A key piece of the cradle-to-career pathway is building strong bridges between secondary and postsecondary institutions. David Schuler, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, outlines the importance of K-12 and community college partnerships, particularly as dual- and concurrent-enrollment programs grow.
This article comes from the current issue of the Community College Journal, the flagship publication of the American Association of Community Colleges.
What are some of the biggest issues facing school superintendents right now?
AASA and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) know better than most the critical importance of working together to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in the workplaces and economies of the future that we cannot yet even imagine.
I’ve always said that the job of superintendent is one of the best jobs in the country. Who wouldn’t want to equip our country’s youngest minds with the tools and learning environment for future personal and professional success? With that privilege comes immense responsibility and — increasingly, immense pressure — to meet the myriad demands of an incredibly diverse group of stakeholders from students and parents, to teachers and staff, to schools boards and government, business and community. It can sometimes feel like an impossible task, and that’s why AASA is dedicated to providing every support possible to superintendents navigating the complex demands of this critical job.
Earlier this year we surveyed our membership to ask exactly this question: What are the biggest issues facing the superintendency? Their responses roughly fit into the five below categories:
- Finding qualified teachers, staff and leaders
- Addressing chronic absenteeism
- Developing skills on the job and finding time for professional learning
- Maintaining a work–life balance
- Addressing student mental health and wellbeing
AASA is actively working with our members to provide support in each of the above areas, from building out the leadership pipeline with our Aspiring Academy graduates, to offering more than 50 professional development and networking learning opportunities each year, to working with our partners at JED to launch a comprehensive Mental Health District Initiative.
Why is it important for K-12 schools and community colleges to partner?
I’ve long been an advocate of schools actively partnering with both community colleges and local businesses, to ensure students leave senior year ready to succeed both at college, and in careers that will set them and their families up for prosperity, and also contribute to the local economy in positive ways.
Through initiatives like AASA’s “Redefining Ready!,” we’re reimagining what it means to be “college and career ready” by moving beyond test scores to focus on skills and real-world experiences. As superintendent of High School District 214, we pioneered pathways that allowed students to earn college credits and engage in hands-on career exploration before high school graduation. These partnerships provide students with a direct connection to both postsecondary education and local industries, equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in today’s workforce. Today, as we continue this work nationally through AASA, community colleges play a central role in helping us bridge education and career readiness, ensuring students from all backgrounds can envision — and achieve — a prosperous future.
How has the relationship between K-12 and community colleges changed or grown?
The relationship between K-12 schools and community colleges has evolved dramatically, growing from isolated programs to true partnerships driven by a shared commitment to preparing students for high-paying careers and lifelong success. The innovation we’re seeing from districts in this space — from dual-enrollment programs, to trade and technical education collaborations, to early college high schools and guided pathways — is incredibly exciting. These partnerships are reshaping education to be more inclusive, equitable, accessible and directly responsive to workforce needs which benefits all of society.
Dual and concurrent enrollment is growing. From your perspective on the K-12 side, what are some of the challenges with developing and maintaining successful dual and concurrent enrollment programs?
Dual and concurrent enrollment offer promising pathways for students to access college-level coursework, but it comes with distinct challenges that require dedicated collaboration across K-12 and higher education. One key obstacle is ensuring access for all students, particularly those from underserved backgrounds, who may face barriers such as transportation, cost, or prerequisites that limit their participation.
At the same time, we must align our high school and college curricula intentionally to make these programs meaningful and relevant — a complex process but one that, when done well, helps students see themselves as successful college students. Moreover, we know that students need support as they take on these rigorous courses; for many, this means providing both academic and social-emotional resources to help them thrive.
Lastly, sustainable partnerships with colleges are essential, yet they often rely on a few key relationships. It’s up to us as leaders to create solid program agreements and communication channels so these partnerships can endure staff changes. Our goal is simple but powerful: we must empower every student to envision and work toward a future that includes college and career success.
Dual- and concurrent-enrollment programs offer valuable pathways for students to gain college credits early, but their success relies on overcoming these challenges to make them equitable, sustainable and beneficial for all students.
A challenge that community colleges are working to address is widening access to and awareness of dual enrollment so students who might benefit the most from earning college credits in high school get that opportunity. How is that being addressed on the K-12 side? And how might K-12 and community colleges partner to address this problem?
Getting this right is incredibly important for the future of education. K-12 schools are addressing access and awareness challenges for dual enrollment by enhancing outreach efforts, especially to students from underserved backgrounds who may not typically consider early college opportunities.
Many districts are embedding dual enrollment guidance into college and career readiness programming and hosting informational sessions in collaboration with community college advisors to help families understand the long-term benefits of earning college credits early. To tackle financial and logistical barriers, schools can provide subsidies or scholarships, offering dual-enrollment courses on high school campuses, or coordinating transportation. Many schools are also making it possible for students to take dual enrollment courses during school hours, making participation more feasible.
Awareness alone isn’t enough, so schools should partner with community colleges to build strategic pathways, such as career-ready tracks that align with local workforce needs, and provide joint advising resources. Through data-sharing agreements, these partnerships help K-12 districts and community colleges identify areas where students may need additional support and evaluate where to expand programs for greater impact. There’s still so much potential for transformation in this area, and I’m excited about the possibilities these strong partnerships are unlocking for our students.
