More than half of 9th graders in the United States will never complete a college degree. High schools must do more than prepare some students for college: They must prepare all American youth for productive lives as well as continued learning beyond high school. In this timely volume, two educational leaders advocate for a more meaningful high school experience. To accomplish this, the authors argue that we need to change the focus of our current high school reform efforts from “college for all” to “careers for all.” This work shows how schools can prepare young people both for the emerging workplace and postsecondary education.

Book Features:

• A framework for a career and technical education that can stem dropout rates and increase the relevance of academics.


• Examples of the three domains of knowledge and skill necessary for students to become truly college and career ready: academic knowledge, employability skills, and technical skills.


• Evidence on how career and technical education can increase student engagement, improve academic achievement, and ease the transition to postsecondary education and employment.


• Research-based strategies that schools can implement to improve students’ math and literacy skills.

James R. Stone, III, is a distinguished university scholar at the University of Louisville and director of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. Morgan V. Lewis is retired from Ohio State University and serves as consultant to the National Research Center.