There are great incentives to expand Linked Learning career pathways in secondary schools, as research demonstrates that, when implemented well, such programs increase student motivation, acquisition of 21st century skills, persistence in school, and success after high school (Stern 1). These are valuable outcomes in a changing global economy, where two thirds of future jobs are expected to require post-secondary education by 2018. In 2012, President Obama committed to double the number of career pathway programs, and allocated funding to do so through the Youth Career Connect grants and other federal initiatives. Nationwide, states and districts are striving to increase students’ access to college & career academy pathways, particularly in high wage, high demand fields such as STEM and health, and to align those high school pathways with post-secondary educational opportunities. Because the heart of any career pathway is an interdisciplinary team of teachers working with a cohort of students, strong teacher leadership is crucial to the success of those efforts.

In California, where California Partnership Academies (CPAs) have been developing effective model practices since the late 1980s, research has consistently demonstrated their impact on student motivation, high school performance and post-secondary earnings. In 2008 the legislature supported the expansion of CPAs to nearly 500, and mandated a release period for lead teachers. The CDE next developed Mentor Academies, then Lighthouse Academies to promote best practices. In 2009, the James Irvine Foundation provided major funding for a District Initiative to begin the process of scaling up, calling this the “Linked Learning” approach. With Irvine Foundation support, ConnectEd began developing a coaching model to work with teacher leaders on pathway development, as well as with district leaders on changing systems to support pathways. Linked Learning picked up steam as the approach moved from small schools and the margins of comprehensive high schools into a systemic reform.

Where robust, high quality programs are implemented, such as in California Partnership Academies (CPAs) and certified Linked Learning pathways, research continues to show substantial success in improving student outcomes (SRI Int. 2). The state legislature therefore approved further investment in this approach, including two $250 million California Career Pathways Trust allocations released in 2014 and 2015. With legislative support, K12 and college districts across the state began working with Workforce Investment Boards, industry partners, and community-based organizations to develop new systems to support this very different way of organizing schools. While striving to implement Common Core and Next Generation Science standards, K12 districts began wrestling with new problems, from master scheduling to credentialing, to increasing access to early college credit, as they aim to address the inequities in their current programs and to make college AND careers accessible to all.

The practical applications and interdisciplinary analytical thinking skills required by Common Core standards are a natural fit with the real world performance tasks, interdisciplinary project-based instructional practices, and outcome-based assessments common to Linked Learning pathways. However, the traditional organization of comprehensive high schools by department often means that Common Core implementation happens in one place, and pathway development in another. This guide is intended to support education leaders to unify faculty around a coherent effort to transform institutional structures, school culture and, most importantly, instructional practices.