Resource Library

This is a thought paper for school and community leaders. It takes an honest look at the reality of what was facing America students and its workforce in 2019 and what brought America to this reality. It also provides clarity and direction to bring greater effectiveness and scalability to Career Connected Learning practices.

While headlines trumpet the demise of the college degree, this joint report with Harvard Business School Project on Managing the Future of Work reveals a different reality. Many companies have announced dropping degree requirements, but sustained hiring changes remain elusive for most. This report identifies where the reality of skills-based hiring might be lagging well-meaning ambitions, and shows which companies are getting it right.

This is a report containing the results of a study on new approaches in higher education, funded by the Charles Kock Foundation.

The Success Index represents a private opinion survey of the American people’s personal definitions of success and the American Dream. It uses tools and methodologies that minimize distortions found in traditional public opinion polls to reveal not only what Americans prioritize most — and least — in a successful life, but also what they believe about other people’s priorities.

This study examines recent community college student's motivations for enrolling, their self-reported perceptions of the value of their education and training experiences, and the degree to which they achieved their goals for enrolling. The outcomes they pursue range from skill development to certificates to degrees to transfer. Fewer than half of career seeking students report that their education helped them fulfill these motivations, or develop the skills needed for their subsequent outcomes such as critical thinking, communication or leadership. Additionally, the report finds that students are less likely to feel their education was worth the cost of that it helped them achieve their goals.

This survey explores the perspectives and experiences of those in closest contact with the American education system—namely parents, current students, and recent graduates. In partnership with YouGov, American Compass surveyed representative American parents young adults about their views on the purpose of public education; their reflections on the way that the school system has performed; and their desire for reforms to both K–12 schools and higher education. They found that Americans want (1) a public education system less focused on college, more focused on preparing people to build decent lives in their communities, and (2) education reforms to emphasize non-college pathways.

The Catalyze Challenge set out to answer two core research questions: was it successful in catalyzing new innovation and, if so, what type? It employs a three-stage review process involving a collective effort to identify unique, groundbreaking career-connected models that are heavily invested in the communities they serve. The key takeaways that are explored in depth throughout this report.