Overview
New Jersey has adopted policies to advance work-based learning and a broader definition of college and career readiness and high school success. For example, the state adopted the Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills Practices, a framework that lays out what skills students need to graduate ready for life after high school graduation.
In addition, the state’s largest district, Newark, adopted high school redesign as a core focus of its improvement efforts. In its 10-year strategic vision, the Newark Board of Education points to high school transformation as a catalyst for improving the district's middle, elementary, and early learning schools. The new career-focused high schools that the district is opening with higher education institutions and industry partners are designed to provide students with practical, real-world experiences that prepare them for a rapidly changing workforce.
These redesign efforts in Newark, along with investments in college and career readiness, provide jumping-off points for further high school innovation and redesign efforts in New Jersey.
