Quentin Suffren is the Senior Advisor of Innovation Policy for ExcelinEd.
At ExcelinEd, we are deeply focused on identifying and promoting policies that support learners in their journeys from K-12 through postsecondary—and even onto success in the workplace. These policies, like pathways themselves, span different systems, levels of education and training, and learner ages. As more and more states have adopted these important policies, we are exploring what makes some states more successful than others in implementing the policies to strengthen high-quality learner pathways.
One answer is governance.
Governance refers to the intentional alignment of state agencies, priorities and resources to support learner pathways and experiences. Given their complex nature, education to workforce pathways require collaboration and coordination across multiple leaders, agencies and systems.
Consider the diverse systems, leaders and stakeholders that must engage to support seamless transitions for learners:
In states with strong governance, leaders and agencies are empowered to pursue a common vision and set of priorities . Education and training providers, as well as employer partners, benefit from aligned policies and resources. In states with weak governance, efforts are siloed, and policies and programs are often misaligned or fragmented. Funding for critical programs may be duplicative or uneven.
While the notion of governance may seem abstract, the difference between strong and weak pathways governance carries real consequences for learners trying to navigate a complicated web of programs, policies and funding.
ExcelinEd is pleased to announce a new resource that highlights why governance is critical to strengthening learner pathways and how states can better align their systems and priorities to do so. It also introduces different examples of governance structures being used in states today.
States with strong governance structures in support of learner pathways feature four essential pillars:
Several states make use of an empowered “Cabinet” approach to state governance. Often convened by the governor and then codified in legislation, the Cabinet model creates a dedicated office to convene and coordinate agencies. It also creates shared accountability for results across systems.
Indiana adopted this model when it established the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet in 2018. Since then, it has used the Cabinet as a catalyst for implementing Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Agenda. Features of this agenda have included 1) a strengthened state career and technical education (CTE) program better aligned to postsecondary, and 2) Next Level Jobs, a training program allowing any Indiana resident 18 and older to pursue tuition-free training to earn a valued credential aligned to in-demand occupations.
The first thing policymakers can do is assess how well their state is organized to support learner pathways. Below are a few key questions to guide that assessment:
If the answer is “no” or “I don’t know” to these questions, then there is an opportunity to strengthen governance of pathways.
Check out the Governance section on the Pathways Matter website or contact the ExcelinEd team to learn more about how states are tackling this issue to support learners.
