Creating Strong Building Blocks for Every Student: How Middle Schools Can Lay the Foundation for Rigorous High School Pathways

The data show that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, access to quality high school pathways varied considerably. There are multiple factors that drive these inequities: lack of access to rigorous, prerequisite coursework; insufficient student and family information about the existence of these program...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2020
Main Authors: Benner, Meg, Sargrad, Scott
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Center for American Progress
Education
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The data show that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, access to quality high school pathways varied considerably. There are multiple factors that drive these inequities: lack of access to rigorous, prerequisite coursework; insufficient student and family information about the existence of these programs and how to prepare; and structural barriers such as transportation and feeder patterns that close some students out of certain specialized programs. These barriers pose particular difficulties for Black and Latinx students and students from families with low incomes. The closure of schools due to COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate those inequities. Moreover, access to career and college exploration will dwindle during and after the pandemic for all students. In order to improve access to existing pathways and increase demand for more quality programs, states, school districts, and schools need to increase efforts to prepare students for college and the workforce of tomorrow. They need to begin these programs earlier and consider how to increase access to those opportunities in a virtual environment.