Readiness for postsecondary education is critical for students’ future success and ability to access career opportunities. High school graduation rates have increased, yet evidence suggests that students are not ready for postsecondary education and training that is required to obtain a job with a living wage. Solutions to this challenge require support for secondary schools to build and implement evidence-based interventions and supports and to engage cross-sector stakeholders (e.g., education, workforce, industry) to create policy environments that support college and career readiness and opportunity for all students.

AIR recognizes this challenge and applies its substantial expertise in building school, district, and state capacity and conducing research and evaluation studies to offer clients customized strategies that support college and career readiness efforts. Specifically, AIR has a track record of working with education and workforce leaders at the state, district, and school levels to refine policies and practices so that students graduate on time with the academic, technical, employability skills they need to be successful in postsecondary education and the workplace.

Our team of content experts, researchers, evaluators, and educators provide expertise in best practices and policy in areas including postsecondary readiness, career and technical education, work-based learning, career pathways, competency-based education, high school graduation early warning systems, early college high school, dual enrollment, and postsecondary transformation.

College and Career Readiness and Success Center

From 2012 to 2019, AIR provided customized technical assistance to states to support the college and career readiness priorities through its College and Career Readiness Success Center.

Read more about the Center's work and access its free resources >>

Featured Work

BRIEF: Developing a College- and Career-ready Workforce: An Analysis of ESSA, Perkins V, IDEA, and WIOA

State and local policy makers can utilize this brief to identify opportunities to align and leverage policies, programs, and funding in ESSA, Perkins V, IDEA, and WIOA.

TOOLKIT: Integrating Employability Skills: A Framework for All Educators

This interactive module introduces the Employability Skills Framework and provides tools and strategies to integrate employability skills into standards, curriculum, instruction, and work-based learning experiences.

SERVICE: Early Warning Systems in Education

In close collaboration with education leaders, AIR experts help clients use a seven-step, research-based continuous improvement process that enables educators to keep a close eye on at-risk students and to intervene early—and often—to improve student outcomes.