American Student Assistance® (ASA), a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, with the support of Education Strategy Group (ESG), a mission-driven organization committed to expanding economic mobility by increasing educational attainment, announced today the creation of an impact and learning network—bringing together five leading states identified in the recently published research report, “Extending the Runway: A 50-State Analysis of Middle School Career Exploration.” This network seeks to advance and accelerate the work of individual states while producing strategies and resources to catalyze work across the field as a whole. The inaugural member states include Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
The decision to establish this middle school career exploration coalition is based on the findings of the recently published ASA/ESG research, Extending the Runway: A National Analysis of Middle School Career Exploration, a comprehensive report that examines middle school career exploration across the country and offers recommendations for state and local leaders to consider.
“While the findings of our collaborative research show promise in states’ commitment to prioritizing and scaling quality middle school career exploration, the field as a whole is relatively nascent in developing strong systems to provide equitable career exploration for younger students. As an advocacy organization, ASA is investing in bringing together the top states identified in Extending the Runway to form an impact and learning network. The goal of this network is to produce model policies and a singular vision for the field that will inspire this work across the country,” said Julie Lammers, Executive Vice President, ASA.
“A student’s journey to a fulfilling, financially-rewarding career begins with a spark of interest. The research in Extending the Runway underscored the critical importance of high-quality career exploration for middle school students and identified both promising innovations and significant opportunities to improve those experiences across states. ESG is proud to be translating those findings into action by working closely with leading states in their efforts to bring meaningful, engaging career exploration to more middle school students,” said Kathleen Mathers, Principal at ESG.
ASA and ESG invited these leading states to join this network because their leadership demonstrates a commitment to middle school career exploration, and they have a strong policy foundation and infrastructure to build from and lead the nation in establishing a gold standard for what middle school career exploration should look like. Participating states will receive a grant to support their capacity and participation in network meetings and events. State teams who are part of the network have committed to several impactful priorities:
- Assemble a team of cross-agency partners across the state, with representation from (but not limited to) a state education agency, intermediary organization, the state’s principal and/or school counseling association, and state chamber of commerce or regional employer organization.
- Actively participate within monthly virtual cross-state network sessions organized around sharing best practices, collaboratively solving problems, and learning from other participants and subject matter experts.
- Learn with and from other member states at a network convening to level set on strong policies, emerging best practices, and resources needed to advance the field.
- Strengthen middle school career exploration work through monthly coaching sessions that provide tailored support, troubleshoot challenges, and provide feedback on network participation.
- Develop a 3-Year Partnership Plan that articulates three-year improvement goal(s) for the state’s comprehensive middle school career exploration system to govern the continued collaboration between the state education agency and intermediary advocacy organization(s) through development of clear strategies and action steps across policy and infrastructure.
- Contribute to the development of all public-facing resources, including the model policy set, resource repository, and joint commitment statement.
- Convene members of the state team outside of these regular engagements as needed for additional planning, discussion, and collaborative development of the 3-Year Partnership Plan.
“The Arizona Department of Education is honored to join the Middle School Career Exploration Impact Network, alongside career exploration leaders across the state and country. We strive for all Arizona students to have access to quality career exploration opportunities leading to individualized educational and career plans. Our mission is to raise academic outcomes and empower parents, and this partnership aligns with our objectives. We look forward to leveraging the support from ESG to achieve these goals,” said Tom Horne, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Arizona Department of Education.
“Middle school career exploration is increasingly vital as we prepare students for their future careers. Kentucky is proud to participate in the Middle School Career Exploration Impact and Learning Network Grant and is dedicated to developing guidance and resources to bridge the gap between middle and high school career education,” said Beth Hargis, Kentucky Department of Education Associate Commissioner.
“In Pennsylvania, we believe that career exploration is not just a high school conversation—it starts much earlier,” said Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Through initiatives like the Career Ready PA Coalition and our nation-leading federal K–12 Career Readiness Indicator, we’re making sure every learner has meaningful opportunities to connect with their future career pathway. With a required career plan in grade 8 and strong cross-sector partnerships in every region of the Commonwealth, we’re equipping students with the tools, experiences, and guidance they need to explore their interests and build a path toward lifelong success.”
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