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From Readiness to Relevance: 3 Ways to Transform Career Connected Learning

| Getting Smart | Dr. Mahnaz R. Charania

This past spring, as another high school graduating class crossed the stage—caps tossed high, hopes even higher—one hard truth hovered in the air: too many young people still feel unprepared for what’s next.

Recent data paints a stark picture: According to YouScience, nearly 72% of high school graduates (Classes of 2021–24) reported feeling only moderately, slightly, or not at all prepared for life after high school. This year, Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation, and Jobs for the Future (JFF) found that fewer than 30% of Gen Z high school students feel “very prepared” to pursue any post-high school pathway. Even among those most interested in one option, less than half feel very prepared. And among this year’s college graduates, just 24% believe they left with all the skills needed to succeed.

Read more at Getting Smart.

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A close-up photograph of a young woman with dark, curly hair and glasses, leaning in to assist a young boy with his schoolwork. The woman, likely a teacher or tutor, is smiling and pointing at a paper with a pencil while the boy, who is wearing a dark hoodie, looks intently at the work. Word flashcards are visible on a blue background in the distance.

A teacher leads a one-on-one reading session focused on strategy and engagement.

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TNTP is the nation’s leading research, policy, and consulting organization dedicated to transforming America’s public education system so that every young person thrives.

Today, we work side-by-side with educators, system leaders, and communities across the nation to reach ambitious goals for student success.

Yet the possibilities we imagine push far beyond the walls of school and the education field alone. We are catalyzing a movement across sectors to create multiple pathways for young people to achieve academic, economic, and social mobility.

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