Career Readiness & the Every Student Succeeds Act

One of the key priorities for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is alignment and conformity across different federal and state systems. ESSA gives states the flexibility to hold schools accountable, measure student outcomes, and provide supports and technical assistance in a way that is aligned with their own priorities. States are encouraged to streamline services across Career Technical Education (CTE), workforce development and higher education and truly support learners to achieve career success.

This report from Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group is an update to Career Readiness & the Every Student Succeeds Act: Mapping Career Readiness in ESSA State Plans - Round 1. The report examines state plans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to see how states are taking advantage of key opportunities to support career readiness. The report also profiles state plans for Title II, Part A funding, which supports the development of teachers and school administrators, and Title IV, which provides critical funding to expand access to opportunities for a “well-rounded education.”

A full analysis of career readiness strategies in ESSA can be found in the Appendix here.