well prepared to succeed in viable postsecondary education or career plans that will lead to adult success.
How to Work with Data Systems
A PAS data system will need access to data from multiple data systems including K-12 data systems, postsecondary data systems, department of labor data systems, and other local, state, and federal data systems that contain student information that can be used to support student success.
impact
PAS in Action!
Explore the ways PAS partners are implementing solutions to providing pathways to adult success. These include hearing from students how the PAS initiatives directly influencing their postsecondary pathways.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTER EASTERN MISSOURI
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri discuss their initiatives and effects on assisting students to achieve a pathway to adult success. Learn More About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri
NLU ACCELERATE U
The NLU Accelerate U program offers learners a rapid pathway to a full-time job. We partner with innovative local employers to build affordable academic and training pathways. Learn more about NLU.
EVCS to Career at Berry
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. works with local business to maximize student opportunities. Learn more about EVSC.
Designing for Success
Pathways to Adult Success partners are working tirelessly to implement student success systems that are designed around agency, belonging, and connectedness to enhance the educational experience and prepare students for success in life. Learn about PAS partner initiatives.
PhillyGoes2College
The Philadelphia Education Fund offers students assistance for planning, applying and paying for college. Learn More about PhillyGoes2College
FutureEd 23
Gresham-Barlow SD
Academy of Future Educators
The EVSC is proud to announce its newest Innovative Program, the Academy of Future Educators, in partnership with the University of Southern Indiana. The program, housed at Reitz High School, is open to junior and seniors in Evansville and the surrounding area who are interested in a career in elementary education. Visit the Academy Website.
PHILADELPHIA EDUCATION FUND
A summer learning experience for Philadelphia public high school students, featuring engaging instruction, hands-on leaning, and enhanced college visits. Learn More About the Philadelphia Education Fund
Community of Practice 2025 Learning Series
Ready to transform your approach to improvement work in your school? Our partners at the GRAD Partnership is offering a four-part interactive learning series is designed to help you harness the power of data, elevate student voices, and implement meaningful, student-centered strategies to improve student success in your school. This isn’t just another workshop series—it’s a transformative journey designed to elevate your improvement work, empower your team, and drive better student outcomes. Learn more about the Learning Series
23
Jan.
Solutions Forum: Community Collaborations to Prepare Young People for Adult Success
Start the year off by joining the second PAS Solutions Forum as three of the 2023-24 PAS Community Collaboration Challenge awardees present their projects, hosted by Johns Hopkins University Everyone Graduates Center director Bob Balfanz.
The following projects will be presented:
- Shared Lane and New Visions Charter High School, New York City, Student Voice Project
- Urban Strategies Inc., NICHE Initiative in Fort Myers, Florida
- Philadelphia Education Fund, College Access and Success Ecosystem
6
Mar.
Solutions Forum
Join the third PAS Solutions Forum as members of the PAS Learning Community provide insight into some of their innovative solutions.
Designing Education
A podcast hosted by Robert Balfanz, director of the Everyone Graduates Center.
Conversations with leaders in education from around the country on bold new ideas and research-based strategies for redesigning American education to more effectively engage all students and equip them for the challenges of today’s workplace and world.
