Purpose

The College and Career Transitions Initiative (CCTI) will contribute to strengthening the role of community and technical colleges throughout the United States in

• easing student transitions between secondary and postsecondary education as well as transitions to employment;
• improving academic performance at both the secondary and postsecondary levels.

Through partnerships of postsecondary institutions with secondary schools and employers, the CCTI will further the development of academically rigorous programs of study organized around broad occupational areas that initially include

• Health Science
• Information Technology
• Education and Training
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• Law, Public Safety, and Security

These programs of study, aligning course offerings at the secondary level with increasingly advanced academic and technical courses at the postsecondary level, will equip students with the skills and credentials required for success in high-growth, high-demand, high-wage career fields.

Outcomes

During the life of the project, CCTI site partnerships will be expected to

• enhance and develop exemplary models of college and career transition strategies and programs of study;
• improve academic performance of students at both the secondary and postsecondary levels;
• collect and report baseline information and outcomes assessment data about participating students; and
• collect and report information about the site partnership’s effectiveness in enhancing and developing exemplary models. To achieve anticipated outcomes, college and career transition strategies and programs of study will be identified, developed, benchmarked, and refined.

At a minimum, anticipated outcomes include

• decreased need for remediation at postsecondary level;
• increased enrollment and persistence in postsecondary education;
• increased academic and skill achievement at secondary and postsecondary levels;
• increased attainment of postsecondary degrees, certificates, or other recognized credentials; and
• increased entry into employment or further education.