1. Massachusetts Innovation Pathways
Summer 2017

2. Today’s Objectives What are Innovation Pathways?
Introduction to the Guiding Principles and Designation Criteria
Designation process
Application, timeline, and expectations
Roles of Early College Joint Committee (ECJC), Workforce Skills Cabinet (WSC), and the MA Dept. of Elem & Sec. Ed.
Funding and other considerations
Post-designation implementation

3. Different Students, Different Pathways, Positive Outcomes

4. What are Innovation Pathways?
Innovation Pathways connect student learning to a broadly-defined industry sector that is in demand in the regional and state economy, and guide students to relevant post-secondary education and training. Participation in this kind of pathway contextualizes student learning, engages students in their high school experience, and can lead students to opportunities for meaningful careers in the relevant industry sector upon their completion of needed postsecondary education and training.

5. Five Guiding Principles
Equitable Access
Prioritizing students underrepresented in higher ed and high skill/high demand industries
Eliminating barriers to student participation
Guided Academic Pathways
At least 2 technical courses and 2 college level courses
College-level rigor and experience
Student-centered college and career planning
Enhanced Student Support
Wraparound services to promote success and completion

6. Five Guiding Principles (cont’d)
Connection to Career
Exposure to targeted pathway opportunities intended to lead to careers
100 hour internship or capstone with related quality indicators
Effective Partnerships
For IP, at least one district/secondary school and an employer, employer association or Workforce Dev. Board (with employer partner)

7. Massachusetts High Quality College & Career Pathways
Massachusetts High Quality College & Career Pathways Preparing All Students for College and Career
High Quality College and Career Pathways (HQCCPs) must include the following six components:
All pathways are designed to promote equitable access by eliminating barriers to participation.

8. Innovation Pathways: Advising
The pathway includes well-designed college and career advising:
Students must have an individual plan, managed on line, using an electronic platform designed for that purpose, such as MEFA Pathways, Naviance, MassCIS, Career Cruising or other system
Career development education is an aspect of advising, with career awareness, exploration and immersion activities built into the advising process
College access and awareness activities, and a postsecondary plan, are included

9. Innovation Pathway: Labor Market Demand
Align with career opportunities in a broad industry sector category with high employer demand
Eligible industry sectors for this first year
Manufacturing
Information
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Finance and Insurance
In future years, labor market information justifying an IP will be based in part on the Workforce Skills Cabinet regional planning process and resulting regional blueprints, now being developed

10. Innovation Pathways: Integrated Instruction
The pathway consists of an integrated Scope and Sequence of courses and experiences aligned with the industry sector, that is developed through an individual planning process
Students must have an individual plan, managed on line
The scope and sequence must include
At least 2 Technical courses aligned with the Industry Sector
At least 2 college-level courses, which can include dual enrollment, AP, PLTW, or other college level courses

11. Innovation Pathways: Integrated Instruction
Sample Scope and Sequence – Technology Pathway
Innovation Pathways: Integrated Instruction
Grade
Sample Core Courses
Possible Elective Courses
Career Advising and ILP: Career Awareness, Exploration & Immersion
Ninth Grade
Algebra I, Chemistry
Technology Systems I
ILP creation; Interest Inventory; college visits
Tenth Grade
Algebra II, Geometry, Chemistry, Physics
Advanced Tech Systems: Mechanical, Advanced Tech Systems: Electrical, Computer Aided Design I
Labor market research about Tech Careers; Employer Speaker Series re Tech Careers; ILP updates; Seminar about college costs; Job Shadow in tech field
Eleventh Grade
Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-calculus; Advanced Placement: Chemistry, Physics
Advanced Tech Systems: Mechanical, Advanced Tech Systems: Electrical, Computer Aided Design I, Computer Aided Design II
Field trips to technology businesses; Research paper about tech pathway issues; Work readiness seminar to prep for internship; college research; ILP updates
Twelfth Grade
Calculus; Advanced Placement: Chemistry, Environmental, Physics
Advanced Tech Systems: Mechanical, Advanced Tech Systems: Electrical, Computer Aided Design I, Computer Aided Design II
Summer 100 hr internship at tech company; Labor market research about range of occupations in sector; college visits; Presentation about Internship; ILP updates; college selection

12. Innovation Pathways: Work-based Learning
100 hours of an Internship or Capstone aligned with the industry sector
Quality elements include:
Staff liaison
Ongoing reflection opportunities such as journal writing
Use of the MA Work-based Learning Plan
End of experience student product, such as oral presentation, written report, video

13. Innovation Pathways: Credentials and Post-secondary Linkages
The Pathway leads to industry-recognized credentials (IRCs)
Student know about the credentials that are relevant to the industry sector
They either attain them while in high school, or build skills for attaining them in post-secondary education
The credential may be an Associate’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree, a Certificate, Apprenticeship or other IRC
Explicit linkages with colleges or other institutions that provide IRCs are developed

14. Designation Process and Criteria
Two-part application process structured around five guiding principles
Preliminary Designation
Final Designation application
RFP for competitive grant application incorporated in Desig. Process
Requirements of RFP are connected to Preliminary Designation process and Criteria
Designation does not guarantee funding; grants will be awarded competitively to some
Guiding Principles and Core Components are basis for application questions
Joint application/partnership between K-12 district and employer representative (employer, employer association or Workforce Dev. Bd. w/at least one partner employer)
Electronic submission, using WizeHive
ESE will make the final determinations for designations

15. Applicant Criteria for IP
Applications must include structured partnerships
At least one K-12 district as the applicant and an employer representative (employer or employer association) as Lead partner. A Workforce Development Board may serve as lead as long as at least one employer partner is also a partner
District and Lead partner must apply jointly
Both partners will be held accountable together for outcomes

16. Preliminary Designation Application
Two-stage process
Preliminary Designation Application
The initial application determines whether the applicant receives Preliminary Designation, which would qualify them to submit a Final Designation Application.
Applicant must sufficiently address plans for each of the five guiding principles, according to specified criteria.
Key questions for consideration, based on Guiding Principles:
Is the proposed program structured to eliminate barriers to student participation and designed to prioritize students underrepresented in higher education enrollment and completion?
Does the program outline a clear academic pathway from secondary to post-secondary education and onto a career?
Does the program identify academic and nonacademic challenges and supports for at-risk, under-represented and/or first-generation students?
Are career awareness, exploration and immersion activities included as an integral part of the IP program?
Does the program propose robust and viable partnerships?

17. Final Designation Application
Two-stage process
Final Designation Application
Receiving a Preliminary Designation will allow the applicant to apply for a Final Designation.
Final Designation is also structured around the five guiding principles, with additional requirements to demonstrate evidence of effective implementation. For example:
Signed MOU(s)
Developed policies
Calendars of activities and schedules
Staffing plans
The Final Designation indicates that a Program has completed all necessary requirements and is either already enrolled or is prepared to enroll students for the following academic year.

18. Preliminary Designation Timeline
September 8, 2017
Letter of intent due
September 27, 2017
Preliminary Designation Application and RFP submissions due
Month of October
Review Preliminary Designation Applications
The RFP will be judged on impact and quality
By November 1– Preliminary Designations announced
Applicants notified of possible funding and advance to Final Designation phase

19. Final Designation Timeline
November/December
Staff conduct Final Designation information sessions
February 2, 2018 – Final Designation Application due
February – Final Designation Application review by staff
Early March 2018
ECJC convenes to review Final Designation Application summaries and interagency working group recommendations for EC programs; Commission of ESE reviews recommendations for IP.
Final Designation conferred in March

20. Electronic Application
Both the preliminary and final designation applications will be submitted electronically
We will be using an application portal for this purpose
To apply for a designation for an Innovation Pathway program, use this link: ovationpathways

21. Designation Timeline Notes
An applicant that is awarded Preliminary Designation in the fall of 2017 is expected to apply for Final Designation by the beginning of Feb.2018
Programs achieving designation would be expected to launch in the fall of 2018
If applicants do not receive Final Designation in the spring of 2018 they may reapply in the next cycle, to being in the fall of 2018

22. Post-Designation: Implementation
5 years term length for the designation
Designation is a performance contract
Clear link between the performance metrics in the MOU and the Commonwealth’s monitoring of performance
Tied to renewal of a program’s designation
Annual reporting obligations
Review/check-in after the first three years

23. Post-Designation: Implementation (con’t)
Ongoing support
Convenings/Professional Learning Communities
Technical assistance from ESE, DHE
Oversight & evaluation
Early College performance criteria
Annual report
Site visits

24. How are the new Pathways funded?
Applicants will have to assure funding
Small amount of competitive funding for AY (approx. 10 districts)
Planning funds - November 2017 – June 30, 2018; maximum funding $10,000 per application
Implementation funds - July 1, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2019; approx. $100,000 per program
EOE exploring sustainable funding source

25. Other Considerations Cohort size Scale relative to size of high school
Sustainability
Cost-effectiveness
Scale relative to size of high school
Collective bargaining
How do you address this already?

26. Q&A

27. For further questions
Nyal Fuentes, College and Career Readiness Coordinator
Jennifer Gwatkin, Early College Coordinator
Shailah Stewart, Coordinator, High School Pathway Development,