Blogs

By Rachel Antrobus and Alexandra Lozanoff

In this blog, we share five foundational strategies for building high-quality K-16 pathways in the context of common challenges and emerging possibilities.

By Sterling Smith

In this blog, we discuss strategies for bridging the gap between prevalent, low-wage jobs and good jobs that address quality of life and earnings. The blog also highlights a new initiative that aims to address barriers adult learners face while putting them on pathways to good jobs.

By Dr. Alexandria M. Wright and Dr. Laura Lara-Brady

In this blog post, we explain the Adult Education on-ramps to postsecondary opportunities, the opportunity cost of education, and the support needed for adult learners in rural communities.

By Phyllis Pistorino, Svetlana Darche, and Kerry Sherman Headington

In this blog post, we explain the elements and perceived positive impacts of work-based learning, and explore an exciting professional development course that WestEd created for community college faculty to facilitate work-based learning in their courses.

By Randal K. Tillery and Kathy Booth, Co-Directors of the Center for Economic Mobility

A year ago, WestEd launched the Center for Economic Mobility. We were in good company. A number of organizations that focus on education, workforce development, and public policy have been sharpening their focus on whether people are able to attain living-wage jobs, with the social, health, and community benefits that become possible with financial security. This shared awareness is an opportunity to strengthen economic mobility pathways.

By Rachel Antrobus

The cost of higher education has been rising steadily in recent years, making it even more difficult for many students to afford college and further exacerbating the economic divide. We know that students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their coursework, and obtain a degree. The students who stand to benefit most, including first-generation students and those with low income, are the least likely to complete the FAFSA. The effect of filing a FAFSA is more significant among Pell Grant-eligible students of low income because these FAFSA filers have 122 percent higher odds of persisting compared to their peers of lower income who did not file a FAFSA.

By Pamela Fong

Traditionally, postsecondary students are expected to start their college journey with some sense about their education and career goals. While some students may know their goals, the reality is that most do not. Until they know their goals, students may waste valuable time and money, taking random classes and delaying the start of their career earnings.

By Ann Edwards

U.S. adult numeracy education is a complex landscape. Numeracy, defined as “the ability to access, use, interpret and communicate mathematical information and ideas in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life” (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020), emphasizes learners’ use and application of mathematical skills, understanding, and, increasingly, digital literacy. In trying to build these skills, adult learners must navigate a variety of course structures around the competing demands of their daily lives, while instructors balance diverse policies, content, and standards to try to meet learners’ needs. So how can adult numeracy instructors create courses that address this reality and help students succeed?