New Report from American Student Assistance and Bellwether Highlights Promise in High School Work-Based Learning in 10 States

Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia Make Meaningful Progress in Policy, Infrastructure, Data Collection, and More

BOSTON, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- American Student Assistance® (ASA), a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, and Bellwether, a national nonprofit working to transform education to improve outcomes for systemically marginalized young people, today announced a new white paper, "Making It Work: Ten Stories of Promise and Progress in High School Work-Based Learning." Each state's efforts are unique to its educational, political, and economic conditions, and detailed accounts of these efforts are provided in state profiles. This report is a follow-up to the 2021 ASA and Bellwether analysis of high school work-based learning policies in all 50 states and D.C. and revisits planned work in 10 states to understand how it has progressed.

While the 10 states profiled are taking very different approaches to strengthening their work-based learning programs and policies, several key themes emerged across their initiatives, illustrating common challenges and opportunities. For example, recognizing that the definition of work-based learning is necessary for a coherent state approach, the report details efforts in Louisiana, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Illinois, to clarify or expand definitions of work-based learning, sometimes spurred by broader updates to college and career readiness standards or accountability requirements. Other areas of progress include data collection, such as West Virginia's newly built system that collects work-based learning data including participant hours, wages, and certificates earned, and cross-sector networks, like the Illinois Work-based Learning Innovation Network (I-WIN), a free, virtual professional development community for more than 2,300 education and community leaders.

The report also details where work remains and states are innovating new solutions, such as to overcome the significant challenges of transportation, time-limited funding, and expanding business partnerships in youth work-based learning. For instance, Maine communities have hired school-based coordinators who can seek out business partners relevant to local school districts and connect them with students. In Maryland, the state has been working to improve its employer outreach to ensure business partners are prepared to support students with disabilities and understand all the wraparound supports that those students receive.

"We applaud the efforts of these exemplar states that will serve as examples for others around the country to establish systems so that many more young people can acquire critical skills and work experience while in high school. These work-based learning opportunities can significantly expand a young person's understanding of the myriad pathways they can explore to improve their employability after graduation," said Julie Lammers, Executive Vice President, American Student Assistance (ASA).

"The energy and enthusiasm states are bringing to work-based learning is inspiring. These state exemplars are leading the way when it comes to building partnerships and statewide infrastructure to support WBL, tapping new funding sources, collecting and using data, and expanding access to opportunities for young people. Their experiences contain important lessons about the opportunities and potential obstacles ahead for states," said report author and Bellwether associate partner David Casalaspi.

About American Student Assistance® (ASA)

American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures through access to career readiness information and experiences for all. ASA helps middle and high school students to know themselves–their strengths and their interests–and understand their education and career options so that they can make informed decisions. ASA fulfills its mission–in schools and beyond the classroom–by providing free digital experiences, including Futurescape®, Next Voice™, and EvolveMe®, directly to millions of students, and through advocacy, impact investing, research, thought leadership, and philanthropic support for educators, intermediaries, and others. ASA fosters a generation of confident, crisis-proof young people who are ready for whatever path comes next after high school. To learn more about ASA, visit www.asa.org/about-asa.

About Bellwether

Bellwether is a national nonprofit that exists to transform education to ensure systemically marginalized young people achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities. Founded in 2010, we work hand in hand with education leaders and organizations to accelerate their impact, inform and influence policy and program design, and share what we learn along the way. For more, visit bellwether.org.

SOURCE American Student Assistance (ASA)