The Landscape of Career Development Opportunities in DC Public Schools

• In Event: Career and Technical Education and Work-based Learning: a Meta-analysis and Current Research in Three States

Abstract

This study examined the landscape, structure, and accessibility of career development opportunities (CDOs) for middle and high school students in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). The team collected administrative data, surveys of program providers, and interviews with district and school staff to catalogue 38 distinct CDOs available during the 2023–24 school year and assesses their distribution, participation, and alignment with district goals.Findings reveal a highly diversified ecosystem of career development programming that the team organized into four primary categories: formal coursework, career awareness and exploration, work-based learning, and postsecondary planning supports. Career and technical education (CTE) programs of study serve as the central organizing structure, with other CDOs designed to scaffold students’ progression from early exposure to career pathways toward more intensive skill-building experiences. Participation varies widely across programs, with some reaching thousands of students and others serving small, selective groups.Work-based learning (WBL) opportunities, such as internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training, emerged as a critical but unevenly accessible component of the system. These experiences tend to be longer in duration, often paid, and concentrated among older students who meet eligibility requirements, including prior coursework in CTE pathways. As a result, access to WBL is shaped by both structural factors (e.g., school offerings, scheduling constraints) and student readiness, limiting participation for some groups.The study also highlights variation across schools in the number and types of CDOs offered and demonstrates that schools with higher levels of economically disadvantaged students appear to have variety in the programs of study offered to students. Student access is influenced by centralized district decisions regarding program design and eligibility. While DCPS central services play a key role in shaping program offerings and standards, implementation is largely decentralized, leading to heterogeneity in student experiences.These findings underscore the importance of coherent system design in scaling equitable access to CTE and work-based learning. Although DCPS offers a broad array of career development opportunities, the sequencing and accessibility of these experiences—particularly WBL—remain uneven. An impact study being designed will incorporate how district-level structures, program prerequisites, and school-level capacity jointly shape students’ opportunities to engage in meaningful, career-connected learning.

Author

• Dara Zeehandelaar Shaw, Urban Institute
  Presenting Author