Bringing Industry to the Classroom

Multiple pathways connect college-preparatory curriculums with exceptional career and technical education, motivating students to learn by helping them answer the question, Why do I need to know this? Real-world learning is organized around such industry sectors as finance and business; health science and medical technology; building and environmental design; and arts, media, and entertainment. Each pathway is grounded in four guiding principles. Pathways prepare students for both postsecondary education and a career, connect academics to real-world applications, lead to the full range of postsecondary opportunities, and improve student achievement. Pathways are characterized by a challenging academic component, a rigorous technical component, a work-based learning component, and supplemental services. California currently boasts 296 Partnership Academies (the equivalent of career academies) and 300 career academies. Research to date suggests that multiple pathways integrating challenging academics with demanding career and technical education around major industry themes can produce many benefits for students, especially those who traditionally have not done well in conventional high school programs.