Assessing the Quality and Reach of Student Pathways to Economic Security

About the NYC Pathways Initiatives

Over the past several years, New York City Public Schools have made significant investments in career-connected learning. These efforts reflect a growing commitment to preparing high school students for meaningful opportunities in the labor market and postsecondary education.

The City’s Pathways initiatives, including the FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) and Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA) programs, are built on a shared vision: to ensure that students leave high school with the skills, experiences, and credentials needed to pursue rewarding careers in high-demand industries on a pathway to lifelong economic security. Together, these programs represent an important evolution and expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in New York City. With implementation spanning nearly 140 NYC high schools and involving thousands of students annually, Pathways schools offer five key program components that build on the City’s existing model of CTE:

Universal, individualized advising throughout high school;
Career-connected coursework, including a Career Exploration course for all 9th graders;
Pathway-aligned college-level credits and industry credentials;
Financial literacy instruction; and
Structured progression through a continuum of paid and unpaid work-based learning experiences, culminating with intensive pathway-connected internships and apprenticeships.

About the Study

Led by the Research Alliance for New York City Schools in partnership with MDRC, this study is taking stock of the implementation and outcomes of NYC’s Pathways initiatives. The study is exploring factors related to student participation in the core pathways components and assessing the relationship between participation and student college and career readiness outcomes. This will include an examination of how participation and outcomes vary by students’ race, gender, disability status, and English proficiency. By attending to these intersecting dynamics, the study aims to shed light on the conditions under which Pathways initiatives are associated with positive outcomes—and for whom. Our central research questions include:

What does implementation of Pathways look like across different schools and settings? What are the facilitators and challenges of implementation?
To what extent do students access and participate in the five core components of Pathways? How do levels of exposure to the five components at Pathways schools compare to those at schools without FRNYC or CRMYA?
What factors (e.g., student background, school characteristics, industry partner) shape variation in participation and access?
How is participation in career-connected learning related to positive outcomes such as improved attendance and a greater likelihood of being on-track for high school graduation? Are there particular components or combinations of components that are more strongly associated with positive outcomes than others? Under what conditions is program participation associated with positive outcomes—and for whom?

The study combines longitudinal student-level data, administrative records, and rich fieldwork—including interviews with school staff, intermediaries, and employers—to generate a nuanced picture of how implementation is progressing and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

Career-connected learning has become a key pillar of education policy in NYC and across the country. Yet many questions remain about how best to implement these programs at scale, how program components contribute to outcomes both individually and in combination, how to ensure equitable access, and how integrated career-connected learning can support students’ postsecondary success. This study will generate actionable evidence for decision-makers and deepen our understanding of how to prepare all students for economic mobility and meaningful careers.

This work is supported through a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).