Pathways Improvement Scope
LAUSD seeks to address two interconnected challenges: 1) the need to advance LAUSD middle school Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways in alignment with the Strong Workforce Program (SWP) Regional Plan, and 2) ensuring high school students are better prepared for community college programs that lead to high-demand, middle-skill careers.
By realigning LAUSD’s middle school CTE pathways with the SWP Regional Plan and increasing collaboration with community colleges, this project aims to create a seamless career pipeline from middle school through post-secondary education. This alignment will help ensure that LAUSD’s predominantly underserved student population is prepared to take advantage of emerging career opportunities in the regional labor market.
Goals & Priorities
The project comprises two main objectives: enhancing Career Technical Education (CTE) instruction and student engagement. Project Objective 1 focuses on strengthening LAUSD high school CTE instructors’ pedagogical practices through self-assessment, aligning with industry trends, and collaborating with industry partners. Instructors will refine their teaching by selecting and improving specific California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) sub-standards, working closely with teacher advisors and industry experts to create project-based lesson plans. They will also shadow LAHC instructors to deepen their industry knowledge, receiving feedback to enhance their instructional approaches. Finally, instructors will integrate these insights into their classrooms to deliver more impactful work-based learning. Project Objective 2 emphasizes middle school student engagement with LAHC pathways. LAHC instructors will design interactive three-hour agendas for visiting students, who will explore pathway activities during field trips. A follow-up visit 30-60 days later will allow students to collaborate on advanced projects, demonstrating increased proficiency in their chosen pathways. These objectives foster more substantial educator-industry alignment and early student exposure to career pathways.
Industry Sector(s) Or Pathway(s)
AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES ARTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TRADE BUSINESS AND FINANCE EDUCATION, CHILD DEVELOPMENT, & FAMILY SERVICES ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, & UTILITIES ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE FASHION & INTERIOR DESIGN HEALTH SCIENCE & MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY HOSPITALITY, TOURISM, & RECREATION INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MARKETING, SALES, & SERVICES PUBLIC SERVICES TRANSPORTATION
Additional CCD Partners