College & Career Pathways

Through the College & Career Pathways portfolio:

  • We define and implement quality pathway models and competencies that prepare students for promising credentials and careers.
  • We scale and strengthen College and Career Pathway Endorsements, aligned programs of study, and work-based learning systems.

Current Projects

Here’s what we’re working on in the College & Career Pathways portfolio:

College & Career Pathways, Data Impact & Leadership

Accelerated Model Pathways for Information Technology (AMP-IT)

The AMP-IT initiative is engaging school districts and their community college and employer partners to design and launch an accelerated IT pathway.
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College & Career Pathways

Career Pathways Dictionary

To help transform outcomes for youth and adults across Illinois, the Illinois Career Pathways Dictionary defines key terms for career pathway programs and system elements, while also offering resources and implementation guidance to support statewide alignment.
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College & Career Pathways

Career Pathways in Tanzania

Since 2017, EdSystems has partnered with Tanzania Development Support and 4-H Tanzania to implement a career awareness and exploration program designed to help students deepen their awareness of and build competencies and skills in fields that are in high demand in Tanzania.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

Chicago Public Schools: Preparing Students for College and Career Success

With the support of Crown Family Philanthropies, CPS brought in EdSystems to provide strategic counsel and support of the OCCS pathways vision framework and Student Success Roadmap.
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College & Career Pathways

College and Career Pathway Endorsements

Education Systems Center worked with public and private stakeholders to define key competencies for the College and Career Pathway Endorsements and is now working with community networks to support implementation of endorsement systems in line with the PWR Act.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

Community College Competency-Based Education Pilot Project

Together with the Illinois Community College Board, we are supporting a cohort of community colleges to develop competency-based education programs in both welding and industrial maintenance.
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Community College Pathway Equity and Currency

To help encourage learners to complete the rigorous requirements and earn a College and Career Pathways Endorsement and matriculate into postsecondary, EdSystems is supporting the development of equity-centered strategies and incentives for students.
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College & Career Pathways

Extended Model Pathways in Chicago

In fall 2023, EdSystems began work with Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago to develop five extended model pathways starting from early college through associate and bachelor degree completion for the following industry sectors: health sciences, information technology, advanced manufacturing, IT, and construction.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary, Data Impact & Leadership

Great Lakes College and Career Readiness State Advocacy Network

To support actionable policy development for high-impact college and career readiness strategies, EdSystems is participating in a cross-state community of practice.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

Greater Peoria Essential Abilities and Knowledge (GPEAK)

To help stabilize and grow the local economy, community partners in Peoria are working with EdSystems to design and implement GPEAK, which translates the state’s ten competencies into a practical system to prepare individuals for meaningful and fulfilling careers.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

Illinois Education and Career Success Network

Illinois Education and Career Success Network supports communities to increase meaningful and equitable postsecondary attainment and civic engagement.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary, Data Impact & Leadership

Illinois Education and Career Success Network: Policy Committee

EdSystems staffs the Success Network’s Policy Committee to foster collaboration and peer learning, elevate local practice to inform state policy, and support local practitioners.
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College & Career Pathways

Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides

The Model Programs of Study Guides were developed in consultation and collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education through a process led and facilitated by Education Systems Center.
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College & Career Pathways

Illinois Work-Based Learning Innovation Network (I-WIN)

I-WIN helps educators, work-based learning coordinators, and employers leverage innovative models for scaling high-quality work-based learning opportunities in school districts and community colleges across the state.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

Increasing Dual Enrollment Access and Success (IDEAS)

In partnership with JFF and College of Lake County, EdSystems is supporting the design and implementation of a new dual enrollment hub to help improve educational outcomes for high-need high school students.
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College & Career Pathways

Joliet Junior College: Support for Work-Based Learning

In their ongoing commitment to enhance college and career pathway development, EdSystems is supporting Joliet Junior College in designing and implementing equitable work-based learning opportunities for high school students throughout the region.
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College & Career Pathways

Lake County: Support for Career Pathways

In 2023, EdSystems began supporting Waukegan CUSD 60 and its regional partners with targeted support for alignment to the Illinois College and Career Pathway Endorsement and systems for career exploration.
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College & Career Pathways

Northern Illinois: Support for Career Pathways

Since 2015, EdSystems has provided strategic counsel and technical assistance to RPS 205 and RVC and their partners as they build and expand their college and career pathway systems.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

PWR Act

EdSystems staff and their partners led a multi-year process to develop and enact the PWR Act in close collaboration with a broad range of education and workforce stakeholders.
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College & Career Pathways, Data Impact & Leadership

Scaling Transformative Advanced Manufacturing Pathways (STAMP)

STAMP serves secondary districts in implementing manufacturing pathways that align to the College and Career Pathway Endorsement, with a particular focus on historically marginalized students.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary

Youth Apprenticeship

Youth apprenticeships at EdSystems offer a unique blend of hands-on experience, networking with industry professionals, and postsecondary planning.
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Project Archive

Review past projects in the College & Career Pathways portfolio:

College & Career Pathways

Analysis of College and Career Pathways

To understand the potential impact of the College and Career Pathway Endorsement, EdSystems is engaging in two pathways-related data and evaluation activities: a pathways evaluation framework and an ROI analysis framework.
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Career Development Experience Toolkit

The Career Development Experience Toolkit, aligned to the PWR Act, supports scaling high-quality career pathways and work-based learning.
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College & Career Pathways

Developing Quality Criteria for College and Career Pathways and Work-Based Learning

EdSystems is developing quality criteria to inform the Illinois College and Career Pathway Endorsement and work-based learning implementation and evaluation, to help raise the awareness and profile of these efforts in Illinois and nationally.
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College & Career Pathways

East St. Louis: Support for Career Pathways

EdSystems is working with the East St. Louis community to engage community, school district, and higher education stakeholders in deep racial equity work in the context of college and career pathways
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College & Career Pathways, Data Impact & Leadership

Elgin: Expanding College and Career Pathways

Elgin’s Alliance for College Readiness engaged EdSystems to support alignment to the new College and Career Pathway Endorsement system and the State’s new Perkins V plan.
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College & Career Pathways, Data Impact & Leadership

Great Lakes College and Career Pathways Partnership

Since 2016, EdSystems has provided the Great Lakes College and Career Pathways Partnership with strategic expertise and technical assistance.
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College & Career Pathways

Health Sciences Career Exploration and Career Development Experience Pilot

The Health Sciences Career Exploration and Career Development Experience Pilot  project is designed to support healthcare workforce development in the State of Illinois.
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College & Career Pathways

Illinois Advanced Apprenticeship Consortium

EdSystems’ role with the Illinois Advanced Apprenticeship Consortium is implementing a Manufacturing Pathway aligned to the College and Career Pathway Endorsement system for students that meets the expectations and requirements of the PWR Act.
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College & Career Pathways

Liberia Career Pathways

EdSystems worked with Liberian partners to launch the Liberian nongovernmental organization and the U.S. based nonprofit organization.
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College & Career Pathways

Middle-Skills Pathways in Chicago

Beginning in 2020, EdSystems is conducting a deep landscape analysis of middle-skills pathways in Chicago that lead to priority occupations.
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College & Career Pathways

Plainfield: Support for Career Pathways

EdSystems supports the Plainfield community to engage community, school district, and higher education stakeholders in college and career pathways design.
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College & Career Pathways, Bridges to Postsecondary, Data Impact & Leadership

Postsecondary Leadership Series

In support of the OneGoal team and their Postsecondary Leadership Series, the EdSystems team is providing two primary services: capacity-building for OneGoal staff and advising for partner-facing content relating to college and career pathways, early college credit, transitional instruction, work-based learning, and data.
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College & Career Pathways

Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois (SEPI)

Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois (SEPI) guides communities in creating streamlined teacher career pathways.
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