Career Academies

There is strong evidence that Career Academies help at-risk students progress through high school and avoid dropping out^{2, 3, 4}. Career Academies are a type of dropout prevention program that involve school or class restructuring; such programs have been shown to increase high school completion^{5, 6}.

Students in danger of dropping out who enroll in Career Academies are more likely to stay in school, maintain better attendance, and earn more credits toward graduation than non-enrolled at-risk students^{3, 7, 4}. Career Academy graduates appear to earn substantially more than their non-Career Academy counterparts in early adulthood. These labor market effects are especially strong among young men^{4, 8}, and persist eight years after program completion².

Research indicates that effective Career Academy programs combine career advising with college visits and assistance with the college financial aid process. Researchers also recommend that programs offer professional development to teach staff and teachers how to integrate academic and career content⁹.

Career Academies combined with Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) can improve on-time graduation rates and may improve grades¹⁰.

There are approximately 7,000 Career Academies nationwide¹¹. The Career Academy Support Network works closely with Career Academies in individual school districts and twenty states and supports development and improvement of Career Academies across the nation¹. The National Career Academy Coalition recognizes model academies across the U.S., including schools recently recognized in Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas¹².

The Exploring College and Career Options (ECCO) program, developed by MDRC, includes curricula, resources, guides, and professional development materials to support Career Academies⁸.