Building Multiple Pathways:

Approaches, Relevant Programs, and Implementation

Considerations

Premise Underlying Call for MPs

Communities would be able to meet the learning needs of more students if they were to offer a wider variety of learning options, both in schools and in other educational settings, including colleges, community organizations, and workplaces

The Yin & Yang of MPs

• Rigor vs. Access• Quality vs. Variety• College vs. Broader definition of post-secondary

success

Perhaps the biggest underlying difference among different iterations of MPs revolves around the related issues regarding what students should learn, what constitutes rigor, and how can rigor be ensured

6 Service Options to be Considered in any Comprehensive MPs Initiative

Small Learning Communities (SLCs)

Examples:• Talent Development High School (national)• Career Academies (national)

Small Schools (general population)

Example: University Park High School (Worcester, MA)

Service Options Continued

Alternative Small Schools Example: Diploma Plus (national)

High School/College Blends Examples:• LaGuardia Middle College High School (Queens,

New York)• TechPrep (national) • Portland Gateway to College Program (Portland,

Oregon)

Services Options Continued

GED/Adult Basic EducationExamples:• Adult Career Development Center (Richmond, Virginia)• GED Plus (generic design adopted by the US DOL)

Experiential/Work-Based Examples:• Los Angeles Conservation Corps• YouthBuild (national)• Manchester Craftsman Guild (Pittsburgh)• Year-Up (national)• City Year (Boston)