The Career Academies Project goal is to identify specific combinations of career academy instructional delivery practices that have the greatest impact on increasing student achievement. The project will develop high quality college and career preparation activities and work-based learning activities for improving educational and career-related outcomes for high school students. MDRC funds provide for a part-time coordinator to provide and participate in services supporting the research project. The project activities will include testing curriculum materials, providing analysis of learning sessions, coordinating job shadowing and site visits for students with industry partners, and maintaining records and documents that support the services provided.

MDRC, created in 1974 by the Ford Foundation and a group of federal agencies, is best known for mounting large scale evaluations of real world policies and programs targeted to low-income people. MDRC conducts careful evaluations of programs designed and operated by government agencies or others. Over the years, MDRC has brought its unique approach to an ever growing range of policy areas and target populations. Once known primarily for evaluations of state welfare-to-work programs, today MDRC is also studying public school reforms, employment programs for ex-prisoners and people with disabilities, and programs to help low- income people succeed in college. From welfare policy to high school reform, MDRC’s research has frequently helped to shape legislation, program design, and operational practices across the country.

As a result of this project, Career and Technical Education instructors will be providing students with the most effective, research-based combination of career academy best practices to catapult student achievement. Research exists on the benefits of students participating in career academies yet very little data is available on which known practices or combination thereof impacts student achievement the most. Participation in this project is beneficial to the students and teachers in our district.

All Strategic Objectives

Grant funding of $70,000 will be included in the divisional special revenue/federal budget.

November 2010 Evaluation: As a result of this project, data collection will assist to identify best practices for career academy implementation and for the identification of student achievement gains related to career academy programming.