Multiple Pathways Done Right

New brief combines policy analysis with proposed statute for high school reform

Contact: Marisa Saunders -- (310) 866-2262; saunders@gseis.ucla.edu
Christopher A. Chrisman -- (303) 295-8013; CAChrisman@hollandhart.com
Kevin Welner -- (303) 492-8370; kevin.welner@gmail.com

BOULDER, Colo. and TEMPE, Ariz. (December 1, 2008) -- Over the past couple years, "multiple pathways" high school reform has gained steam and been adopted in various forms. The approach was developed as a way to universally prepare students for both college and career, rejecting a tracking system that provides academic preparation for some students but only vocational preparation to others. A new report highlights the potential of this approach but warns that if poorly designed and implemented, past problems will not be addressed. The first half of the report explains the key elements of multiple pathways done right. The second half translates these elements into statutory language, concretely providing the details necessary to move forward with this important reform.

The new "legislation policy brief" is co-authored by Dr. Marisa Saunders, a research associate at UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access, and by Christopher Chrisman, an associate with the Denver office of the law firm Holland & Hart. It was released today by the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University. The brief's release corresponds with the release by Harvard Education Press of the book, "Beyond Tracking: Multiple Pathways to College, Career, and Civic Participation," edited by Saunders along with Jeannie Oakes.

High school reforms labeled "multiple pathways" are built on the fundamental insight that career and technical education (CTE) can be enhanced by drawing attention to the academic concepts that underlie these courses. Similarly, academic courses can be enriched through real-world applications. Multiple Pathways policies allow students to gravitate to schooling themes that are personally relevant, and they hold the potential to substantially improve secondary schooling. The reform rests on three research-based propositions:

  • Learning both academic and technical knowledge is enhanced when the two are combined and contextualized in real-world situations;
  • Connecting academics to such real-world contexts promotes student interest and engagement; and
  • Students provided with both academic and career education are more likely to be able to later choose from the full range of postsecondary options.

"But," Saunders says, "if poorly designed or enacted, the reform will only maintain the same old vocational education programs or alternative schools, continuing discredited practices of ability tracking rather than transforming the comprehensive high school." A well-designed Multiple Pathways reform must include the following four essential components within each and every pathway:

  • A college-preparatory academic core that satisfies the course requirements for entry into a state's flagship public university, using project-based learning and other engaging classroom strategies;
  • A professional/technical core well-grounded in academic and real-world standards;
  • Field-based learning and realistic workplace simulations that deepen students' understanding of academic and technical knowledge through application in real-world situations; and
  • Additional support services to meet the particular needs of students and communities, which can include supplemental instruction, counseling, and transportation.

This new brief, including proposed statutory language, meets these criteria for designing and implementing effective multiple pathway schools. Such a genuine approach to Multiple Pathways will help to meet the learning needs of a diverse student population and respond to society's need for a productive workforce and engaged citizenry.

The brief is available at http://epicpolicy.org/publication/multiple-pathways

CONTACT:
Marisa Saunders
UCLA/IDEA
1041 Moore Hall
Box 951521
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 866-2262
saunders@gseis.ucla.edu

Christopher A. Chrisman
Holland & Hart, LLP
555 Seventeenth Street
Suite 3200
Denver, CO 80202-3979
(303) 295-8013
CAChrisman@hollandhart.com

Kevin Welner, Professor and Director
Education and the Public Interest Center
University of Colorado at Boulder
(303) 492-8370
kevin.welner@gmail.com

**********

###

The Education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU) at Arizona State University collaborate to produce policy briefs and think tank reviews. Our goal is to promote well-informed democratic deliberation about education policy by providing academic as well as non-academic audiences with useful information and high quality analyses.

Visit EPIC and EPRU at http://epicpolicy.org

EPIC and EPRU are members of the Education Policy Alliance

(http://educationpolicyalliance.org)

**********

###

Top