Evaluation of the Career Connect Pathway Project. Final Report. 

Abstract

The Career Connected Pathways (CCP) project was designed to increase the number of high school students who graduate prepared to pursue high-wage, high-demand careers in computer science and cybersecurity. Launched in 2020 by the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) in partnership with Jobs for the Future and other intermediaries, and funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program, the project sought to expand access to career-connected learning and strengthen alignment between high school and community college pathways across Arizona. CFA engaged SRI to conduct an independent evaluation of CCP across eight school districts. 

This report presents findings from SRI’s multi-year evaluation examining project implementation and impacts on student outcomes, including high school graduation, computer science credit attainment, and dual enrollment credit attainment. Findings indicate uneven implementation across sites and years, reflecting the challenges of sustained engagement and collaboration. Consistent with these patterns, the impact analysis found no statistically significant effects on the targeted student outcomes. 

However, qualitative evidence points to meaningful system-level benefits, including expanded computer science offerings in some schools, strengthened high school–community college relationships, and increased organizational capacity for data use and student-centered design. Together, these findings highlight the importance of sustained leadership engagement, clear implementation expectations, and authentic incorporation of student voice in career-connected learning initiatives.