ESG’s blog is a place to share what we have learned from our projects, our education and leadership experiences, and perspectives on how to improve student success. Expect insightful commentary from the ESG team that highlights promising practices from states and communities, and is designed to make connections and spur deeper conversation. Breaking down barriers and siloes within the nation’s K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems begins with getting everyone talking.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
In my previous work at a local education agency and in higher education institutions, I had the opportunity to counsel staff and advise students on the benefit of participating in dual enrollment programs. As we reviewed state and district policies...
Friday, November 30, 2018
As good jobs for those with only a high school diploma continue to decline, the associate degree offers high school graduates the most efficient option for upward mobility. But options alone aren’t enough to advance in this economy. Students need...
Friday, November 16, 2018
Education plus experience equals opportunity. That’s one of the biggest takeaways from efforts across the country to improve students career readiness. And it is a lesson that is on display every day in high-quality youth apprenticeship programs. We must build...
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
As a first-generation college graduate, the success of first-generation college students is a personal priority. With #CelebrateFirstGen trending on social media last week as part the First-Generation College Celebration, I began to think about the important role that policymakers and...
Thursday, August 9, 2018
In the coming weeks, approximately 2 million students will enroll in college. As a former higher education administrator, I have witnessed the excitement and nervousness that the opportunity to pursue a postsecondary credential has for countless students and their families....
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
There are two things K-12 and higher education leaders agree are necessary to close postsecondary preparation and attainment gaps: collaboration and donuts. Both were in full force last month at a meeting we hosted in Nashville, TN with leaders from...
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
The movement to expand career readiness is growing across the country. After reviewing all fifty-one state Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans for our new joint brief, “Mapping Career Readiness in State ESSA Plans,” we found that almost all include...
Monday, December 11, 2017
It’s getting chilly in Washington, D.C., and not just because of the recent snow. Two of the pundits with the biggest social media followings—Rick Hess and Andy Rotherham—traded barbs about whether critiquing states’ ESSA plans provides any value now that...
Monday, November 20, 2017
Good jobs aren’t gone, but they are changing. As a new report from Georgetown’s Center on Education and Workforce highlights, 30 million Americans have a well-paying job without a Bachelor’s degree. But fewer of those jobs are in “blue collar”...
Friday, November 17, 2017
My high school and college agriculture programs taught wonderful courses in welding—courses that were grounded in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and of course, vocational practice. As valuable as these classes were to earning a degree in agriculture science, neither could compare...
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
ESSA presented a vital opportunity for K–12 and higher education collaboration to make college and career readiness a clear priority and build seamless postsecondary transitions. After reviewing ESSA plans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, states have...
Monday, October 9, 2017
As we enter college admission season, new research indicates a critical, but under discussed fact: what you study in college can have a greater impact on your future than which college you attend. But as a parent of a high...